03Lightningrocks wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2019 12:26 pm
This poll was not really to determine the changes in the party platforms. Democrats may not have been liberals by today's standards but they were still liberals as compared to Republicans. Many found the word liberal an insult back then, so they resisted the label. But they were still liberal in their viewpoints.
That may have been the case in the metropolitan areas of Texas, but I can assure you if you went out into the rural areas and asked any rancher or farmer (who voted overwhelmingly Democratic in the 40's thru the 70's) if they were a "liberal" or had "liberal veiwpoints" you'd have gotten a quick response - and it would not have a polite one.
"I looked out under the sun and saw that the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong" Ecclesiastes 9:11
"The race may not always go to the swift or the battle to the strong, but that's the way the smart money bets" Damon Runyon
John Galt wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2019 12:58 pm
There wasn't a choice for me, as I was a conservative Democrat (yes there were conservatives in the Democrat Party back then). I changed to the Republican Party with Reagan.
My family is originally all from Kentucky and Georgia. Before Jimmy Carter, most of them did vote Democrat. Even though conservative Democrats were more liberal than Republicans, they would never have described themselves as liberals. I also know that most of them were working class, hourly worker types from the manufacturing sectors who believed the Democrats were looking out for them while the Republicans were looking out for the big companies they all worked for. Unions had a huge influence on their thinking as well. Once the manufacturing jobs started going away, as well as after 4 years of Jimmy Carter, many of them (my relatives) started shifting to the Republican party.
^^^^^^
Growing up (I am 65 so this goes back a ways) the above pretty much describes what I always thought the basic differences were between the two parties. Republicans tended to be a bit more affluent....but definitely more in tune with the interests of Big Business. Also, somewhat more conservative, but Democrats for the most part were also conservatives. Perhaps more middle class with interests aligned toward the common working man. Good, decent people....all. Political affiliation wasn't something anyone even spoke about.
Very different these days. There is very much a divide and if you ask me...a 'culture war' that has been in place for at least a couple of decades now.
DEAD ON THE MONEY !! The current situation where each side views the other party as enemies has kept our country in "political gridlock" for the last 15-20 years. NOTHING gets accomplished because neither side will compromise on anything - they all want everything their way or not at all. That mindset guarantees that almost no meaningful legislation gets passed. The politicians (controlled by their party) automatically vote against anything the opposing party proposes simply because their party didn't propose it. If they vote against the party line they will be reprimanded and punished for crossing the aisle by their own party. BOTH parties play by those rules today. The fail to realize that "majority rules" doesnt mean that the elected official only represents those that voted for him. Most elections here in Texas are still decided by less than 8% margin. The person elected is still charged with representing 40+% of the voters in his district that didn't vote for him because they are still his constituents.
"I looked out under the sun and saw that the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong" Ecclesiastes 9:11
"The race may not always go to the swift or the battle to the strong, but that's the way the smart money bets" Damon Runyon
crazy2medic wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2019 11:48 am
Ann Richards only got one term, she vetoed the first CHL bill and lost her reelection bid! She admitted that vetoing that bill cost her a second term!
But she was one tough grandma!
When she was sober!
Government, like fire is a dangerous servant and a fearful master
If you ain't paranoid you ain't paying attention
Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war let it begin here- John Parker
crazy2medic wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2019 11:48 am
Ann Richards only got one term, she vetoed the first CHL bill and lost her reelection bid! She admitted that vetoing that bill cost her a second term!
