Isn't american party colors backwards compared to most western countries?

And in Australia, the Liberals are the Conservatives.

Yes, and it's the US that is unusual. Red is the historical color of social-democratic, socialist and communist parties.

There is a video explaining the history of US party colors here: https://youtu.be/lgz3p4cEXZU

Americas political parties have flipped and flopped and swapped multiple times.

I was surprised by this, too, moving to New Zealand. Down here National (the center centre-right party) is a light blue color, while Labour is a red-orange. But then there's ACT (further right than National), which uses a pink color, and NZ First (even further right than ACT), which uses a dark blue color.

Incidentally, it's an election year here, too; and from what I've gathered, NZ First (the furthest-right of the major parties in New Zealand) somehow manages to still be further left than American Republicans on most issues. National is further left than American Democrats.

America does everything back-assward. Red is the color of labor and socialism, historically.

Alternative title: USians use different colours than the rest of the world for political parties.

Y'all afraid of commies but you've never seen the USSR flag?

In Quebec, almost all parties are shades of blue…

Ours weren't set until 1992, I think. Blue used to mean incumbent and red was for the challenger.(I may have that backwards.)

In America, the conservative party is red and the liberal is blue

I REMEMBER THE BEFORE TIMES! The long long ago! When not all was as it is today...

The US didn't use colours for political leanings until 2000 when this whole blue, red, and purple terminology started in earnest. And using red for the conservative side is certainly unique.

Red has traditionally been the colour of socialism/social democrats. All the other colour assignments tend to vary by country. But blue or black or thereabouts tends to be conservative. Green introduced itself in the 70s.

Canada is just normal in terms of "political colours."

Red is the color of blood, and thus is the color of hard labor. America is the one who has it backwards.

I disagree that US colors are wrong or that we misapply "liberal". The DNC is pro-corporate and dig their heels in on any meaningful reforms for healthcare, workers rights, etc. They correlate to other liberal parties.

The problem is that the only other party of relevance is far right, so we treat the liberals as "left" by comparison. They have some progressives because there is nowhere else to go and have a reasonable chance to get elected or even be on the ballot above the local level.

It's true that the history of the color distinction only goes back to 2000, and the people that made the choice were unlikely to think about it this way, but I think at least the blue is appropriate.

That's also why DSA is red.

In summary, just Overton Window things.

Oh dear

does canada also have only two parties? well, RIP

I dunno, seems fitting to me.

Democrats are a Conservative blue.

Republicans are a Nazi red.

IIRC a US journalist invented it for the US. Republicans Red because they both start with R.

Although a Conservative in Canada wouldn't be a Conservative in the US. In Canada they support abortion, socialized medicine and same sex marriages.