The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The Democrats have long been symbolized by the color blue, while the Republicans use the color red. But why exactly are the Democrats represented by the color blue?
History of Party Colors
The blue and red color scheme for the two major American political parties dates back to the 2000 presidential election between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore. This was the first election where the broadcast networks used the now familiar red and blue maps to illustrate states won by each party.
However, the link between the color blue and the Democratic party was not firmly established until the 2000 election. In fact, before 2000, the color associations were quite inconsistent and changed frequently. Sometimes blue represented the incumbent party, while at other times red was used. The colors were essentially randomly assigned by media outlets.
There was no official designation by the parties themselves until the 2000 election when the color scheme took hold. During the closely contested election, discussing red states and blue states became a convenient shorthand in media reports. The references stuck and blue became cemented as the color of the Democratic party.
Why Blue for Democrats?
There are a few theories about why blue became the color associated with Democrats:
Incumbency Theory
As mentioned, broadcasters would sometimes use blue to represent the incumbent party. In 2000, Democrat Bill Clinton was the incumbent, potentially linking the color blue to the Democrats. However, the incumbency theory does not provide a full explanation since red was also sometimes used for incumbents.
Union Army Theory
During the Civil War, the Union Army wore blue uniforms while the Confederate Army wore grey. Some posit that the blue representing the Union Army became associated with the Democrats as the more progressive party at the time. However, the connection is not definitive.
Conservative Theory
One common explanation is that media outlets subconsciously assigned red to Republicans and blue to Democrats based on common perceptions of the parties. Red is a bold, aggressive color often associated with hot-button issues like communism. Blue is cooler and calmer. This subtly reinforced perceptions of Republicans as the more conservative party.
Official Adoption of Party Colors
While the blue for Democrats was cemented in 2000 by broadcasters, the parties themselves did not make it official until much later.
In 2004, the Democratic National Convention lit their stage with blue lighting and signage. This served as an unofficial endorsement of blue as the party’s color.
The Democratic Party officially adopted blue as its signature color in 2008 for campaign materials, websites, and branding. The Republican Party followed suit, affirming the use of red later that same year.
Blue States and Red States
Today, nearly 25 years after the fateful 2000 election, the “blue state, red state” partisan divide is deeply ingrained in how Americans talk about politics.
The use of red and blue on election maps cemented perceptions of Democratic-leaning states on the coasts as blue states, and Republican-leaning states in the South and interior as red states. Interestingly, some traditionally Republican states like Texas and Utah actually voted Democratic in the 1976 election. The inconsistent use of colors before 2000 serves as evidence that geographic voting patterns are not inherent.
| Blue States | Red States |
|---|---|
| California | Alabama |
| New York | Mississippi |
| Illinois | Oklahoma |
Regardless of voting history, the modern red state and blue state designations are now part of the political lexicon. The Democrats remain strongly identified with the color blue.
Conclusion
In summary, the Democratic Party is represented by the color blue due to the broadcast media’s use of blue states to designate Democratic wins in the 2000 presidential election. This set a precedent that became hardened as the red and blue distinction was repeatedly used in subsequent elections. While blue had no historical links to the Democrats previously, it has now become the universally recognized color of the party in the political world.
