What has happened to the Republican Party

[ElmerMudd]

To belabor the obvious, the Republican Party has always been our more conservative political party, and the South has always been our most conservative region. But Southern conservatives were alienated from the GOP because of slavery and the Civil War. However much affinity they might have for Republicans on issues such as national defense or taxes, they were never going to formally join the party of Abraham Lincoln.

And so America had a historical anomaly, in which conservative Southerners found themselves permanent members of our more liberal political party, the Democrats. It took a great deal of compromise and political skill to keep Northern liberals and Southern conservatives sufficiently allied to win the White House and control of Congress.

The first cracks in this unholy alliance appeared as early as 1938. Franklin Roosevelt, irritated by the lack of support many Southern Democrats were giving to various New Deal programs, tried to purge some of them in the Democratic primaries. This effort failed miserably and Republicans made big gains thanks to Democratic disunity. The result further alienated Southern conservatives from Roosevelt.

The strengthened Republicans greeted the alienated Southerners with open arms. While there was no possibility of them actually becoming Republicans, they were perfectly willing to form a conservative coalitionin Congress to block progressive legislation.

The Western Origins of the “Southern Strategy”

The untold story of the ideological realignment that upended the nation

newrepublic.com

This article provides a good summation of when the GOP shifted further toward the right.

What has happened to the Republican Party?
The GOP was founded in 1854 by opponents of the Kansas–Nebraska Act,[11] which allowed for the potential expansion of chattel slavery into the western territories. The party supported economic reform and classical liberalism while opposing the expansion of slavery.
They are now the party that includes White Nationalism. The America First Caucus (AFC) exists to promote Congressional policies that are to the long-term benefit of the American nation,”
A party started on high moral standards to a party of immorality.

Right-wing caucus planned to carry on ‘Anglo-Saxon political traditions’ — which US House GOP leader calls ‘nativist dog whistle’

Right-wing House Republicans on Friday were discussing forming an America First Caucus, which one document described as championing “Anglo-Saxon political traditions” and warning that m…

www.chicagotribune.com

The GOP has become the party of the common man, what the Democrats once were before they became socialists.

GOP is the party of white nationalism. It is the party of conspiracy theories. It is the party of the uneducated. It is the party of those who do not have the skills for jobs of the 21st century.

 

[Crepitus]

The GOP is just appealing to the working class rural folks who the Democrats left behind and continually demean.

Well that's a lie.

How is it a lie? Look at how many Democrats put down white rural people. Rednecks are basically the only group you can ridicule openly without worry of losing your job, and that's primarily driven by liberal media.

It shouldn't be a surprise that most rural whites hate the media in general and hate liberalism as a result.

Show us an example of "appealing to working class.rural.folks".

I'll wait.

 

[Utilitarian]

The GOP is just appealing to the working class rural folks who the Democrats left behind and continually demean.

Well that's a lie.

How is it a lie? Look at how many Democrats put down white rural people. Rednecks are basically the only group you can ridicule openly without worry of losing your job, and that's primarily driven by liberal media.

It shouldn't be a surprise that most rural whites hate the media in general and hate liberalism as a result.

Show us an example of "appealing to working class.rural.folks".

I'll wait.

The main appeal that the GOP has for working class rural people is with regard to social issues. They are not onboard with a lot of the trans issue, for example. You may not like the bathroom bans, but they have a lot of support among rural people. When NC passed legislation that forced people to use facilities that were respective of their biological sex, it had very strong support in rural areas here.

That's just one of many examples.

 

[Utilitarian]

GOP is the party of white nationalism. It is the party of conspiracy theories. It is the party of the uneducated. It is the party of those who do not have the skills for jobs of the 21st century.

Small business owners typically favor the GOP in a lot of areas. They tend to be educated, skilled, and not focused on conspiracy theories.

 

[Meathead]

To belabor the obvious, the Republican Party has always been our more conservative political party, and the South has always been our most conservative region. But Southern conservatives were alienated from the GOP because of slavery and the Civil War. However much affinity they might have for Republicans on issues such as national defense or taxes, they were never going to formally join the party of Abraham Lincoln.

And so America had a historical anomaly, in which conservative Southerners found themselves permanent members of our more liberal political party, the Democrats. It took a great deal of compromise and political skill to keep Northern liberals and Southern conservatives sufficiently allied to win the White House and control of Congress.

