At an election event at the Republican Party headquarters in Washington, D.C., in 1984, a large map was erected on the wall behind it. The map was covered with a green sheet representing each state. When the organizers tore away the sheets, shimmering blue cloths were revealed, representing the 49 states that had declared their support for then-Republican candidate Ronald Reagan.
Around the world , blue is often associated with wealth and conservatism, as it is traditionally the most expensive color to produce. Meanwhile, red has long been associated with progressiveness.
Like the blood of workers who rose up against oppression, the red features on the flag also symbolize left-leaning political organizations, from radical communists to the social democratic parties of Western Europe, Canada, and Australia.
Therefore, some of the earliest election maps, such as the 1883 US Statistical Atlas, used red for the Democratic Party and blue for the Republican Party.
A television screen broadcasts the presidential debate at a bar in Washington, D.C., in 2020. Photo: GI
When color television was introduced, the colors of the American flag became the dominant color scheme used by networks on election night.
In 1976, NBC released an election map illuminated by thousands of light bulbs. Roy Wetzel, then general manager of NBC's election unit, explained: "We said blue was for conservatives, because that was the parliamentary system in London, and red was for the more progressive party. That was it. We just did that."
However, since 1984, CBS has joined ABC in labeling Republicans as red and Democrats as blue. CNN also switched to this color scheme in the 1992 presidential election, and NBC followed suit in 1996.
It's possible these television networks are simply copying each other. Former executive vice president of NBC News, William Wheatley, said in 2016 that his channel decided to follow suit "to avoid confusing viewers."
CNN's 1980 election night news broadcast showed the map of the United States almost entirely blue as Republican candidate Ronald Reagan won a landslide victory. (Photo: CNN)
In 1980, two influential publications decided to use the color red for former U.S. President George W. Bush of the Republican Party. A graphic editor for the publication explained, "I used red simply because it starts with 'r' (red), and the Republican Party also starts with 'r' (Republican Party)."
Keating Holland, CNN's polling and election analysis director from 1993 to 2014, said: "I firmly believe that on the national map that USA Today ran the day after the 2000 election, red was the Republican Party and blue was the Democratic Party."
Since then, declaring a state, county, or individual voter as "red" or "blue" has become a useful way to shape American political discourse. Purple, a blend of blue and red, eventually became the color of bipartisanship or swing states.
Ngoc Anh (according to CNN)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bau-cu-my-2024-tai-sao-dang-cong-hoa-mau-do-va-dang-dan-chu-mau-xanh-post315672.html
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