Map of results by state of the 2004 U.S. presidential election, representing states won by the Democrats as blue and those won by the GOP as red.

Map of results by state of the 2000 U.S. presidential election reflect current practice, representing states won by the Republicans with red, and states won by the Democrats with blue.

Red States and Blue States refer to those states whose residents predominantly vote for the Republican Party or Democratic Party presidential candidates respectively. The term became ubiquitous following the 2000 presidential election. (See Origins of current color scheme) Red denotes Bush-Cheney wins. ... Red denotes Bush-Cheney wins. ... Presidential election results map. ... This article is about the modern United States Republican Party. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3697x2472, 669 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: U.S. presidential election, 2000 2000 ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3697x2472, 669 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: U.S. presidential election, 2000 2000 ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      A state of the United States is any one of the fifty subnational entities referred to... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      For other uses, see Republican Party (disambiguation) or GOP (disambiguation). ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Map of results by state of the 2004 U.S. presidential election, representing states won by the Democrats as blue and those won by the GOP as red. ...

The divide

The maps that have emerged from recent U.S. elections follow a sharply-defined geographical pattern. The Red states tend to fall in the South, the Great Plains, and the Intermountain West, with the Blue states in the Northeast, the Upper Midwest and the West Coast. Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Historic Southern United States. ... The Great Plains is the broad expanse of prairie which lies east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... The states in dark red are usually included, while all or portions of the striped states may or may not be considered part of the Northeastern United States. ... The Upper Midwest is a region of the United States with no universally agreed-upon boundary, but it always lies within the US Census Bureaus definition of the Midwest and the states of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as at least the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ...

The Midwest is rather divided. Indiana is red, having voted consistently for Republicans since 1968, and Iowa is thought to lean red, although Iowa is often considered to be a swing state as well, having given its support to Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996 and Al Gore in 2000. The states that have larger urban areas such as Illinois (Chicago), Michigan (Detroit), Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Madison), and Minnesota (Minneapolis-St. Paul) are considered to be blue. Wisconsin, however, was blue by narrow margins in 2000 and 2004, with its rural areas strongly backing George W. Bush. The strongest blue state in the Midwest, Illinois, is by far the most urban, where both Gore and 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry had over 10% margin wins, lending to the strength of its designation as being the United States' "Third Coast". Midwest as shown by U.S. Census Bureau official map from [3] Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  Ranked 38th  - Total 36,418 sq mi (94,321 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 270 miles (435 km)  - % water 1. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... Chicagoland is an informal name for the Chicago metropolitan area, used by local residents, businesses, governments, and planning agencies. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... A simulated-color satellite image of Metro Detroit, with Windsor across the river, taken on NASAs Landsat 7 satellite. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  Ranked 23rd  - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 310 miles (500 km)  - % water 17  - Latitude 42°30N to 47°3N  - Longitude 86°49W to 92°54W Population  Ranked... The Milwaukee–Racine–Waukesha metropolitan area is an urban area that the U.S. Census Bureau defines as a Combined Statistical Area centered around the city of Milwaukee and had a population of roughly 1. ... Nickname: Mad Town or Mad City Location of Madison in Dane County, Wisconsin Municipality City Incorporated 1848 Mayor Dave Cieslewicz Area    - City 136. ... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 8. ... A map of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... Third Coast is a term sometimes used in the United States for regions other than the East Coast and the West Coast, which are commonly seen as centers of American popular culture. ...