The first cracks in this unholy alliance appeared as early as 1938. Franklin Roosevelt, irritated by the lack of support many Southern Democrats were giving to various New Deal programs, tried to purge some of them in the Democratic primaries. This effort failed miserably and Republicans made big gains thanks to Democratic disunity. The result further alienated Southern conservatives from Roosevelt.

The strengthened Republicans greeted the alienated Southerners with open arms. While there was no possibility of them actually becoming Republicans, they were perfectly willing to form a conservative coalitionin Congress to block progressive legislation.

The Western Origins of the “Southern Strategy”

The untold story of the ideological realignment that upended the nation

newrepublic.com

This article provides a good summation of when the GOP shifted further toward the right.

What has happened to the Republican Party?
The GOP was founded in 1854 by opponents of the Kansas–Nebraska Act,[11] which allowed for the potential expansion of chattel slavery into the western territories. The party supported economic reform and classical liberalism while opposing the expansion of slavery.
They are now the party that includes White Nationalism. The America First Caucus (AFC) exists to promote Congressional policies that are to the long-term benefit of the American nation,”
A party started on high moral standards to a party of immorality.

Right-wing caucus planned to carry on ‘Anglo-Saxon political traditions’ — which US House GOP leader calls ‘nativist dog whistle’

Right-wing House Republicans on Friday were discussing forming an America First Caucus, which one document described as championing “Anglo-Saxon political traditions” and warning that m…

www.chicagotribune.com

The GOP has become the party of the common man, what the Democrats once were before they became socialists.

GOP is the party of white nationalism. It is the party of conspiracy theories. It is the party of the uneducated. It is the party of those who do not have the skills for jobs of the 21st century.

You mean flipping burgers, picking avocados or working in silicone valley with millennials. Maybe you missed the part of the common man. The plumbers, brick layers, truckers and lumberjacks and others you look down on.

 

[sartre play]

There has Never been any need to belong to either political party to be a raciest / Bigot That has been breed into our collective conscience since forever. We started with the native Americans, moved on to the Chinese, never forgetting to include the Irish Jews, Germans, Japanese, or any one else. We even saw Americans Okies arkes & Texans as a threat during the dust bowl.

 

[Concerned American]

There has Never been any need to belong to either political party to be a raciest / Bigot That has been breed into our collective conscience since forever. We started with the native Americans, moved on to the Chinese, never forgetting to include the Irish Jews, Germans, Japanese, or any one else. We even saw Americans Okies arkes & Texans as a threat during the dust bowl.

Try being in a military family and moving to a new area. Doesn't matter what happens, you are considered a transient and it is difficult to become part of the community.

 

[Indeependent]

The GOP is just appealing to the working class rural folks who the Democrats left behind and continually demean.

They are appealing to those who hate gays, who don’t like it that the woman on line at the Supermarket is speaking Spanish, those who fear their whiteness is being challenged

And you’ll die of old age in 10 years and have no kids to worry about.

 

[Utilitarian]

There has Never been any need to belong to either political party to be a raciest / Bigot That has been breed into our collective conscience since forever. We started with the native Americans, moved on to the Chinese, never forgetting to include the Irish Jews, Germans, Japanese, or any one else. We even saw Americans Okies arkes & Texans as a threat during the dust bowl.

Diversity actually tends to result in less racism while also creating more racial conflict. It's paradoxical, but basically, the average person becomes more accustomed to different cultures while the extremists of each group tend to fight more.

This is why America is actually one of the least racist nations while still having a lot of racial conflict. The media wants to give the impression that we're racist because it sells more ads from the resulting attention, but the reality is that most people don't care much about race.

The most racist nations tend to be homogeneous, because they aren't used to different cultures. They sometimes can be very subtle in their racism, however.

 

[Kondor3]

What has happened to the Republican Party?

Under the Orange Baboon God it morphed into the American National White People's Party... no name-change is necessary... it's glaringly obvious.

 

[bodecea]

The same Republican party that ended Democrat slavery, and pissed off white Democrats so much they invented the Klan, then Jim Crow laws? You folks should worry about your own, you're back to your old tricks, just look at all them kids in cages.

Yes...that Republican Party...which is ALSO the same party that did an about face in the 1960s & 70s in order to attract those SAME Southerners who supported Jim Crow laws.....seems that those Southerners were perfectly willing to turn their backs on their political party (Democrats) rather than give up their racist ways. The GOP ended up being a better fit at that time.

