posted
So I voted today. I go to the table to get my ballot and there are three signs hanging on the wall:
Republican Last Name A-J
Republican Last Name K-Z
Democrat Last Name A-Z (at the end of the table)
Not only are there apparently twice as many Republicans as Democrats, but the Democrats are pushed to the end of the table.
Posts: 1766 | Registered: Feb 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
How is it that "red state" came to mean Republican and "blue state" came to mean Democratic? Red has always connoted left--that's why commies are also called reds. And everyone knows the Democratic party these days is the left-leaning liberal party. So it should be Democratic states that are red, and Republican states should be true blue.
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I never thought about why the colors were what they were. Good luck trying to call republicans red in the '80's.
I was in San Francisco for work and struck up a conversation with a guy at an Oakland A's game. When I told him I was from Oklahoma, he said, "Red Stater! Red Stater!" It was really funny.
I have always called Oklahoma the buckle of the bible belt. We have 3.2 beer and just legalized tattoos pretty recently. There are many other things but those are two examples of how conservative this place is. All that said, I still like it here.
Posts: 1766 | Registered: Feb 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks for the link, Jon Boy. It's weird how several events came together and locked in the color scheme in 2000.
Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Also in wiring electronic components, like stereos, VCRs, and so forth--the red cable usually goes on the left, and the blue cable on the right. I think red for leftists.
This is not parody. It is the normal, natural, nearly universal mnemonic device used internationally, as the Wickipedia article referenced by Jon Boy notes. Red means left, or it should. And since Democrats tend to be leftists, socialists, and commies in their outlook, their party color should be red.
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I live in a very red state as well, and particularly a red area. In the last presidential race, my precinct voted 98% Bush.
Both Decmocrats and Republicans picked up their ballots at the same tables yesterday, but I did note that the sign in book for the Republicans had already filled several sheets when I arrived and the sign in book for the Democrats was on the first page.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I must say belle, I'm a little surprised that your area is such a red area. I heard Huntsville had more PHD's per capita than anywhere else and sense academia tends to lean to the left, I would think it would be more of a swing the other way.
But then again, you have a huge military base out there and most military families lean to the right.
Posts: 1766 | Registered: Feb 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
According to CNN, more Dems voted in Oklahoma than Republicans. Just sayin'
401,083 Democrats voted in Oklahoma on Super Tuesday.
Only 329,726 Republicans voted.
Also Ron, that's just how the media chose it. I think the first time I remember seeing it was during the Bush-Gore election, but that's also the first election I remember seeing. Wikipedia confirms.
Posts: 3295 | Registered: Jun 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hah, I didn't even look at that. It's pretty sad that less than on million voters turned out state wide.
Posts: 1766 | Registered: Feb 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:I must say belle, I'm a little surprised that your area is such a red area. I heard Huntsville had more PHD's per capita than anywhere else and sense academia tends to lean to the left, I would think it would be more of a swing the other way.
I'm not in Huntsville, I'm in a small town ('bout 2,500 folks) northeast of Birmingham, where there is a southern Baptist church on every corner. No surprise Huckabee did well.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Ron Lambert: Also in wiring electronic components, like stereos, VCRs, and so forth--the red cable usually goes on the left, and the blue cable on the right. I think red for leftists.
This is not parody. It is the normal, natural, nearly universal mnemonic device used internationally, as the Wickipedia article referenced by Jon Boy notes. Red means left, or it should. And since Democrats tend to be leftists, socialists, and commies in their outlook, their party color should be red.
Huh. My RCA cables are all red and white, not red and blue.
Also, the article doesn't say anything about the red = left scheme being natural, just that it's common.
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
And I can't say I've paid attention to which cable goes on the left and which goes on the right. I guess the issue of red being left is more important to Ron than it is to me.
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I think Ron's just bitter that his favorite president chose to associate the color traditionally given to the hated communists with his beloved party.
Yeah, sorry Ron, look at the article. The color scheme came about because of the colors Bush and Gore chose for their campaign media. Bush chose to use red, and got it associated with the Republican party.
*shrug* Not that it really matters. The way things are going -- I hope -- things will get less partisan and the Red state vs Blue state thing should fade into the past. Soon to become known only on VH1's "I love the 00s".
Posts: 3295 | Registered: Jun 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well,I grew up knowing the "sea of blue" represented Republicans. I don't care what Bush did, and frankly I think the bias media ran with it just to make the Right angry. Republicans say they are Red States with a wink and a nod, but most consider themselves blue through and through.
Posts: 2207 | Registered: Oct 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I've never heard any Republican complain about the use of "red state" before now. You'd think that in the eight years since it was first coined, I'd have heard something, especially living in one of the most heavily Republican states in the nation.
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
It cracks me up that anyone would seriously be upset about the colors used on the electoral breakdown maps. Especially when they're both included in Red, White, and Blue of the flag. (By Ron's logic does our flag have stripes of communism running through it? Is it okay to burn just those parts? ) I guess I could understand being upset if it was something like "Our party gets Shining Gold and your party gets Nauseating Green-Brown!"
The whole conversation keeps making me think of this:
quote: Then there was the whole "Redneck" comment. And I'm sensing that you took that negatively. But let's break down that word "Redneck". First word red, color of power, fire, passion. Second word neck... neck... hey I can't think of nothing for neck right now, but without that you still got red and that's something to be proud of.
posted
Maybe it would make you feel better, Ron, if you thought of it as a dig at the respective parties' color of blood?
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged |
I dislike GOP being "red state," for the reason of the association of red with socialism. So I would have complained if there had been any point.
Posts: 544 | Registered: Mar 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
Personally, I'm upset they didn't use my scheme. That was to refer to all Republican states as the Hammer and Sickle states and all Democratic states as the Eagle Grasping an Awesome Flaming Star states.
Posts: 4753 | Registered: May 2002
| IP: Logged |
quote:Red means left, or it should. And since Democrats tend to be leftists, socialists, and commies in their outlook, their party color should be red.
Yes, way to unimaginatively ignore how satire can be unintentional.
Y R WE RED, IT IS THE LIBARALS WHO ARE TEH COMMUNASTS
Posts: 15421 | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
![[Evil]](graemlins/evil.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