The county-by-county and district-by-district maps reveal that the true nature of the divide is between urban areas/inner suburbs and outer suburbs/rural areas. In "solidly Blue" states, most of the counties outside the major urban areas voted for Bush. In "solidly Red" states, most of the urban areas voted for John Kerry (with exceptions of Dallas, Texas, Houston, Texas, Phoenix, Arizona, San Antonio, Texas, Salt Lake City, Utah, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Wichita, Kansas, Louisville, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Ohio, Omaha, Nebraska, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Birmingham, Alabama, Jacksonville, Florida, and Tampa, Florida.) A political phenemona in which the people of urban areas of a state or its subdivisions vote for a different political party or interest than the people of rural areas. ...      Nickname: Big D Location in the state of Texas Country United States State Texas Counties Dallas, Collin, Denton, Kaufman, and Rockwall Mayor Laura Miller Area    - City 997. ... Nickname: Space City Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Counties Harris County Fort Bend County Montgomery County Mayor Bill White Area    - City 1,558 km²  (601. ... Nickname: Valley of the Sun Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: Country United States State Arizona Counties Maricopa Incorporated February 25, 1881 Mayor Phil Gordon (D) Area    - City 1,230. ... Nickname: Alamo City; River City Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Counties Bexar County Mayor Phil Hardberger Area    - City 1067. ... Salt Lake City redirects here. ... Nickname: The Springs Location in the state of Colorado Coordinates: County El Paso Mayor Lionel Rivera Area    - City 482. ... Nickname: Capital of the New Century, OKC, O-City Location in Oklahoma County and the state of Oklahoma. ... Nickname: Oil Capital of the World, Americas Most Beautiful City Location in the state of Oklahoma Coordinates: Country United States State Oklahoma Counties Tulsa, Osage, Wagoner, Rogers Mayor Kathy Taylor (D) Area    - City 483. ... Nickname: Air Capital Location in the state of Kansas County Sedgwick Mayor Carlos Mayans Area    - City 359. ... Louisville redirects here. ... Nickname: The Queen City Location in Hamilton County, Ohio, USA Coordinates: Country United States State Ohio County Hamilton Founded 1788 Incorporated 1819 Mayor Mark L. Mallory (D) Area    - City 206. ... Nickname: Gateway to the West Location in Nebraska Coordinates: Country United States State Nebraska County Douglas Founded 1854 Incorporated 1857  - Mayor Michael Fahey (D) Area    - City 307. ... Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... Nickname: The Magic City, Pittsburgh of the South, BHam, The Ham Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Jefferson, Shelby Mayor Bernard Kincaid (D) Area    - City 393. ... Motto: Where Florida Begins Location in the state of Florida Coordinates: Country United States State Florida County Duval  - Mayor John Peyton (R) Area    - City 2,264. ... Nickname: Cigar City, The Big Guava, T-Town, Jook City Location in Hillsborough County and the state of Florida. ...

Solid Red states are Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming, which have not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964. Of special note is North Dakota, which is solidly Red in presidential elections but has an all-Democratic Congressional delegation. Other strong Red states include Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas, none of which have voted Democratic since 1976. Many of these states, particularly those in the South, were once Democratic strongholds, but are now reliable supporters of Republican candidates. Of these states, Idaho is the "most" Republican, voting President Bush in 2004 by 68% (though Bush won Utah by more). In addition, Alaska, Idaho, and Wyoming are represented entirely by Republicans in Congress. Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,855 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  Ranked 38th  - Total 36,418 sq mi (94,321 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 270 miles (435 km)  - % water 1. ... Official language(s) none Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  Ranked 15th  - Total 82,277 sq mi (213,096 km²)  - Width 211 miles (340 km)  - Length 417 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... For other uses, see Nebraska (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Area  Ranked 20th  - Total 69,960 sq mi (181,196 km²)  - Width 230 miles (370 km)  - Length 298 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ... Official language(s) English Capital Bismarck Largest city Fargo Area  Ranked 19th  - Total 70,762 sq mi (183,272 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 340 miles (545 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Area  Ranked 17th  - Total 77,163 sq mi (199,905 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 380 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the lead section of this article may need to be expanded. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area  Ranked 10th  - Total 97,818 sq mi (253,348 km²)  - Width 280 miles (450 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 0. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Official language(s) English Capital Bismarck Largest city Fargo Area  Ranked 19th  - Total 70,762 sq mi (183,272 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 340 miles (545 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area  Ranked 28th  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (240 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (901 km)  - % water 9. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston(1670-1789) Columbia(1790-present) Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32°430N to 35... Official language(s) None See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq mi (695,622 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... The U.S. Southern states or The South, known during the American Civil War era as Dixie, is a distinctive region of the United States with its own unique historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the lead section of this article may need to be expanded. ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,855 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area  Ranked 10th  - Total 97,818 sq mi (253,348 km²)  - Width 280 miles (450 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 0. ...

