Do the colors we see have an impact on us? What a great question to consider. We first want to delve into the history of how it is that Democrats are now always depicted with blue colors, and Republicans with red colors. When did that first occur and why? We bet few of you have ever considered this. Let us briefly pier through the prism of past elections to gain a foundation for our discussion today. Consider first that red, blue, and yellow are the primary colors from which all other colors come. “You see them together on the basic color wheel, neighbors but not necessarily friends.” “The colors can be difficult to use together in art because of their high contrast and are, in art parlance, considered noncomplementary.” (tampabay.com; August 18, 2016; Lennie Bennett.) So, before we even get too far along in our discussion, we find there is sharp contrast between red and blue, a natural place for division, a schism, to be fostered.
We might be able to trace the origins of political color-coding in our Naton back to the Civil War. The Union soldiers, from the North, predominately Republicans, wore blue uniforms. Certainly, for the TV viewing populace, the colors used made little difference until the advent of color TVs, and only then when enough of the voting public could afford to have one.
Let’s look back to the presidential election in 1976. According to the Smithsonian Magazine (in an article originally published October 31, 2012), the first colored map used for national TV was two-stories tall, with “. . . thousands of bulbs . . .”, but when they first tested it, the bulbs behind the plastic states began to melt the plastic! They had to bring in air-conditioning and fans to keep the thing cool! When the white bulbs eventually were turned off, and a different color bulb was turned on, Carter, lit up in red bulbs, defeated Ford, lit up in blue bulbs. Democrats were depicted in red and Republicans in blue. “That’s right: In the beginning, blue was red and red was blue and they changed back and forth from election to election and network to network in what appears, in hindsight, to be a flight of whimsy. The notion that there were ‘red states’ and ‘blue states’- and that the former were Republican and the latter Democratic – wasn’t cemented on the national psyche until the year 2000.” In ABCs 1976 election night coverage Democrats were in blue and the Republicans were in yellow. (washingtonpost.com; November 8, 2016; Phillip Bump.)
Wikipedia states it this way. “As late as the 1990s, Democrats were often represented by red and Republicans by blue. According to The Washington Post journalist Tim Russert invented these terms during his televised coverage of the 2000 United States presidential election. The 2000 election was not the first during which the news media used colored maps to depict voter preferences in the various states, but it was the first time the current red-blue terminology was used. In previous elections, the color assignments or even the actual colors used were often different.”
Everyone seems to want to get on the bandwagon for who really started the trend. According to USA TODAY, they claim to have had something to do with the current color schemes. “Prior to 2000, red and blue did not always respectively denote Republicans and Democrats.” “That was the first year USA TODAY published its full-color election map, the same is true with The New York Times.” “Paul Overberg, then a database editor who designed USA TODAY’s election map, told Smithsonian magazine of the color scheme choice, ‘The reason I did it was because everybody was already doing it that way at that point.’ The color scheme was a simple choice, according [to] Archie Tse, senior graphics editor at The New York Times. As he told The Verge in 2012, ‘red begins with r, Republican begins with r, it was a more natural association’.” It seems a rational choice, or does it? Does Democrat begin with a b for blue? The same article goes on to mention that the color scheme was based on Great Britain’s political system, where the liberal party was associated with the color blue. Well, if we go by what Great Britain does, maybe we should have a kingly monarchy? Hmmm. Just thinking out loud. But there is dissent as npr.org stated, “Blue is also typically associated with the more conservative parties in Europe and elsewhere.” (November 13, 2014; Ron Elving.) The writer of this article further stated, “As the other TV operations went to full color, they too added vivid maps to their election night extravaganzas. But they didn’t agree on a color scheme, so viewers switching between channels might see Ronald Reagan’s landslide turning the landscape blue on NBC and CBS but red on ABC.”
“Going back further in time, red and blue were common options for differentiating political parties of two sides of an issue. For example, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, bosses of political parties in South Texas color-coded ballots red and blue for Republican and Democrat in order to ‘assist’ illiterate or non-English-speaking votes at the polls (this assistance often involved outright election fraud, according to the Texas State Historical Association). Republicans were often red in this system, though the colors varied from county to county. According to Geography Realm, maps showing party affiliation by red and blue date back to at least 1883, though red often stood in for Democrats and blue for Republicans.” (livescience.com; November 2, 2020; Stephanie Pappas.)
