Do today's Republicans even realize that they are actually old Southern Democrats?

Answer 1

I think those of us who were voting 30 years ago see it more clearly because we saw first-hand the influence of the religious coalitions in the conversion to 'born again' Republicans. Many of the 'Young Republicans' probably don't realize the connection.

Thirty years ago, right-wing religious coalitions were no longer content to be on the sidelines of politics; 'Roe v Wade' was their battle cry and rallying point. They were organizing, building a collective voice and looking for power within the political arena. I lived in KY then, the South... Democrat, Bible Belt, pro-labor (union). Jimmy Carter was Southern, Democrat, farmer and Christian; he was "us". The Bible Belt believed they carried Carter to the White House, but they never figured he'd leave his religion at the door of the Oval Office and do a Playboy interview. :-) The South and the Mid-West Bible Belt was deeply angry and felt totally betrayed when he didn't buckle to their agenda.

The right-wing religious coalitions were angry, galvanized and homeless. At the time, the Republican Party was still the Gold(water) Standard of Conservatism (small gov't). The Republicans saw a great opportunity to increase their political base, so they welcomed the religious coalitions and Ronald Reagan happily took up their agenda. Not all Republicans were happy with their new cousins, but they liked the numbers. Goldwater was livid about it! Ironically, he was written off as stubborn (true) and obsolete (false), yet he was one of the few that saw the writing on the wall.
-- Goldwater vs Religious Right
http://www.liberalslikechrist.org/about/goldwater.html

So, jumping to GWB's first term... we have a Republican Party that has traded 'fiscal conservatism' for 'social conservatism', and a 'morality rule' that's grown out of increased pressure from, and bowing to, the right-wing religious influence. This is what's behind Bush... a party with a strong sense of self-righteousness, so his "my way, or the highway" approach fits snugly within the parameters.

Answer 2

They aren't. They have many of the POSITIONS of the dixiecrats, but while the Democratic party has stayed in roughly the same ideological space for the past 50 years, the Republican party has been flying further and further to the right wing, beyond anything the old Democrats ever did.

Answer 3

No, i think of not. Democrats have been talked approximately as Copper Heads throughout the Civil conflict as they tried to defeat Lincoln in the 1864 election. Robert Byrd D-WV replaced right into a member of the KKK and easily served there as Grand Kleagle or some such nonsense. have you ever study lots of the flaws he stated approximately black human beings? And he continues to be at it. Did you study what he stated with regard to the black Atlanta soccer participant these days?

Answer 4

I don't agree with the assumption. Republicans are now Kennedy/Johnson big government Democrats.

And the Democrats are Socialists now.

Answer 5

Yeah and do the Democrats realize that they were the "racist" party who were members of the KKK?...why do you think George Wallace was shot?

Answer 6

Do todays Democrats realize that they have moved so far to the left that they actually make this statement true?

Todays DNC is filled with flag burning baby murderers. Youre right, the DNC of yesterday was a great party, thanks for admitting that Conservatives now occupy its old beliefs...

Answer 7

they still haven't figured out that the founding fathers and the apostles were not the same people

Answer 8

yeah kennedy wouldn't have taken any #@^^*& from a third world nation but he was from boston.

Answer 9

You're Amazing for bringing this up! I hope they Read (and understand) this!

Answer 10

I am sure they do, It is well written in history.