Additionally, Virginia elected Democrats to the governorship in 2001 and 2005 — Mark Warner and Tim Kaine respectively. See Mark Warner (travel company) for the British travel company Mark Robert Warner (born December 15, 1954) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Virginia and a member of the Democratic Party. ... Timothy Michael Kaine (born February 26, 1958 in St. ...

Election results since 1856, using red for the Republican Party and blue for the Democratic Party

States currently thought to be solidly "Blue" include Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island. As well, the District of Columbia, while not a state, does vote in presidential elections, and has been solidly "Blue". Though some of these states have voted for Republican candidates as recently as the 1980s (most notably in 1984, when Ronald Reagan carried 49 states, with Minnesota and the District of Columbia being the two holdouts for Walter Mondale), they have recently supported Democratic candidates by significant margins. Of these states, Massachusetts is the "most" Democratic. In his 2004 presidential bid, John Kerry won Massachusetts, his home state, with 62% of its vote. But Massachusetts' title as "most Democratic state" is not dependent solely on the margin of victory of a favorite son. In 1972, Massachusetts was the only state carried by Democratic nominee George McGovern. (McGovern did not even carry his home state of South Dakota.) In addition, Massachusetts is the only large state to have a single party Congressional delegation. Three small states, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and North Dakota, also have all-Democratic delegations, but Massachusetts has two times the number of representatives in the House of Representatives as these three states combined. Image File history File links US_Presidential_Elections_Dem_GOP.gif‎ [edit] Summary US presidential elections since 1856 (establishment of Republican Party in 1854 and current two party system between republicans and democrats), made from blank map. ... Image File history File links US_Presidential_Elections_Dem_GOP.gif‎ [edit] Summary US presidential elections since 1856 (establishment of Republican Party in 1854 and current two party system between republicans and democrats), made from blank map. ... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 8. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  Ranked 23rd  - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 310 miles (500 km)  - % water 17  - Latitude 42°30N to 47°3N  - Longitude 86°49W to 92°54W Population  Ranked... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Official language(s) None Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 9th  - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) None Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area  Ranked 18  - Total 71,342 sq mi (184,824 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 6. ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  Ranked 43rd  - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 km²)  - Width n/a miles (n/a km)  - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km)  - % water 41. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area  Ranked 47th  - Total 8,729 sq mi (22,608 km²)  - Width 70 miles (110 km)  - Length 150 miles (240 km)  - % water 14. ... NY redirects here. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,417 sq mi (32,160 km²)  - Width 90 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37°53N to 39°43N  - Longitude 75°4W to 79°33... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Official language(s) None[1] Capital Montpelier Largest city Burlington Area  Ranked 45th  - Total 9,620 sq mi (24,923 km²)  - Width 80 miles (130 km)  - Length 160 miles (260 km)  - % water 3. ... Official language(s) None Capital Newport Largest city Providence Area  Ranked 50th  - Total 1,214* sq mi (3,144* km²)  - Width 37 miles (60 km)  - Length 48 miles (77 km)  - % water 32. ... ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... Walter Frederick Fritz Mondale (born January 5, 1928) is an American politician and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (largely established by former Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... George McGovern on May 8, 1972 cover of Time Magazine Dr. George Stanley McGovern (born July 19, 1922) was a United States Congressman, Senator, and Democratic presidential nominee, who lost the 1972 presidential election in a landslide to incumbent Richard Nixon. ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  Ranked 43rd  - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 km²)  - Width n/a miles (n/a km)  - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km)  - % water 41. ... Official language(s) None Capital Newport Largest city Providence Area  Ranked 50th  - Total 1,214* sq mi (3,144* km²)  - Width 37 miles (60 km)  - Length 48 miles (77 km)  - % water 32. ... Official language(s) English Capital Bismarck Largest city Fargo Area  Ranked 19th  - Total 70,762 sq mi (183,272 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 340 miles (545 km)  - % water 2. ...

