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Johonny

(20,683 posts)
46. I agree, wasn't McKinley sort of the start of it
Wed Aug 22, 2012, 11:23 AM
Aug 2012

before that the Republican party was the reform party and the Democratic party sort of the power broker party. Theodore Roosevelt-Taft sort of interrupt that trend but Teddy wasn't suppose to ever be president. Same with Ike who was more in line with late 19 th century Republicans than any Republican president around him. I think from McKinley to Harding, Coolidge, Hoover then Nixon, Reagan, Bush and Bush you can see a pretty easy transgression from the reform party of Lincoln era to the elitist party of this era.

I think a lot of traditional Republicans somehow think the party is represented by Lincoln, Roosevelt and Ike although those figures represent the minority in that party for years now. Today the last of reforming Republicans in congress have all lost. It is hard to understand nationally how people can still pretend Republicans stand with workers, women, civil service employees... but they do?

From my youth I remember sane republicans Angry Dragon Aug 2012 #1
It was the "law and order", "Southern Strategy", anti-intellectual deutsey Aug 2012 #2
The Repubs Used To Be A Respectable Group. Paladin Aug 2012 #3
1964 Dem Convention brush Aug 2012 #4
You have an excellent point.... dixiegrrrrl Aug 2012 #43
Do you have sources for this version of the 1964 Dem Convention and LBJ's coalition_unwilling Aug 2012 #51
Sources brush Aug 2012 #82
I can remember the "Committee of unamerican activities", which was a way for the Repukes.... dmosh42 Aug 2012 #74
The more power they got the crazier they got. Ganja Ninja Aug 2012 #5
They created and nurtured the Teabag Party and it turns out to be lunatica Aug 2012 #6
The crazies used to be in OUR party before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Odin2005 Aug 2012 #7
Good point. Hassin Bin Sober Aug 2012 #18
Senator Joseph McCarthy was a Republican. Can't remember coalition_unwilling Aug 2012 #57
I think the depravity began in earnest with Reagan jsr Aug 2012 #8
Agreed, and welcome to DU. Scuba Aug 2012 #48
ITA. RR also prayed at the Convention, Ilsa Aug 2012 #69
Reagan started the unholy alliance Freddie Aug 2012 #102
I think America was always this nuts BeyondGeography Aug 2012 #9
good analysis northoftheborder Aug 2012 #16
stolen land and stolen labor JDPriestly Aug 2012 #22
I'm not making a blanket indictment BeyondGeography Aug 2012 #40
Agreed. It's a naked grab at power JDPriestly Aug 2012 #87
+1,000,000,000 x 1,000,000,000 - Well put and definitely coalition_unwilling Aug 2012 #62
Yes, yes, yes brush Aug 2012 #86
The comments so far are all spot on.. the two parties have switched LeftinOH Aug 2012 #10
No they were sane until treestar Aug 2012 #11
Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, then Tea Party. longship Aug 2012 #12
Don't forget Goldwater and the Texas fringe. JDPriestly Aug 2012 #23
Actually Goldwater was a moderate compared to this crowd. yellowcanine Aug 2012 #29
Yes, true. longship Aug 2012 #31
Trickle down Freddie Aug 2012 #104
I remember the Goldwater campaign: spiderpig Aug 2012 #55
I think it's a combination of Shankapotomus Aug 2012 #13
No. it used to be the Dems with their Dixiecrats who are now largely the Tea Party. nt nanabugg Aug 2012 #14
Not really. The Teahadists are pro-1% eridani Aug 2012 #99
I'm old enough to remember Pearl Harbor, so I go way back..... northoftheborder Aug 2012 #15
My mom was a lifelong Republican until the religious conservatives took over the party in California slackmaster Aug 2012 #32
Carl Rove's evil genius gathered the most dangerous-to-democracy coalition in our history summerschild Aug 2012 #84
No they weren't. ananda Aug 2012 #17
Nixon's faults were a bug in his particular hifiguy Aug 2012 #25
Yes, I remember hearing Republicans describe Nixon as a "queer duck" even before Watergate slackmaster Aug 2012 #30
Agree. ananda Aug 2012 #52
I don't think they are any worse. They were bastards in the 60's and they're bastards now. Fla Dem Aug 2012 #90
George Wallace never became a Republican. He ran as a Democrat for all of his races for yellowcanine Aug 2012 #33
