[BohDaThone]

In US military mapping, the US side is shown in blue: the opposing forces in red. I think General Walker, a Birch Society member, got in trouble for his "pro-blue" ideological training program back in the '60s.

BTW, I may be misremembering, but I think that in some previous TV election coverage, the GOP was shown in Blue and the Dems in Red. Maybe the 2000 coloring was just an effort at rotation?

[I still care]

Yes, I remember a quote the night either Reagan or Nixon won - "The map is starting to look like a Republican swimming pool". I can't remember which anchor said it.

[Redbob]

"BTW, I may be misremembering, but I think that in some previous TV election coverage, the GOP was shown in Blue and the Dems in Red."

Not mis-remembering at all; I recall the same.

[dvwjr]

I think that it was after the 1980 Reagan victory over Carter that the Dems complained to the networks about the red=dems=communists vs the blue=repubs=patriots imagery that they felt the maps projected. The networks then switched colors, and the Republicans have been "red" and the Dems have been "blue" on the presidental maps ever since...