Red states and Blue states have several demographic differences from each other. The association between colors and demographics was notably made in a column by Mike Barnicle, and reinforced in a controversial response from Paul Begala (though the association between demographics and voting patterns was well known before that). The most common observation is that the majority of Red states tend to feature more rural areas, with agriculture being one of the most important industries. The majority of Blue states tend to be more urban, have higher per capita income, higher levels of post-secondary education and are more multicultural (even in such "Blue" strongholds as New York and California, the GOP won the slight majority of the white vote in 2004). These demographic trends, along with less obvious correlations, have been analyzed in detail by conservative pundit Steve Sailer. A demographic or demographic profile is a term used in marketing and broadcasting, to describe a demographic grouping or a market segment. ... Michael Barnicle (born August 24, 1944 in Worcester, Massachusetts) is a radio talk show host in the Boston area with a daily program on WTKK 96. ... Paul Begala (born May 12, 1961) is a political consultant, a commentator, and a former advisor to President Bill Clinton. ... The per capita income for a group of people may be defined as their total personal income, divided by the total population. ... This article is about the modern United States Republican Party. ... Steve Sailer Steve Sailer (born December 4, 1958) is a reporter, movie critic for The American Conservative, correspondent for United Press International, and VDARE.com columnist. ...

The demographic differences between smaller geographical areas applies as well to counties, which follow the same trend as states. The results of the 2004 presidential election support this, as even Red states contain Blue counties, particularly counties that include major cities. For example, out of the 17 counties that constitute Nevada, only Clark County was won by Democratic candidate John Kerry. Not only is Clark County the most populous county in Nevada, but its county seat is the city of Las Vegas. The second-closest county—in which Republican candidate George W. Bush won by the slimmest margin—was Washoe County. The county seat of Washoe County is the city of Reno. In Colorado, the cities of Denver and Boulder, along with some of their suburbs, vote overwhelmingly Democratic. However, El Paso, Arapahoe, Weld, and Douglas Counties which combine for over 1.5 million people, vote heavily Republican, and are among the fastest growing counties in Colorado. While Colorado gave Bush its electoral votes, California on the other hand is an archetypical blue-state that on closer examination reveals significant regions of Republican strength. President Bush won Orange County, the second most populous, by 222,593 votes, the largest absolute majority for him in any county in the nation. He also won the next three most populous counties of San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino, along with 32 of the 58 counties.^[1] This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county, primarily used in the United States. ... For other uses around the city, see Las Vegas metropolitan area and Las Vegas Strip. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Washoe County is a county located in the state of Nevada. ... A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county, primarily used in the United States. ... City nickname: The Biggest Little City in the World Founded May 13, 1868 County Washoe County Mayor Bob Cashell Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 179. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... Nickname: The Mile-High City Location of Denver in Colorado Coordinates: Country United States State Colorado City-County Denver (coextensive) Founded November 22, 1858 Incorporated November 7, 1861 Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) Area    - City 401. ... The City of Boulder (, Mountain Time Zone) is a home rule municipality located in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. ... El Paso County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Arapahoe County, Colorado Arapahoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Weld County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Douglas County is a suburban county located in the southern portion of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area of the U.S. state of Colorado. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates , Government County San Diego Mayor City Attorney         City Council District One District Two District Three District Four District Five District Six District Seven District Eight Jerry Sanders (R) Michael Aguirre Scott Peters Kevin... Riverside is a name common to a number of cities and counties. ... San Bernardino may refer to: Guatemala San Bernardino, Suchitepéquez Italy San Bernardo alle Terme Paraguay San Bernardino, Paraguay San Bernardino District Philippines San Bernardino Strait Switzerland San Bernardino, Graubünden San Bernardino (road tunnel) San Bernardino Pass United States San Bernardino, California San Bernardino County, California San Bernardino Valley...

However, one exception to this is probably Indiana, where in the 2004 presidential elections Allen County, home to the state's second-largest city of Fort Wayne, voted Bush by 63%. In addition, Vanderburgh County, home to the state's third-largest city of Evansville, voted Bush by 59%. Marion County, home of Indianapolis, was only a win for Kerry by a 1% margin. St. Joesph County, home of Indiana's 4th largest city, South Bend, is also a battleground. Lake County, which indcludes the 5th and 6th largest cities, Gary and Hammond, remains the state's lone Democratic strong hold. Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  Ranked 38th  - Total 36,418 sq mi (94,321 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 270 miles (435 km)  - % water 1. ... Allen County is the largest county (by area) located in the U.S. state of Indiana. ... Nickname: The Summit City Location in the state of Indiana, USA Coordinates: Country United States State Indiana County Allen Founded October 22, 1794 Incorporated February 22, 1840 Mayor Graham Richard (D) City Clerk Sandra Kennedy (D) City Council John N. Crawford (R) Samuel J. Talarico, Jr (R) John Shoaff (D... Vanderburgh County is a county located in the state of Indiana. ... Nickname: River City Location in the state of Indiana Country United States State Indiana County Vanderburgh Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel Area    - City 105. ... Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. ... Location in the state of Indiana Coordinates: County Marion Founded 1821 Mayor Bart Peterson (D) Area    - City 963. ... St. ... Location in the state of Indiana Coordinates: County St. ... Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. ... This article is about the city in Indiana, for other uses of Gary, see Gary (disambiguation). ... Location in the state of Indiana Coordinates: County Lake Mayor Thomas McDermott, Jr. ...

