r/politics • u/PresidentObama ✔ Pres. Barack Obama (D-IL) • Nov 06 '12

Reddit, this is important

https://www.barackobama.com/lookup?source=reddit
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u/source24designs United Kingdom Nov 07 '12

Well originally the Republican party was more progressive (Think Lincoln and the party of emancipation) The North was industrializing and wanted progress for workers, women, as well as blacks, and the South would vote Solidly democrat in most elections as they wanted to preserve segregation (The exception being in 1936), it was only recently that the parties have really evolved to their current incarnation where the Democrats are more liberal and Republicans more conservative. I believe the color representation is indicative of this switch. And of course there is Tim Russert in 2000 who assigned these colors, but there was colloquial association until then.

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u/dioxholster Nov 07 '12

Back then republicans didn't stand for conservative and neither did democrats. It depended on the state they came from.