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The concept of '''Red states and blue states''' refers to a mapping technique used by the [[Mainstream media]] for visually illustrating the winners of states in elections.

The concept of '''Red states and blue states''' refers to a mapping technique used by the [[mainstream media]] for visually illustrating the winners of states in elections, mainly the Presidential election.  Under the scheme, states that vote for the Republican candidate are [[red state|shaded red]], while states that vote for the Democrat candidate are [[blue state|shaded blue]].

[[File:2000px-ElectoralCollege1980.png|right|thumb|200px|Lake Reagan]]

[[File:2000px-ElectoralCollege1980.png|right|thumb|200px|Lake Reagan]]

Red is the color of [[Communism]], and some believe that the effort by the [[mainstream media]] on behalf of the [[Democrat Party]] to permanently impose the color red on Republicans is a deceitful effort to distance the Democrats from its increasingly socialist governance.<ref name=farah />

The color scheme is the exact opposite of what is used worldwide, where conservative-leaning parties are shaded blue and liberal-leaning parties are shaded red.<ref name=farah>[http://www.wnd.com/2012/05/how-red-states-turned-blue-and-vice-versa/ How red states turned blue and vice versa], [[WND]]</ref>  In earlier elections, there was no set pattern and, in many cases, blue represented Republican gains.<ref>[https://www.baruch.cuny.edu/library/alumni/online_exhibits/pres_election_08map/page2.htm Origin of Red States, Blue States]</ref>  Most notably, at the conclusion of the [[1980 Presidential Election]] members of the media referred to the landslide election of [[Ronald Reagan]] as a "suburban swimming pool"<ref>[http://www.conservativenewsandviews.com/2015/10/29/editorial/guest/dem-red-reagan-blue/ Dem red, Reagan blue]</ref> or "Lake Reagan."<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=20040208&id=bVNWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qesDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6665,1584006&hl=en One state, Two state; red state blue state]</ref>  As red is the color which traditionally is associated with [[Communism]], some believe that the effort by the [[mainstream media]] on behalf of the [[Democrat Party]] to permanently impose the color red on Republicans is a deceitful effort to distance the Democrats from its increasingly socialist governance.<ref name=farah />

Most states in the [[South|southern region]], except for [[Florida]], [[Arkansas]], [[Kentucky]], [[North Carolina]], [[West Virginia]] ([[purple state]]s), and [[Virginia]] ([[blue state]]) are [[red state|red]] as well as all states in the center of the country (descending from [[North Dakota]] to [[Texas]]). [[Idaho]], [[Wyoming]], [[Utah]], [[Arizona]], [[Wisconsin]] and [[Indiana]] also tend to favor [[Republican]] candidates.

Most states in the South, the Midwest, and the West, along with Alaska, are red states, while most states in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the West Coast (including Hawaii) are blue states.

The entire [[New England]] region as well as the [[West Coast]] states tend to favor [[Democrats]]. [[Illinois]], [[Colorado]], [[New Mexico]], [[Virginia]], [[Maryland]], [[Delaware]], [[New Jersey]] and [[Minnesota]] are also Democrat strongholds.

The term "[[purple state]]" is commonly used to refer to a [[swing state]].  Florida is a notable purple state.

 

The other states are known as "[[purple state]]s" or "[[swing state]]s".

==References==

==References==