Much of the current division in American politics was foreseen by analyst Kevin Phillips in his 1969 book "The Emerging Republican Majority". Philips, just off a stint as a numbers cruncher for the Richard Nixon campaign, anticipated a strongly Republican "Heartland" and the Democratic "Yankee Northeast". He anticipated the upper Midwest, the Pacific Coast and the "non-Yankee northeast" (Pennsylvania and New Jersey) as swing regions. He also predicted, accurately, that the Democrats would not win Oklahoma in Presidential election for the rest of the century. There are several people called Kevin Phillips: Kevin Phillips, political commentator and writer Kevin Phillips, England and Southampton football player This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Nixon redirects here. ... Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area  Ranked 47th  - Total 8,729 sq mi (22,608 km²)  - Width 70 miles (110 km)  - Length 150 miles (240 km)  - % water 14. ... Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Area  Ranked 20th  - Total 69,960 sq mi (181,196 km²)  - Width 230 miles (370 km)  - Length 298 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ...

Purple States

2004 United States presidential election results by county, on a color spectrum from Democratic blue to Republican red

The political and demographic applications of the terms have led to a temptation to presume this arbitrary classification is a clear-cut and fundamental cultural division. Given the general nature and common perception of the two parties, "red state" implies a conservative region or a more conservative type of American, and "blue state" implies a liberal region or a more liberal type of American. But the distinction between the two groups of states is hardly so simplistic. The analysis that suggests political, cultural, and demographic differences between the states is more accurate when applied to smaller geographical areas. Pennsylvania, for example, shows "red" characteristics in the Westsylvania interior, but "blue" characteristics around the urban centers of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Democratic political consultant James Carville has described Pennsylvania as "Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, with Alabama in between," suggesting that Pennsylvania, like several other blue states, would be solid red without its cities, due to its remainder's rural and religious, and thus socially conservative, nature. Presidential popular votes by county. ... Presidential popular votes by county. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... The optical spectrum (light or visible spectrum) is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... Blue (from Old High German blao shining) is one of the three primary additive colors; blue light has the shortest wavelength (about 470 nm) of the three primary colors. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      For other uses, see Republican Party (disambiguation) or GOP (disambiguation). ... Red re-directs here; for alternate uses see Red (disambiguation) Red is a color at the lowest frequencies of light discernible by the human eye. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Westsylvania was a name suggested for an unrealized 14th state of the United States; it was to include southwestern Pennsylvania, the western panhandle of Maryland, nearly the whole of what is now West Virginia, a small part of what is now Virginia, and a small part of eastern Kentucky. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... Nickname: Steel City, Iron City, City of Champions, City of Bridges, City of Colleges, P-Burgh, The Burgh Motto: Benigno Numine Location in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Allegheny County Founded 1758 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (D) Area    - City 151. ... James Carville (born October 25, 1944), is an American political consultant, commentator, and pundit. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ...

Cartogram of the 2004 presidential election results.

Traditionally, the practice of designating a U.S. state as "red" or "blue" is based on the winner-take-all system employed for presidential elections by 48 of the 50 U.S. states (Nebraska and Maine being the exceptions), and the District of Columbia. Presidential popular votes cartogram, in which the sizes of counties have been rescaled according to their population. ... Presidential popular votes cartogram, in which the sizes of counties have been rescaled according to their population. ... Cartogram for the U.S. presidential election, 2004. ... ...

