Tom Bishop

In the summer of 1854 in Jackson, Michigan, the birth of the Republican party occurred, one of the new parties' first resolves was the following "That slavery is a violation of the rights of man as man; that the law of nature, which is the law of liberty, gives to no man rights superior to those of another; that God and nature have secured to each individual the inalienable right of equality, any violation of which must be the result of superior force..." meanwhile the Democrat party was founded on racism and the protection of human slavery...which party would you want to belong to?

Richard Jarden
At the time that the original Democratic Party was formed around Andrew Jackson, in the late 1820's/early 1830's, it was formed around the concept of State's Rights, the centerpiece of which was Jackson's determination to destroy the US National Bank. Neither it, nor the opposing Whig party, had an anti-slavery plank in their platform. The first major attempt to elect a president on an anti-slavery platform was former Democratic president Martin VanBuren in 1848, under the banner of the Free-Soil Party. During the 1850's, motivated by legislation like the Fugitive Slave Act and the Nebraska-Kansas Act, Whigs joined with anti-slavery Democrats to form the Republican Party. Those who remained with the Democratic Party, whether they personally supported slavery or not, were commited to Jackson's issue of State's Rights. Lincoln is praised today for rejecting the State's Rights issue, starting with the refusal to accept their right to succeed from the union. In the immediate decades that followed the Civil War, the Democratic stronghold remained the Deep South. However, Franklin Roosevelt's programs to aid the destitute during the Depression, aided by his first lady's backing of civil right issues, led to increasing numbers of civil right supporters joining the Democratic Party in the mid-20th century. The tipping point was Democratic administrations desegregating the military and Truman's backing of civil rights legislation. Led by Strom Thurmond, the racist wing of the Democratic Party, or "Dixiecrats," ran against Truman in the 1948 election on the old Jacksonian issue of State's Rights. To Dixiecrats such as Thurmond, Goldwater's vocal opposition to Johnson's Civil Rights Act of 1964 was key to bringing them into the Republican fold. Political centrists were appalled by Goldwater, and the Republicans were crushed in the election that year, even though a huge percentage of Republican congressmen, the now virtually extinct Rockafellar wing, had supported Johnson's legislation. Nixon, cashing in on white supremacist anger at Johnson's

Democrats, ran in 1968 on the issue of State's Rights, the old slavery defense of Jacksonian Democrats. Although the George Wallace wing of the Democrats remained a threat in the deep south into the early 70's, Nixon's "Southern Strategy" of winning over Dixiecrats like Thurmond, allowed him to take six southern states, beginning the re-allignment of the electorial map. What would follow over the next generation is what political scientists call "the Big Flip," as the demographic elements from the South that had supported the Democrats for over a century would move decisively to the Republicans by the 1980's. The Southern Strategy was consciously designed, by men such as Kevin Philips and Lee Atwater, to win over White Supremcists, angered over the Democrat's Johnson-era civil rights legislation, to the Republican cause.

"From now on, the Republicans are never going to get more than 10 to 20 percent of the Negro vote and they don't need any more than that...but Republicans would be shortsighted if they weakened enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. The more Negroes who register as Democrats in the South, the sooner the Negrophobe whites will quit the Democrats and become Republicans. That's where the votes are. Without that prodding from the blacks, the whites will backslide into their old comfortable arrangement with the local Democrats" - Kevin Phillips, Nixon political strategist, 1970

"You start out in 1954 by saying, "N_gg_r, n_gg_r, n_gg_r." By 1968 you can't say "n_gg_r" that hurts you. Backfires. So you say stuff like forced busing, states' rights and all that stuff. You're getting so abstract now [that] you're talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you're talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is [that] blacks get hurt worse than whites. And subconsciously maybe that is part of it. I'm not saying that. But I'm saying that if it is getting that abstract, and that coded, that we are doing away with the racial problem one way or the other. You follow me because obviously sitting around saying, "We want to cut this," is much more abstract than even the busing thing, and a hell of a lot more abstract than "N_gg_r, n_gg_r." - Lee Atwater, Reagan political strategist, 1981

On Thurmond's Dixiecrat Presidential campaign, 1948 - "When Strom Thurmond ran for president, [Mississippi] voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over the years, either." - Trent Lott, Republican Senate Majority Leader, 2002

Personally, had I lived in 1854, I would have backed the Republicans, but would Trent Lott have done so?

Aaron Buttigieg
Neither. America is one of the most backward, shitfingered, sociopathic countries in the world. Just another fanatic bunch of religious extremists propped up by money and keeping their whole population uneducated and delusional. Hardly different than the fanatical muslims. The sooner this fascist regime implodes, the better.

Richard Jarden
Whereas Hoover's mismanagement of the Great Depression led to Republicans losing seven out of the next nine presidential elections, Johnson's civil rights legislation cost the Democrats seven presidential losses out of the next ten. Yet Republican extremism may be bringing the US to another tipping point. Republican gerrymandering of the House of Representatives will give them a legislative advantage for the rest of the decade, but judging by their mishandling of that advantage, I would be optimistic about America's future in the 2020's.

