What happened to these types of Republicans?

[YoungDemCA]

It is quite clear that the Federal government cannot avoid or escape responsibilities which the mass of the people firmly believe should be undertaken by it. The political processes of our country are such that if a rule of reason is not applied in this effort, we will lose everything--even to a possible and drastic change in the Constitution. This is what I mean by my constant insistence upon "moderation" in government. Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.

-President Dwight Eisenhower

When did the "stupid negligible" types take over the GOP?

[Old and In the Way]

1. Great quote!

When the few Texas oil millionaires became billionaires and the Republican Party decided that working for their interests was easier than having to deal with those pesky constituents who no longer hold them accountable.

[progressoid]

2. Hell, Eisenhower could barely get elected as a Democrat today.

[YoungDemCA]

4. Sadly, that is true

[gopiscrap]

2. We've been dumbed down as a society

and in 1980 Ronald Reagan made selfishness an admirable trait for many

[Vincardog]

5. The "stupid negligible" types took over the GOP right about

the time the same people took over the Democratic party "Leadership"

[RockaFowler]

6. Eisenhower was a thinker

He had a vision - you know like that highway system that is named after him

The Repukes today have no vision. They just like looking back. I wanna go back. Back to what?? The 1700's??

[The Magistrate]

7. They Died, Sir

Unfortunately, they died intestate, and so the eldest remaining relative, the John Birch Society, inherited the thing entire....

[YoungDemCA]

8. That's insulting to the Birchers...

..IIRC, the Birchers, crazy as they are, don't call for nuking entire countries of people (which is what a disturbing and growing "fringe" of the Republican Party nowadays does...)

[The Magistrate]

9. Not Possible To Insult a Bircher, Sir

And they frequently called for 'preventive' nuclear strikes on Communist countries, as well as the whole 'Eisenhower is a witting agent of the Kremlin' and 'flouridation is a Communist plot' swill that has survived in popular culture as a species of comic relief. They were a double-dyed bad, damnable bunch, and differ not a hair from their present-day heirs.

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

10. I have acquired enormous respect for Dwight Eisenhower.

Eisenhower sought to implement policies independent of influence of the two political parties. I almost get the feeling that if a Republican had been president, he would have been the Democratic candidate. There wasn't much difference between Democrats and Republicans on the issue foreign policy anyway.

Likewise, as Allied Commander, he was essentially an empathic man of peace, fighting a war for the purpose of implementing peace.

"Throughout America's adventure in free government, our basic purposes have been to keep the peace; to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among people and among nations. To strive for less would be unworthy of a free and religious people. Any failure traceable to arrogance, or our lack of comprehension or readiness to sacrifice would inflict upon us grievous hurt both at home and abroad."

Upon discovery of the Nazi concentration camps, he ordered camera crews to comprehensively document evidence of the atrocities in them for use in the Nuremberg Trials. He made the decision to reclassify German prisoners of war (POWs) in U.S. custody as Disarmed Enemy Forces (DEFs). For the treatment of German economy and German civilians Eisenhower followed the orders laid down by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in directive JCS 1067, but softened them by bringing in 400,000 tons of food for civilians and allowing more fraternization.[37][38][39] In dealing with the devastation of postwar Germany he dealt with severe food shortages and a huge influx of refugees by distributing American food and medical equipment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhower

[meow2u3]

11. They're all Third Way "Democrats" now

New Democrat = Old Republican. Does this answer your question?

[hifiguy]

12. Most were purged.

We used to have a strong tradition of moderate/progressive Republicanism here in Minnesota. Governors like Elmer L. Anderson, Harold LeVander and Arne Carlson, congressmen like Clark MacGregor and Bill Frenzel, senators like David Durenberger. Fiscally moderate and slightly progressive on social issues.

They were mostly purged when the fundymentalpatients took the party over between the late '80s and the mid-'90s. The remaining few left in disgust shortly thereafter. I used to work with a guy who came from a long line of country-club Republicans and he told me a few years ago he had been voting Democratic since the mid-1990s because the fundy Repukes scared the hell out of him. "I don't want my kids growing up in the world those people want" was the way he put it.

Former Govs Carlson and Anderson went so far as to endorse John Kerry in 2004.

Ike would be unceremoniously drummed out of today's Repig party in a nanosecond. For one thing, he fought fascism, and did so successfully. Among other things, I don't that would sit well with today's Repigs.

[libinnyandia]

13. Heck, even Reagan is to the left of most Republicans now.

[pamela]

14. They get primaried by teabaggers.

Here's a sane Republican who lost a primary to teabagger Andy Harris...

Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md): "We're in this bad place as a country because of the evangelicals, the neocons, the nasty, bitter and mean . . . very clever ideological groups that use money, technology, fear and bigotry to lead people around," he says. "Voting according to your knowledge and experience -- that's out the window. Competence and prudence? Forget it.

"We've become a country that sits down in front of the boob tube and listens to people shouting about freedom, but now people equate freedom not with the acquisition of knowledge but with comfort," Gilchrest says. " 'Give me my flat-screen TV, the gas-guzzling car, the goods made in China.' The whole concept of freedom has become the idea of comfort, with a complete lack of responsibility."