Thanks,
Chris

Agreed.

And it’s not the first flip-flop. The Federalists were more like the modern Democrats, while the Democratic-Republicans were more like the modern Republicans. It’s a very interesting dynamic.

Eric

You are correct that the parties essentially switched roles, this happened sometime around the 1920s.

Bu politicians rarley act as thier parties would like them. George Bush Sr acted far more like a Democrat with his thoudsand points of light speech and his almost JFK economic policies.

Trying to compare the parties after 150 years is like reading palms, it is entertaining, but not much else.

Chris

Speaking of the Civil War and politics, perhaps you and others can confirm or dispel some generalizations.

It seems the Democratic and Republican parties, as we view them today, do not occupy the same roles as they did during the Civil War, especially in context of the great social issue of the day: slavery. The Republican party, especially its Radical wing, was more akin to today’s far left. They were the “progressives” of their day, especially with their strong push for abolition.

The Democrats and the McClellan wing were the “conservatives” of their time, believing the war was only about the preservation of Union, i.e. maintaining the status quo.

Lincoln, though officially a Republican, was much more of a moderate pragmatist (centrist), occassionally leaning one way or the other.

Yet, the comparison of then versus now seems more in line when looking at the war itself and how it was fought. I’m sure we’ve all read the essays comparing the tribulations and timeframes Bush and Lincoln have both shared. I read another very interesting one comparing today’s far left anti-war stance to the Civil War’s Copperheads.

Thoughts??

Paul

Ft. Walla Walla is an interesting visit as well. The post cemetary has lots of graves from Indian Wars battles like White Bird Canyon.

Drew