Is there any time in history that you could've been a Republican?

[mot78]

We've had the same parties for more than 140 years, but the definition of which one is "Liberal" and "Conservative" has moved back and forth many times since then. Is there any time period in the last 140 years where you could have called yourself a Republican?
Personally, there are two times for me. One would be the Civil War and Reconstruction, because of how they fought against slavery and racism. And the other era would be during Teddy Roosevelt's Presidency. TR was one of America's greatest progressives, and didn't bow to the corporatist.

[MisterP]

1. Fremont, Lincoln, T. Roosevelt

mugwump reform Republicans (Arthur &c.)

[slor]

2. Yes, one of the...

Radical Republicans.

[onecitizen]

3. Nope nt

nt

[NewHampster]

5. uhhhh, nope - never - when ----- froze over

and if Hell froze over it would mean both the Red Sox and Cubs had won the series therefore we'd be in some kind of time warp and nobody would really care about politics.

[pacifictiger]

7. Came across an interesting quote from Jefferson

the other day. His observations are evidenced by the ever changing party affiliation by today's politicians - you're either for autocracy or democracy. Interesting that his opposite of "liberal" is "servile," which is what we ought to start calling the rabid religious right.


"Men by their constitutions are naturally divided into two parties: 1. Those who fear and distrust the people, and wish to draw all powers from them into the hands of the higher classes. 2. Those who identify themselves with the people, have confidence in them, cherish and consider them as the most honest and safe, although not the most wise depositary of the public interests. In every country these two parties exist, and in every one where they are free to think, speak, and write, they will declare themselves. Call them, therefore, Liberals and Serviles, Jacobins and Ultras, Whigs and Tories, Republicans and Federalists, Aristocrats and Democrats, or by whatever name you please, they are the same parties still and pursue the same object. The last one of Aristocrats and Democrats is the true one expressing the essence of all." --Thomas Jefferson to Henry Lee, 1824. ME 16:73

"Both of our political parties, at least the honest portion of them, agree conscientiously in the same object: the public good; but they differ essentially in what they deem the means of promoting that good. One side believes it best done by one composition of the governing powers, the other by a different one. One fears most the ignorance of the people; the other the selfishness of rulers independent of them. Which is right, time and experience will prove. We think that one side of this experiment has been long enough tried and proved not to promote the good of the many, and that the other has not been fairly and sufficiently tried. Our opponents think the reverse. With whichever opinion the body of the nation concurs, that must prevail." --Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams, 1804. ME 11:52

[Cat Atomic]

9. Very interesting quotes! I'm saving those. n/t

[Turbineguy]

4. Believe it or not, the late 60's

Fortunately, Reagan cured me of that.

[shanti]

6. never

their issues have never been mine and never will be.

[pasadenaboy]

8. 1860s

that's about it.

[mitchum]

10. Rome...

along with my fellow lean-and-hungry-looker Cassius and the rest of the fellows. Can't think of any other time...

[rockymountaindem]

11. Yeah...

I'm with you on the Civil War and TR stuff. I credit Franklin Roosevelt with saving our party.

[neverforget]

12. In the 1860's I would've been a Lincoln Republican.

[jonoboy]

13. no

[Th1onein]

14. In Lincoln's day, I would have been a Republican