Despite the prevalent winner-take-all practice, the minority always gets a sizeable vote. Because of this, a third term has emerged, referring to these closely-divided states as purple states. Furthermore, it could be argued that all states are "purple" to varying degrees and that the "red vs. blue" division is far from an accurate description of US culture.

All states were consistent in voting for George W. Bush or his challenger in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections except for three: New Mexico (Gore in '00 and Bush in '04), Iowa (Gore in '00 and Bush in '04) and New Hampshire (Bush in '00 and Kerry in '04). The 2004 election showed two of these three states to be true to the presidential preferences of their respective regions, creating a greater regional separation; thus, an argument that the country is more divided from the 2000 election. All three of those states were very close in both elections. Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Area  Ranked 5th  - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 km²)  - Width 342 miles (550 km)  - Length 370 miles (595 km)  - % water 0. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Polarization

The division between red states and blue states has triggered a pronounced introspection among blue staters and red staters. Feelings of cultural and political polarization, which have gained increased media attention since the 2004 election, have led to increased mutual feelings of alienation and enmity. These attitudes have led to the often jocular suggestion that a red state-blue state secession is in order. The Jesusland map is one such joke, a satirical map that redraws the U.S.-Canada border to reflect this sociopolitical schism. In politics, polarization is the process by which the public opinion divides and goes to the extremes. ... The Jesusland map. ... 1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ...

The polarization has been present for only two close elections (2000 and 2004). In the 1996 election, 31 U.S. states were "blue" and 19 "red" (though at the time the colors were not used consistently by the major networks). One thing that has been more consistent over this period is that the average "blue" state has a greater number of people and electoral votes than does the average "red" state. (When George W. Bush won 31 states in 2004, he gathered 286 electoral votes — an average of 9 electoral votes for each state won. When Bill Clinton won 31 states in 1996, he tallied 379 electoral votes — an average of 12 electoral votes per state carried.) George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...

Viewing the nation as divided into two camps requires ignoring the largest single group of Americans: those who don't vote. In the 2000 election only about 54 percent of eligible voters were motivated enough to vote. In 2004, after the loudest, most-expensive get-out-the-vote campaigns by both ideological camps, the percentage who voted rose only a few points. Hence 2004 set an all-time national record with more than 80 million eligible voters taking a pass, far more than voted for either George W. Bush or John Kerry.

In fact, no Republican or Democratic nominee has attracted as much as 30 percent of eligible voters since Ronald Reagan in 1984. Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ...

Electoral College

The Electoral College dilutes the votes of population centers that might have different concerns from the rest of the country. The system is supposed to require presidential candidates to appeal to many different types of interests, rather than, say, the urban voter. The College enabled the Founding Fathers to deftly incorporate the Connecticut Compromise and three-fifths compromise into the system of choosing the President and Vice President, sparing the convention further acrimony over the issue of state representation. In the Federalist Papers No. 39, James Madison argued that the Constitution was designed to be a mixture of federal (state-based) and national (population-based) government. The Congress would have two houses, one federal and one national in character, while the President would be elected by a mixture of the two modes, giving some electoral power to the states and some to the people in general.[1] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Three-Fifths Compromise was a compromise between Southern and Northern states reached during the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention in which only three-fifths of the population of slaves would be counted for enumeration purposes regarding both the distribution of taxes and the apportionment of the members of the... An advertisement for The Federalist The Federalist Papers are a series of 85 articles arguing for the ratification of the United States Constitution. ... James Madison (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836), an American politician and fourth President of the United States of America (1809–1817), was one of the most influential Founders of the United States. ... At the core, political federalism is a political philosophy in which a group or body of members are bound together (Latin: foedus, covenant) with a governing representative head. ... For other uses, see State (disambiguation). ...

Regardless of why the system was chosen, the term "Electoral College" is not used in the United States Constitution, and it was not until the early 1800s that it came into general usage as the unofficial designation for the group of citizens selected to cast votes for President and Vice President. It was first written into Federal law in 1845, and today the term appears in 3 U.S.C. § 4, in the section heading and in the text as "college of electors." The United States Code (U.S.C.) is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal law of the United States. ...

Section 1, Article II of the Constitution says, "Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector." It then goes on to describe how the electors vote for President.

