<P> The "Democratic blue" and "Republican red" color scheme is now part of the lexicon of American journalism . </P> <P> Neither party national committee has officially accepted these color designations, though informal use by each party is becoming common . Both parties have since adopted logos that use their respective colors (a blue "D" for Democrats, and a white "GOP" with a red elephant for Republicans). National conventions for both major parties increasingly feature the parties' respective colors, from the colors emphasized on convention podiums to the color conventioneers can be seen wearing on the delegate floor . The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also alluded the color scheme when it launched a national "Red to Blue Program" in 2006 . </P> <P> The scheme has found acceptance and implementation from the U.S. Federal Government, as the Federal Election Commission report for the 2004 presidential election uses the red - Republican, blue - Democratic scheme for its electoral map . </P> <P> The choice of colors in this divide may appear counter-intuitive to foreign observers, as in most countries, red is associated with left - of - center parties, while blue is associated with conservative parties . For example, the major center - right parties in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain and France all use blue or its shades (whether officially or unofficially); whereas the major center - left parties in each country are associated with red . If the U.S. followed such a pattern, blue would be used for the Republicans and red for the Democrats . However, the current U.S. scheme has become so ingrained in the American election system that foreign sources who cover U.S. elections, such as the BBC, Der Spiegel and El Mundo follow with the red - Republican, blue - Democratic scheme for U.S. elections . </P>

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