Tom Bishop
Whigs had always been of an anti slavery notion and the notion of slavery has always been a plank of the democrats, today they keep slavery alive through dependence on government programs Hmmm strom Thurmond? You must have a man crush on him, perhaps also George Wallace, general Forrest, Robert byrd, Hugo black? They were all racists and democrats And Hoover was a minor player in the great depression, Roosevelt's meddling stretched the depression into ww2

Richard Jarden
I see you still have no comment on the Southern Strategy and the quotes by Republican strategists Philips and Atwater. Robert Byrd could only survive in the Democratic party by

renouncing his past, while Thurmond is celebrated in the Republican party for his. Interesting, but that's what we mean when we talk about "the Big Flip". Maddening how history keeps getting in the way of your spin. Sorry about that.

Tom Bishop
The overwhelming evidence from economists is that Roosevelt lengthened and worsened the economy with only the war ending the depression

Richard Jarden
Oh, I guess you need to change the subject again. All right, I'm game. Funny how you like to just say "economists" without ever mentioning sources.

Tom Bishop
Ah yes one senator that you have a crush on... Meanwhile the democrat party is guilty at every stage of violating the rights of African Americans in fact the civil rights bill was written to specifically stop the democrats from violating their rights

Richard Jarden
I've laid out the history of "the Big Flip" pretty clearly at the beginning of these posts. Would you like to go over it again? Would you now respond to any of it if I did?

Tom Bishop
A political strategy does not compare to the systematic denial by the democrat party of the rights of African Americans

Richard Jarden
"The Big Flip" refers to how the Democrats have assumed the position of the 19th Cent. Republican, and the Republicans that of the Confederacy. And this was a conscious decision of the GOP going back to the late-60's. The problem that the GOP is now facing is that in the late-60's they believed that the more racist elements of the White vote would be a well that would never run dry. They are now in crisis, because there is a new generation that doesn't think the same way, and they are now flailing in desperation.

Tom Bishop
I see so you are claiming that since democrats and the democrat party well into the 20th century were lynching black people because they dared to vote - that republicans are now lynching ? I should like to see some proof of that..and if there isn't proof we shall all know that you are just plain liar shan't we?

Richard Jarden
Read the Lee Atwater quote. He lays out how the Republicans intended to tame the more rabid elements of Southern White Supremacy in order to harness it for their own purposes. He's quite clear. Remember, Atwater was the Karl Rove of his time. You're going to have a problem talking about modern politics when you refuse to discuss anything that's happened in the last half-century.

Tom Bishop
After fed troops were removed from the south the democrat party began removing republican elected officials from office by hook or by crook some even by murder....are you saying that the big flip means that republicans are now murdering black elected officials ? Are you a wing nut Richard? Lol

Richard Jarden
I'm sorry. Which decade are you talking about now? Are you now talking about the 1860's?

Tom Bishop
I have never contemplated removing someone from my fb before but I am stunned at your desperation that you would lie so poorly

Richard Jarden
What lie?

Tom Bishop
Honestly you are so sleazy

Richard Jarden
What lie?

Tom Bishop
You compare the big flip claiming that the republicans have now become what the democrats once were The republicans may rely on the white southern vote but they never enslaved blacks like the democrat party did

Richard Jarden
Never said they did. Actually, if you go back and read how I decribe "the Big Flip," what I say is that they have taken over what was the Dixiecrat vote. Atwater was quite clear that by 1968, you could not longer get away with the old way of doing things. Read the quote.

Tom Bishop
Again there is a huge difference between a political strategy and the democray party instituting Jim crow laws and the kkk and killing elected black officials

Richard Jarden
OK, so were's back to the 1860's again. I guess that's a lot safer than having to talk about the history of the last fifty years. I like history too. I just thought you like to have it be relevant to contemporary politics.

Tom Bishop
I honestly have begun to feel like you are a racist, I really am contemplating letting you go

Richard Jarden
Please quote me any racist position I have taken. A convenient accusation is not the same as evidence.

Tom Bishop
You asked to talk about the big flip that the republicans are now the way the democrats were and so I am only following your verbal diarrhea - so you are accusing the republicans of doing what the democrats once did ie murder black republicans

Richard Jarden
Man, my laying out details of "The Big Flip" has really gotten under your skin. Normally you try to refute something.

Tom Bishop
You really are leftist zealot

Richard Jarden
Find me the quote where I say Republicans are trying to murder Black politicians. What I said is that the Republican leadership, starting in the late sixties, began actively courting the Dixiecrat wing of the old Democratic Party. Kevin Phillips, Nixon's political strategist, is quite clear about that in his quote. So is Atwater.

Tom Bishop
That you would compare the lynching and killing and denial of rights by the democrat party to a republican strategy to win votes is so desperate and really racist on your part

Richard Jarden
Show me the quote where I make such a comparison(Funny that you never do). What I have said, over and over, is that the GOP has made a conscious effort to win over the old Dixiecrat vote.

Tom Bishop
The big flip refers to how the democrats have assumed the position of the 19th cent republican and the republicans that of the confederacy...there's your quote you big racist dummy.. To suggest that today's republicans wish to enslave African Americans like the democrat party of the confederacy???where Richard??? What a zealot, what racist left wing clown you are To my American friends - here is a self proclaimed educated liberal - what a stupid human being

Richard Jarden
Now go back up the comments a little further to where I lay it out in more detail. "..."the Big Flip," as the demographic elements from the South that had supported the Democrats for over a century would move decisively to the Republicans by the 1980's." To Tom's American friends, for a full view of my opinons, read from the top of the comment board. I think you'll find that I ultimately defend Americans and am proud to do it.

Tom Bishop
You are a racist - I quoted your quote and you hide shame on you