 

[Concerned American]

What has happened to the Republican Party?

Under the Orange Baboon God it morphed into the American National White People's Party... no name-change is necessary... it's glaringly obvious.

You are a racist bigot

 

[GMCGeneral]

The Democrat party has essentially embraced Communism. Sen. Joseph McCarthy, a true American Patriot, sought to expose Communism in the US, and he was right as rain in his assertions.

 

[Hum Dinger]

Since the McKinley/Bryant elections, the GOP has been the party of the wealthy & White collar workers, while the Democrats were the party of the working class/ blue collar workers. This emulated the Conservative vs. labor parties of the UK.

However, Nixon realized that formula was consistently losing. The Democrats held the majority of the power between 1900 & 1970. The divide between White collar & Blue collar was disappearing. The future looked bleak for the GOP. So Nixon initiated the "Southern Strategy". Republicans appealed (gave lip service) to Conservative social values, while at the same time the Democrats became the party of Liberal Social values. It was a winning formula for the GOP.

However, Social Conservatives have realized that the traditional GOP was doing nothing more than giving lip service to their social values. The reason that the traditional GOP really wouldn't do more than give lip service to conservative social values is that they knew that these social values were just plain idiotic. They were based on mostly on medieval Religious fanatics and pure racists.

What made things worse is that air conditioning became main stream in the South. That led to massive investment - mostly by companies from liberal states, plus a mass migration of an entire generation of wealthy retirees to Florida. All his caused the economy of the South to boom as it never did before, It appeared to the people of the South that it was the GOP that was responsible for this economic boom.

It was only a matter of time before the Social Conservative rank & file realized that the GOP establishment was only giving lip service to their values. Finally, the election of an African American President outraged the racist contingency of the Social Conservative movement. It set the stage for a far right wing messiah.

Trump knew that there was a wave of outraged right wing morons waiting for a messiah - first he tested the ground by championing the 'birther movement' - pure nonsense, but it proved to him that there were millions of idiots that would believe anything that fit their agenda.

Next Trump resorted to a fascist playbook - one that had been used many times over not just by Hitler and Mussolini, but the the CIA, the State Department and private American business interests in third world countries many times over since WWII. He did ANYTHING it took to win the 2016 election, including getting help from the Russians. He was aided by an incompetent political opponent who believed that she was destined to become President, did not take Trump seriously and ran a terrible campaign. Once in office he intended to stay in office - by unleashing a violent mob to stop the certification of his 2020 political opponent.

What is fortunate for America and to the chagrin of Trump's supporters is that Trump in an incompetent boob. He didn't know what he was doing as President and certainly didn't know how to seize control of the government. His attempted coup backfired.

Now we're stuck with a divided GOP - except in that they are still united against the Democrats. The traditional GOP sees the whole Trump era as an aberration. Trump supporters refuse to give in to the traditional GOP, while being in a state of denial over Trump's failure to hold the Presidency and take dictatorial control of the government. They have lost - BIG TIME - they have yet to realize the full repercussions of that loss. They are on the defense and desperate.

Meanwhile, the traditional GOP is desperately trying to reunite their party, knowing if they fail, we'll have decades of Democratic rule.

 

[rightwinger]

One could also was what has happened to the Democratic party?This used to be the party that cared about the working class and poor and giving them a fair chance today all they care about is insulting and demeaning these same people and pitting everyone against each other based on their, race, gender or economic standing to try and increase their own power and control.

Democrats support unions, healthcare , subsidized education, higher wages

Yeah but there only answer on how to pay for all that is taxing a select group more which falls under the category of dividing people by economic standing.

Ummm...hasn’t taxes always done that?

 

[rightwinger]

The Democrat party has essentially embraced Communism. Sen. Joseph McCarthy, a true American Patriot, sought to expose Communism in the US, and he was right as rain in his assertions.

True dat

McCarthy was very close to Trump

Republicans don’t change

 

[rightwinger]

Boehner: 'Republicans have to go back to being Republicans'

Former Republican House Speaker John Boehner on Sunday urged his party to return to its traditional principles, saying a focus on things like fiscal responsibility and strong national defense are key to winning back control of Congress in upcoming elections.

www.cnn.com

Pretty crazy when John Boehner is the voice of reason!

Boehner was a heartless prick, but he was never crazy.

