Have you ever gotten briefly confused looking at a "mainstream" election map?

[Miles]

^ I didn't realize Florida would have to be white until I was actually making the map, but to be consistent with Dave's scheme the gray >40% shade would have to be white.

[Joe Republic]

And from a historical standpoint, using blue for Republicans and gray for Democrats would make more sense, too. 

Interesting:

Yep, Union blue and Confederate gray makes total sense!

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

West Virginia is the only state that matters, you guys! Despite Lincoln's illegal maneuvers to make it, he was a Republican so it's OK. Plus, it is the symbol that represents the entirety of the Union. It stands in stark contrast to those Democrats in Confederate Virginia. (Kook's Counterargument)

[Free Bird]

In all fairness, the Atlas shades are distinctively "Windows 98" so you can distinguish the maps

[Oldiesfreak1854]

I really wish the Democratic Party would show up as red and the Republican Party as blue on all non-Atlas Forum maps, simply because blue tends to represent conservative parties and red tends to represent social democratic parties.

Yes I know the Democratic Party isn't exactly a social democratic party but it's the best we have

I thought red was used for center-left parties in general.  And from a historical standpoint, using blue for Republicans and gray for Democrats would make more sense, too. 

Anyway, I agree with you.   The "mainstream" maps have never confused me, because I was familiar with them long before the Atlas, and I adjust it accordingly.  I never had trouble telling a difference.  That being said, I always associated the GOP with red, probably because Republican and red both start with the letter R.  All my non-Atlas maps use the regular colors, because they're so common that it doesn't make much sense anymore to do it any differently.  Plus, trying to change it now would just confuse people, because the idea of "red states" for Republicans and "blue states" for Democrats is so ingrained in the public's mind.

So you're clinging onto the civil war because?

Because of basic historical facts.

Because you can't accept the fact that the democratic party isn't what it used to be and you're just grasping at straws to make an "argument"

The Democratic Party isn't what it used to be, but that is what it was (and the GOP wasn't.)  Plus, the Democrats aren't much better now.  Any party that supports redistribution of wealth and abortion on demand will never get my support under normal circumstances. 

[SWE]

I really wish the Democratic Party would show up as red and the Republican Party as blue on all non-Atlas Forum maps, simply because blue tends to represent conservative parties and red tends to represent social democratic parties.

Yes I know the Democratic Party isn't exactly a social democratic party but it's the best we have

I thought red was used for center-left parties in general.  And from a historical standpoint, using blue for Republicans and gray for Democrats would make more sense, too. 

Anyway, I agree with you.   The "mainstream" maps have never confused me, because I was familiar with them long before the Atlas, and I adjust it accordingly.  I never had trouble telling a difference.  That being said, I always associated the GOP with red, probably because Republican and red both start with the letter R.  All my non-Atlas maps use the regular colors, because they're so common that it doesn't make much sense anymore to do it any differently.  Plus, trying to change it now would just confuse people, because the idea of "red states" for Republicans and "blue states" for Democrats is so ingrained in the public's mind.

So you're clinging onto the civil war because?

Because of basic historical facts.

Because you can't accept the fact that the democratic party isn't what it used to be and you're just grasping at straws to make an "argument"

The Democratic Party isn't what it used to be, but that is what it was (and the GOP wasn't.)  Plus, the Democrats aren't much better now.  Any party that supports redistribution of wealth and abortion on demand will never get my support under normal circumstances. 

I wish

[Oldiesfreak1854]

I really wish the Democratic Party would show up as red and the Republican Party as blue on all non-Atlas Forum maps, simply because blue tends to represent conservative parties and red tends to represent social democratic parties.

Yes I know the Democratic Party isn't exactly a social democratic party but it's the best we have

I thought red was used for center-left parties in general.  And from a historical standpoint, using blue for Republicans and gray for Democrats would make more sense, too. 

Anyway, I agree with you.   The "mainstream" maps have never confused me, because I was familiar with them long before the Atlas, and I adjust it accordingly.  I never had trouble telling a difference.  That being said, I always associated the GOP with red, probably because Republican and red both start with the letter R.  All my non-Atlas maps use the regular colors, because they're so common that it doesn't make much sense anymore to do it any differently.  Plus, trying to change it now would just confuse people, because the idea of "red states" for Republicans and "blue states" for Democrats is so ingrained in the public's mind.

So you're clinging onto the civil war because?

Because of basic historical facts.

Because you can't accept the fact that the democratic party isn't what it used to be and you're just grasping at straws to make an "argument"

The Democratic Party isn't what it used to be, but that is what it was (and the GOP wasn't.)  Plus, the Democrats aren't much better now.  Any party that supports redistribution of wealth and abortion on demand will never get my support under normal circumstances. 

I wish

They do:

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/democrats-latest-plan-close-the-income-gap-redistribution
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/12/chris-van-hollen-house-democrats-push-tax-increase/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUvwKVvp3-o

[Miles]

^ This should have never turned into a policy/individual politics thread.

And if you're defining "redistribution of wealth" as tax increases, yeah, Republicans never raise taxes. Obviously, you'd have to go the Washington Times to frame it as "redistribution of wealth." And I wonder if you mind "redistribution of wealth" upwards...

[politicus]

Nope. Rather, the inverse: when I first came to this site, it messed with my head.

I much prefer the Republican Red, Democratic Blue color scheme.

Why? Habit or the Re/Re connection?

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Nope. Rather, the inverse: when I first came to this site, it messed with my head.

I much prefer the Republican Red, Democratic Blue color scheme.

Why? Habit or the Re/Re connection?

Before 2012 (when I first stumbled upon this site), I had only seen Repub Red/Dem Blue, and that is what is commonly accepted in the U.S. I quickly adjusted after a few minutes, but it still irks me. I don't get why everyone says we have to be like Europe's right-wing = blue, left-wing = red, considering 1.) Europe is not the gold standard for everything (no offense ), and 2.) the development of our political symbols is vastly different than Europe's.

[justfollowingtheelections]

Yes I have, especially when I try to compare maps from this website to websites from other sites.

I'm probably one of the few people here who doesn't like the Atlas map colors.  And yes I know why this website uses those colors, but expressions such as red states or blue states are so common now that it really doesn't make sense to go against what everyone else in the world uses.

Personally when I use the evc tool I usually reset all to tossup and then use red for Republican and blue for Democrat (but I never post those maps here because I know that some users get really annoyed)

[IceSpear]

Yes I have, especially when I try to compare maps from this website to websites from other sites.

I'm probably one of the few people here who doesn't like the Atlas map colors.  And yes I know why this website uses those colors, but expressions such as red states or blue states are so common now that it really doesn't make sense to go against what everyone else in the world uses.

Personally when I use the evc tool I usually reset all to tossup and then use red for Republican and blue for Democrat (but I never post those maps here because I know that some users get really annoyed)

I'm pretty sure the only reason Atlas hasn't changed is because then all the maps would have to be redone.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I'm glad to see that Cyan-Republicans,Magenta-Democrats is one of the available color schemes for President Elect 1988.