2787: Blue Dog Democrat Aug 7, 2024

The term "Blue Dog Democrat" would easily evoke the Democratic Party's modern association with the color blue, especially in light of spin-off terms like “Red Dog Republicans” etc., but it's worth noting that the association of blue with the Democratic Party and red with the Republican Party didn't become standardized until the 2000 presidential election. Before that, media outlets often switched the colors depending on the election cycle. 

The term "Blue Dog Democrat" refers to more conservative Democrats who sought to distance themselves from the party's liberal wing, but why "blue dog"?

In the early 1990s, these moderate Democrats often met in the office of Texas Representative Pete Geren. Geren's office was adorned with a peculiar painting by Louisiana artist George Rodrigue, featuring a blue dog—a recurring motif in Rodrigue's work. This particular painting, with its distinctive and surreal blue dog, became an unlikely mascot for the group.

As these moderate Democrats worked to carve out a centrist space in American politics, they began to refer to themselves informally as "Blue Dog Democrats," drawing inspiration from the blue dog painting that had overseen many of their meetings, predating the overall association between the Democratic Party and blue.