True. ananda Aug 2012 #53
It's way different loyalsister Aug 2012 #71
Research John Birch WilliamPitt Aug 2012 #19
Interestingly, while I was growing up we lived across the street R. Daneel Olivaw Aug 2012 #47
Much of the old-guard Republicans have taken over our Party as "Centrist" Democrats. Same people. Romulox Aug 2012 #20
Yup. n/t amandabeech Aug 2012 #89
Not just yes, but hell yes. RegieRocker Aug 2012 #21
No way. When I was young there were plenty of hifiguy Aug 2012 #24
the odd thing though hfojvt Aug 2012 #66
The hate radio/reichwing religion machine hifiguy Aug 2012 #72
Agreed brush Aug 2012 #88
Nope. My aunt was a lifelong Republican. She was pro-gay, pro-choice, pro-science and learning ... GodlessBiker Aug 2012 #26
Nixon was a sleazy bastard from the git go. BlueToTheBone Aug 2012 #27
The GOP got taken over by wackos in the chaos that ensued after Nixon's resignation slackmaster Aug 2012 #28
Bushco 2pooped2pop Aug 2012 #34
I miss William F. Buckley......He was a bastard, but always explained his reasoning. slampoet Aug 2012 #35
It seems to me that they got really nuts when they let religion influence their platform. Arkansas Granny Aug 2012 #36
Don't forget McCarthy... socialindependocrat Aug 2012 #37
The nuts have always been there but BumRushDaShow Aug 2012 #38
I had a discussion about this with 2 young Indepependents HockeyMom Aug 2012 #39
The Republican Party Became A Minority Party Because of the Great Depression Yavin4 Aug 2012 #41
Yes and No TlalocW Aug 2012 #42
I agree, wasn't McKinley sort of the start of it Johonny Aug 2012 #46
Not so much. The Robber Barons hifiguy Aug 2012 #64
It seemed to me that the spark TlalocW Aug 2012 #65
me too Johonny Aug 2012 #94
The sane ones have been driven out spinbaby Aug 2012 #44
Absolutely NOT!!! LynneSin Aug 2012 #45
The republicans are putting the line in the wrong place. lumberjack_jeff Aug 2012 #49
I remember Joe Mac from WI, John Birch and Impeach Earl Warren. CK_John Aug 2012 #50
The John Birch society founded by Koch brothers father are the group kemah Aug 2012 #54
No n/t Lebam in LA Aug 2012 #56
no. but then, christianity was not this extreme, either. nt seabeyond Aug 2012 #58
I think it's a combo. CrispyQ Aug 2012 #59
The lunatic fringe has been around for as long as I can remember The Velveteen Ocelot Aug 2012 #60
No. n/t ElboRuum Aug 2012 #61
No. They are definitely going crazy. nt ladjf Aug 2012 #63
No, the GOP is undergoing the same process as the Whig party nadinbrzezinski Aug 2012 #67
Hell, no wryter2000 Aug 2012 #68
Lincoln harpslay Aug 2012 #70
don't forget the influence of talk radio grasswire Aug 2012 #73
Nixon started the modern march to whackadoodle nutjobbery. Warren Stupidity Aug 2012 #75
The republicans have been the party of change since its founding. n/t Egalitarian Thug Aug 2012 #76
Roe v. Wade sent them over the edge and fundies started taking chelsea0011 Aug 2012 #77
I remember watching them at convention when Eisenhower was nominated. The seeds have been jwirr Aug 2012 #78
I remember reasonable Republicans. They have gone the way of the DoDo Bird. Lint Head Aug 2012 #79
Read the 1956 Republican Party Platform and you tell me salvorhardin Aug 2012 #80
No. Now... mahina Aug 2012 #81
yes. the difference today is that the wingnuttery is at the forefront and moderation is fringe. pepperbear Aug 2012 #83
Nope, not even close. IDemo Aug 2012 #85
No. Zoeisright Aug 2012 #91
No. More short fused now, At least then they could disagree with you without getting enraged at you Populist_Prole Aug 2012 #92
They used to call the crazies the "Birch Society" wing, and they were marginalized. Marr Aug 2012 #93
What a terrific series of responses. Stinky The Clown Aug 2012 #95
There were always nutty Republicans, Blue_In_AK Aug 2012 #96
Both parties have their share of nuts and wackos FarCenter Aug 2012 #97
To my knowledge, there have always been a significant number of RW Republican nuts... LeftishBrit Aug 2012 #98
It's evolved over the decades RFKHumphreyObama Aug 2012 #100
no..... madrchsod Aug 2012 #101
Well.... Jeff In Milwaukee Aug 2012 #103
No, the first Republican was Lincoln... rasputin1952 Aug 2012 #105
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