The winner-take-all strategy of voting has led to the resurgence of a debate about whether a national popular vote should be taken rather than the currently-instituted United States Electoral College. Proponents of the Popular Vote refer to the (very small) number of candidates who have won the Presidency despite not receiving a plurality of individual votes: An example of a plurality. ... This article is about the political process. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ...

 - 1876: Rutherford B. Hayes (R) 185 / 4,033,768 Samuel J. Tilden (D) 184 / 4,285,992 

 - 1888: Benjamin Harrison (R) 233 / 5,440,216 Grover Cleveland (D) 168 / 5,538,233 

 - 1960: John F. Kennedy (D) 303 / 34,220,984** Richard M. Nixon (R) 219 / 34,108,157 **(Due to the unusual ballot in Alabama in 1960, it is unclear how much of the popular vote in that state can be attributed to Kennedy and hence whether Kennedy actually beat Nixon in the popular vote.) 

 - 2000: George W. Bush (R) 271 / 50,456,002 Albert A. Gore (D) 266 / 50,999,897 

The Proponents of the Popular Vote focus mainly on the election in which George W. Bush defeated Al Gore in 2000 due to a drawn out and highly controversial court battle over the Florida recount. Presidential electoral votes by state. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. ... Bush lost the election. ...

Proponents of the current system, however, point out that the right to choose how to award a state's electoral college votes is guaranteed to the state by the United States Constitution, and was part of the Founders' original plan for the country, though the system was not fully used until the 1804 elections. The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. ...

Interest is growing in the National Popular Vote Campaign^{[citation needed]}, which uses a state by state based platform of reform rather than a constitutional amendment to attempt to institute the popular vote. California has passed a law allowing for this, only symbolic for the time being because the law was passed under the condition that it triggers when a majority of the other states in the Union pass similar laws. National Popular Vote may refer to National Popular Vote Insterstate Compact, a series of electoral reform bills enacted or considered by U.S. state legislatures National Popular Vote Inc. ...

Origins of current color scheme

Prior to the 2000 presidential election, there was no universally recognized color scheme to represent the parties. The practice of using colors to represent parties on electoral maps dates back at least as far as the 1950s, when such a format was employed within the Hammond series of historical atlases. Color-based schemes became more widespread with the adoption of color television in the 1960s and nearly ubiquitous with the advent of color in newspapers. Early on, the most common—though again, not universal—color scheme was to use red for Democrats and blue for Republicans. This was the color scheme employed by NBC—David Brinkley famously referred to the 1984 map showing Reagan's 49-state landslide as a "sea of blue", but this color scheme was also employed by most newsmagazines. CBS during this same period, however, used the opposite scheme—blue for Democrats, red for Republicans. ABC was less consistent than its elder network brothers; in at least two presidential elections during this time before the emergence of cable news outlets, ABC used yellow for one major party and blue for the other. As late as 1996, there was still no universal association of one color with one party.[2]; if anything, the majority of outlets in 1996 were using blue for the GOP and red for the Democrats. David Brinkley David McClure Brinkley (July 10, 1920 – June 11, 2003) was an American television newscaster for NBC and, later, ABC. From 1956 through 1970 he co-anchored NBCs nightly news program The Huntley–Brinkley Report with Chet Huntley. ...

But in 2000, for the first time, all major media outlets used the same colors for each party: Red for Republicans, blue for Democrats. Partly as a result of this first-time universal color-coding, the terms Red States and Blue States entered popular usage in the weeks following the 2000 presidential election. Additionally, the closeness of the disputed election kept the colored maps in the public view for longer than usual, and red and blue thus became fixed in the media and in many people's minds.[3] Journalists began to routinely refer to "blue states" and "red states" even before the 2000 election was settled, such as The Atlantic's cover story by David Brooks in the December 2001 issue entitled, "One Nation, Slightly Divisible." Thus red and blue became fixed in the media and in many people's minds [4] despite the fact that no "official" color choices had been made by the parties. Presidential electoral votes by state. ... The Atlantic Monthly (also known as The Atlantic) is an American literary/cultural magazine that was founded in November 1857. ... David Brooks, conservative commentator for the New York Times and other publications. ...

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee made use of the color scheme when it launched a national "Red to Blue Program" in 2006.[5] Otherwise the color scheme is unofficial and informal, but is widely recognized by media and commentators. Partisan supporters now often use the colors for promotional materials and campaign merchandise.

