Reply #13: It was a gradual process actually

[Hippo_Tron]

Republicans were absolutely the liberal party at the time of their creation. By the 1920's we start to see Republicans practicing fiscal conservatism and then in the 1930's FDR with a more liberal fiscal policy. I think that Ike kind of brought the whole religion aspect back to the Republican party and in the 1960's all of the white trash migrated to the Republican party probably because they were pissed off at Kennedy for supporting civil rights. Vietnam also had a lot to do with it. By the time of the mid Nixon administration and definately by the time of the Carter administration you see Democrats and Republicans taking almost exactly the same stances on issues that they do today. Ronald Reagan did a little more reforming of the Republicans but most of the changing with both parties ended with carter. Basically the process started in the 1920's and ended in the early 1970's.