Well, that’s a little bit of history, but what does this have to do with psychology and emotion? So, we guess we can blame the red and blue labels on the vast media empires. What else could go wrong? Let’s think about a few things and see if you are “Triggered” by some of the things we are about to mention. You may be “Triggered” in a positive way, or a negative way. We want you to take a very short test to see what you would choose between two choices. Here we go:
#1. You have a choice to dive into one of two pools of water. Which one will you choose? A) Water overcome with Red Tide, or B) A tropical blue lagoon pool.
#2. Which would you fear the most? A) The flashing red lights of a police car behind you, or B) The flashing blue light specials at the old Kmart store.
#3. Which visual would you prefer? A) The red fires, brimstone and screams of Hell, or B) The blue skies and peaceful, melodious waters of Heaven?
Fun little test, huh? But let’s delve more deeply into things that may “Trigger” people one way or the other. Would you visit a “Red Light District”? Is a person angry when they are “Seeing Red“? When red blood is splattered on a wall or floor, is that a good or bad thing? Does a bull charge a red cape? Not really, because it doesn’t see colors, only motion. The red cape is used at the end to hide the red blood spilled by the bull during its demise. Is it okay to go speeding through a red stop light or sign? Will red hot chillis or peppers make your eyes water and your throat burn? How do you feel about red Communists? The color red usually elicits warning, something to avoid or watch out for. Would you prefer to spend a whole day in a room filled only with red light, or blue light? Blue is a peaceful color, one that is calming, soothing and serene, almost mesmerizing.
“Color is a powerful communication tool and can be used to signal action, influence mood, and even influence physiological reactions. Certain colors have been associated with physiological changes, including increased blood pressure, increased metabolism, and eyestrain.” (verywellmind.com; November 29, 2022; Kendra Cherry, MSEd.) “People have long been fascinated with color and understood its power over moods and well-being. Color was used in ancient Egypt, China, and Greece to evoke emotions, and in spiritual practices, and treat a variety of conditions. While the nature of color was not yet understood, its powerful effects were evident.” “While the specific feelings can vary individually and by culture, the fact that people connect color with emotion is universal. Since emotions and colors are closely tied together, it isn’t surprising that viewing colors will evoke feelings.” (webmd.com; April 27, 2022; Stephanie Nicola.) “Color psychology is a field that explores the psychological effects of color on human behavior, thoughts, and feelings, as well as how people respond to different color stimuli in the environment.” “It is based on the idea that colors can have a significant impact on our perception of the world and the way we interact with it.” (mind.help/topic/color-psychology.)
Years ago, airplane designers and manufacturers began to focus on ergonomics and aesthetics, how environments around pilots affected performance and feelings. Soviet aircraft often had blue cockpits, while others varied in colors depending upon owner choice. Some cockpits went green, some were black, but most eschewed yellow as it turned out that was harsh on the eyes over time. Most colors were chosen to complement instrumentation viewing while reducing glare. One writer put it this way, “It’s also vital that the control devices and backgrounds are the correct colors for the appropriate pilot psychological responses.” (blog.crouzet.com.) Perhaps this focus was applied to multiple industries. It could be rationalized that cold, dark grey surroundings were not so welcoming, felt depressing, and lent the pilot to make decisions while in a stress-filled emotional state. So interior cockpit colors went from steel grey to lighter grey, and even to light tan, more soothing colors, ones that led to less stress and more comfort. Colors do matter.
We contend that the basic colors depicting different political parties are a subliminal “Triggering” mechanism. It is not too surprising that the selection of which party gets which color was chosen by the same corrupt media that has been allowed to control and sway public opinion for the last couple of decades. There are many things that those in a conservative party must fight through to win discussions and arguments, not the least of which is pushing through “agendas” that have nothing to do with ideologies or personalities. Often, as in the case of assigned political colors, the obstacle to overcome is unrecognized, illusive to find, and blindly accepted as historical fact and precedence. When our FREEDOM and LIBERTY are stake, we must not allow ourselves to be “Triggered” by often obscure and covert practices. Convincing the political party depicted in blue will not be an easy task to overcome, for too often brains have been conditioned to only accept their current reality.