The choice of colors in this divide is counter-intuitive to many international observers, as throughout the world, red is commonly the designated color for parties representing labor and/or leftist interests[6][7], which in the United States would be more closely correlated with the Democratic Party. Similarly, blue is used in these countries to depict conservative parties which in the case of the United States would be a color more suitable for the Republicans. For example, in Canada party colours are deeply ingrained and historic and have been unchanged during the Twentieth Century. The Liberal Party of Canada has long used red and the Conservative Party of Canada has long used blue, and in fact the phrases Liberal red and Tory blue are a part of the national lexicon, as is Red Tory, denoting Conservative members who are social moderates. Similarly, the symbol of Britain's Labour Party is a red rose (and the socialist song 'The Red Flag' is still sung at party conferences), while the British Conservatives are traditionally associated with the colour blue. Some conservatives have suggested that left-leaning media outlets chose to switch the colors because using red for the Democrats would reinforce the perception that they are sympathetic towards communism and socialism. However, in the United States the word "blue collar" is applied to working people and may be associated with organized labor, which is generally supportive of the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... The Liberal Party of Canada (French: ), colloquially known as the Grits (originally Clear Grits), is a Canadian federal political party positioned at the centre of the political spectrum, combining a progressive social policy with moderate economics. ... The Conservative Party of Canada (French: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a right-leaning conservative political party in Canada, formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in December 2003. ... The Red Tory Tradition: Ancient Roots-New Routes, by Ron Dart Red Tory is a term given to a political philosophy, tradition, and disposition in Canada. ... A blue-collar worker is a working class employee who performs manual or technical labor, such as in a factory or in technical maintenance trades, in contrast to a white-collar worker, who does non-manual work generally at a desk. ... Working class is a term used both in academic sociology as well as in ordinary conversation. ... A union (labor union in American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in British English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is a group of workers who act collectively to address common issues. ...

In the 1880s, the color scheme was the opposite of the current one. In 1888, a Chicago publisher released a 'Red Hot Democratic' and a 'True Blue Republican' song book in preparation for the upcoming election. (Biggs Argus, 6 September 1888)

Critiques

The paradigm has come under criticism on a number of fronts, however. Firstly, many argue that the usefulness of assigning partisanship to states is only really useful as it pertains to the Electoral College, a winner-take-all system of elections. Many states contradict their assigned coloration by electing governors or senators from the other party. An electoral college is a set of electors who are empowered as a deliberative body to elect a candidate to a particular office. ...

Some conservatives have also been wary of using the red state term to describe conservatice or Republican-voting electorates, as the term had previously most often been associated with socialist states, like Cuba, China, and East Germany. GDR redirects here. ...

See also

• Swing state
• United States presidential election maps
• Purple America

A swing state (also, battleground state) in United States presidential politics is a state in which no candidate has overwhelming support, meaning that any of the major candidates have a reasonable chance of winning the states electoral college votes. ... In the United States, the president is elected through the an electoral college system. ... Purple America is a political concept in the USA of the people who want to combine the values of the red, Republican states, with the tastes of the blue, Democratic states. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Red state-blue state divide

• Maps and cartograms of the 2004 presidential election results, adjusting Red State/ Blue State maps for voting population rather than geographic area alone.
• City Ranks is a Google Maps mashup showing the correlation between population density and the Red State/Blue State phenomenon in an interactive map.
• One Nation, Slightly Divisible - David Brooks (subscription required)
• Washington Post series:
  • For a Conservative, Life is Sweet in Sugar Land, Tex.
  • A Liberal Life in the City by the Bay
• Federal Review Composite Poll - 2004 Electoral College Projection
• Washington Post "Elephants Are Red, Donkeys Are Blue"
• AIGA historical explanation from September 2004
• Google Answers: Red state/blue state
• CNN "Learn the signs of your political colors" from September 2001
• Election maps from December, 2000
• Choosing colors based on incumbent vs. challenger victory from November, 2004
• Blue State of Mind, an online community
• BlueStatesRedStates.com A Purple site for Red & Blue times
• The Honky Tonk Gap: Country Music, Red State Identity, and the Election of 2004