How red went from the color of revolution to the color of Republicans in US politics

For American conservatives of the Cold War era, red was the color of communists and the mistrusted American left. Now, it’s the color of the GOP, while Democrats are blue. How did this happen?

By: Andrew Latham, Macalester College, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: September 21, 2026

Words: 1,251

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 6 days ago

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By Andrew Latham, Macalester College

“Better dead than red.”

Cold War conservatives used to say that, and they meant it: Better to suffer nuclear annihilation, they believed, than endure a “red” victory. And by “red” they meant anyone on the left of the political spectrum – from the Soviet communists to their “fellow travelers” in the U.S.

It’s strange, then, that America’s conservative party, the Republican Party, is now the red one. There’s no …

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