Todays Republicans are Batshit Crazy

 

[GMCGeneral]

The Democrat party has essentially embraced Communism. Sen. Joseph McCarthy, a true American Patriot, sought to expose Communism in the US, and he was right as rain in his assertions.

True dat

McCarthy was very close to Trump

Republicans don’t change

You mean adhering to the traditions and customs that made America great. Not this diversity bullshit. the name of the game is ASSIMILATION, not DIVERSITY.

 

[ElmerMudd]

There has Never been any need to belong to either political party to be a raciest / Bigot That has been breed into our collective conscience since forever. We started with the native Americans, moved on to the Chinese, never forgetting to include the Irish Jews, Germans, Japanese, or any one else. We even saw Americans Okies arkes & Texans as a threat during the dust bowl.

I agree our history is full of racism with all potential people from all potential political parties guilty. We all need to work against racist tendencies. But those who embrace racism feel support in the Republican party. They are so embolden their are Republicans forming a caucas based on a white nationalist agenda. The majority of Republican representatives who do not agree with the anglo saxon caucas are scared to criticize because it may upset too many of their Re

Since the McKinley/Bryant elections, the GOP has been the party of the wealthy & White collar workers, while the Democrats were the party of the working class/ blue collar workers. This emulated the Conservative vs. labor parties of the UK.

However, Nixon realized that formula was consistently losing. The Democrats held the majority of the power between 1900 & 1970. The divide between White collar & Blue collar was disappearing. The future looked bleak for the GOP. So Nixon initiated the "Southern Strategy". Republicans appealed (gave lip service) to Conservative social values, while at the same time the Democrats became the party of Liberal Social values. It was a winning formula for the GOP.

However, Social Conservatives have realized that the traditional GOP was doing nothing more than giving lip service to their social values. The reason that the traditional GOP really wouldn't do more than give lip service to conservative social values is that they knew that these social values were just plain idiotic. They were based on mostly on medieval Religious fanatics and pure racists.

What made things worse is that air conditioning became main stream in the South. That led to massive investment - mostly by companies from liberal states, plus a mass migration of an entire generation of wealthy retirees to Florida. All his caused the economy of the South to boom as it never did before, It appeared to the people of the South that it was the GOP that was responsible for this economic boom.

It was only a matter of time before the Social Conservative rank & file realized that the GOP establishment was only giving lip service to their values. Finally, the election of an African American President outraged the racist contingency of the Social Conservative movement. It set the stage for a far right wing messiah.

Trump knew that there was a wave of outraged right wing morons waiting for a messiah - first he tested the ground by championing the 'birther movement' - pure nonsense, but it proved to him that there were millions of idiots that would believe anything that fit their agenda.

Next Trump resorted to a fascist playbook - one that had been used many times over not just by Hitler and Mussolini, but the the CIA, the State Department and private American business interests in third world countries many times over since WWII. He did ANYTHING it took to win the 2016 election, including getting help from the Russians. He was aided by an incompetent political opponent who believed that she was destined to become President, did not take Trump seriously and ran a terrible campaign. Once in office he intended to stay in office - by unleashing a violent mob to stop the certification of his 2020 political opponent.

What is fortunate for America and to the chagrin of Trump's supporters is that Trump in an incompetent boob. He didn't know what he was doing as President and certainly didn't know how to seize control of the government. His attempted coup backfired.

Now we're stuck with a divided GOP - except in that they are still united against the Democrats. The traditional GOP sees the whole Trump era as an aberration. Trump supporters refuse to give in to the traditional GOP, while being in a state of denial over Trump's failure to hold the Presidency and take dictatorial control of the government. They have lost - BIG TIME - they have yet to realize the full repercussions of that loss. They are on the defense and desperate.

Meanwhile, the traditional GOP is desperately trying to reunite their party, knowing if they fail, we'll have decades of Democratic rule.

What a great and true comment.
Arguing with a Trump supporter is like playing chess against a pigeon...no matter how well you play it just shits on the board then struts around like it won.

 

[Nostra]

After decades of saying “small government, fiscal responsibility and family values” while doing the EXACT OPPOSITE, the Republicans needed a new tag line.

After trying many different options they ended up going with “cancel culture, gays in bathrooms, and black people deserve being shot”. This resonated with uneducated white people easy to scare and the super rich who pull their strings and financially benefit.

Link?