Well, well, well, Donald Trump is the president of the United States. Back in 2008, when I would watch Donald Trump's criticisms against the handling of the rebuilding efforts at Ground Zero of the World Trade Center site (which I agree with), I could have never, ever imagined this guy becoming president of the United States.

At that time, Donald Trump wasn't even a Republican, let alone a Conservative. He hated George W. Bush with a passion, and during this interview back in 2003, even said that the United States invasion of Iraq was the most disastrous decision ever.

Trump's fans and supporters, at that time, were voting for Barack Obama. I remember when I was part of Twin Towers Alliance petition movement to rebuild the Twin Towers stronger, and better than originals, the majority of the folks, who supported and stood behind Trump and his comments on the World Trade Center rebuilding process, voted for Obama.

I personally couldn't stand John McCain in 2008, and from everything McCain's said and done, even the Republicans and Conservatives hate him.

So Democrats, y'all proud Liberals and Progressives? I got some history lessons to teach ya'll about your own party.

Take some of our most conservative leaders and figures throughout American history. From people like Andrew Jackson, Jefferson Davis, William Jennings Bryan, David Clarke and such dreaded names like Fred Phelps and Kim Davis.

You would be very correct in stating that these were some of the most right-wing people in our nation. You might even start assuming that they're Republicans, because mainstream media pushes ALL conservatives as being Republicans.

Also take some names of progressive politicians like Abraham Lincoln.

While that is true "for the majority" and for the modern-day, it might shake you up, especially if you ain't into political history and science, to know that NONE of those mentioned right-wing folks were Republicans, and in fact, were Democrats (though Kim Davis left the Democratic Party in 2015).

Wait what? Andrew Jackson, the guy who signed the Indian Removal Act, Jefferson Davis - the first and only president of the Confederate States of America, and William Jennings Bryan — the 41st Secretary of State, and a far Christian right activist who tried to preserve creationism in public education were Democrats? You read that right.

Guess who was a Republican?

Abraham Lincoln, the man that is hailed as abolishing slavery, and trying to implement progressive values into the Union. Not only was Lincoln a Republican, he's actually the FOUNDER of the Grand Old Party (GOP) and its first president.

Yes, I was baffled too.

That is because back in those days, the Republican and Democratic parties were complete opposites of what they were today. The Republicans dominated the liberal northern states, and the Democrats dominated the socially conservative Christian right states of the south.

It's why I just roll my eyes every time I hear GOP conservatives touting Abraham Lincoln as some founding father of their's.

Lincoln's Republican Party is almost absolutely nothing like today Republican Party.

The northern Republicans favored larger government control, and the Democrats favored minimal federal powers. In fact, it is for this very reason why the southern Democrats seceded. It is because they felt that northern Republicans like Abraham Lincoln were tramping on states' rights.

Andrew Jackson is everything modern-day Democrats would loathe. He was an iron-fist military leader that crushed the British forces and pretty much saved us from falling into British control a second time in the War of 1812.

I'll admit, I admire Andrew Jackson for that, I think that anyone would admire a war hero that saved the country from the world's most powerful empire. Not a fan of what he did to the Native Americans though.

Because unfortunately, he also signed the Indian Removal Act.

William Jennings Bryan, is known for his role of defending socially conservative Christian values, and in education during the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial. It was known as one of the biggest courtroom battles between creationists and evolutionists. Bryan was a heavily-involved member of the Christian right. He also wanted to return the United States into adopting the gold standard. Unfortunately for this man, he tried to run for president three times and ended up losing in all three runs.

William Jennings Bryan campaign poster

So then what happened?

The southern strategy happened.

It's no secret that the GOP and the Democratic Party pretty much switched and flipped their views, at least for the majority of their followers and supporters.

We've heard this line, or at least similarly,

"The Republicans became the Democrats, the Democrats became Communists".

Though some scholars claim that 1872 through 1936 was the transition.

Throughout the Great Depression and World War II, that's when the split between the conservative and liberal wings of the Republican Party really began to show.

Franklin D. Roosevelt for example, was one prime example of a progressive Democratic politician at the time, known heavily for his attempted reforms during the Great Depression such as the New Deal.

It truly isn't until the 1964 Presidential Elections when the real change began. Many southern Bible Belt states voted for Republican nominee Barry Goldwater. Though Goldwater lost that election in a landslide against Democratic nominee Lyndon B. Johnson.

The Democrats' pursuit for Civil Rights and de-segregation only helped fuel and hasten the switch.

The Republican southern strategy continued with Richard Nixon in 1970, who gained the majority of the popular vote in the deep south. In order to gain a strong foothold in the deep south, Nixon's administration wanted to make the Democrats look like the liberal party.

When the Democratic Senate rejected Judge G. Harrold Carswell, Richard Nixon's nominee for the Supreme Court, this had pretty angered much of the southern Democrats, who the defected to the Republican Party.

Then Ronald Raegan comes into the picture. During his presidential run in 1980, he stated that he believed in states' rights. This had pretty ensured the near-extinction of conservative Democrats, and the complete turn-around of the Republican Party from being a liberal and progressive group into a conservative one.

Modern-Day Conservative Democrats....and even Liberal Republicans

So then, for people like Fred Phelps - the founder of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church (who is actually hated by conservatives for his hate speech against deceased military veterans), and Kim Davis, the county clerk from Kentucky that refused a marriage license for a gay couple? How and why were these two Democrats? I personally don't know, and can't say. However, Kim Davis actually defected to the GOP in 2015.

Another notable modern-day conservative Democrat would be Sheriff David Clarke, the county sheriff of Milwaukee County in Wisconsin. Like others, I honestly thought this guy was a Republican - he supports conservative policies, speaks at GOP events, and supported Donald Trump during his presidential run.

So what about liberal Republicans? Yes, they exist. there's Meg Whitman (CA-R), John McCain (AZ-R).

Meg Whitman, the billionaire CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprises from California, is everything liberals want. She believes in climate change, supports LGBTQ rights, and is against stricter immigration laws. During the 2016 U.S. Presidential Elections, she in fact - endorsed Hillary Clinton and was at her corner during the final debate.

Yeah, I don't see too many conservatives taking to a liking for Whitman.....

John McCain, supports gun control, opposes strict immigration laws, and if you've been paying to attention to him lately, believes that Russia hacked the elections and shows an adamant hate and contempt for President Donald Trump.

So indeed, it is because of this history, that I don't typically like using the labels "Republican" or "Democrat", but rather "conservative" or "liberal".

The truth is, anybody can be of any party, but it's their political beliefs and stances is where all the meat is.

Though I'm personally neither, as I take the best of both sides. There are conservative values I like, and there are progressive values that I like.

So that is that, may the Union and the Constitution thrive. Let it be done.

SOURCES

http://www.history.com/topics/william-jennings-bry...

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h837.html

http://www.biography.com/people/jefferson-davis-92...

http://mshistorynow.mdah.state.ms.us/index.php?id=...

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/05/22/h...