Political Polarization Quotes

Closest reference to this quote is during remarks at a Fundraiser for Gov. James R. Thompson, Jr., in Rosemont, Illinois August 12, 1986 where he said: “When [Jim O’Grady] was at the White House, Jim said to me, "The great Democratic Party of my father's and grandfather's time just doesn't exist anymore. Mr. President, I didn't leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me. That's why I switched parties." And I said, "Jim, join the crowd.”” http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=37732

Before that both parties had liberals and conservatives in profusion. Many of the Democatic Party positions were very conservative. Roosevelt wanted the party to become the liberal and left wing policy. He was able to make the party economically liberal, but the worst of America’s racists were all Democrats at the time and stayed with the Democratic Party led the passage of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Bill of 1963. The Republican Party then created a home for the racist Southern Democrats, who left the Democratic Party in anger.

The press secretary found the President very morose the day after his great triumph of passing the Civil Rights Bill of 1964. Moyers asked why he looked so sad.

Despite frequent attribution, there is no evidence TR actually made this statement.

Erbakan aid this in a speech made before he became Prime Minister. After he left office, he was tried and convicted for this statement which violated Turkey’s strict ban against incitement of one group against another.

Despite his fears, that is exactly what happened. Ironically, he himself was the focus of much dissatisfaction with the administration, and the Federalists led by Adams and the Democratic Republicans led by Jefferson opposed each other, ousting Adams.

Prior to Johnson’s civil rights efforts, the South virtually always voted for Democrats in all elections. The only political competition was for the Democratic Party Primaries. The term “Solid South” meant that it was solid for the Democratic Party. But after the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, the racist whites who used to be Democrats switched and joined the genuine traditional conservative and created a Republican Southern majority that was as solid for the GOP as the Democrats had ever enjoyed.

“Republicans” then referred to strong opponents of not only monarchy, but opposed a strong Presidency and federal government. The Federalists who supported John Adams for reelection to a 2nd term, were trounced so badly that it was the end of the Federalist Party. Their attacks on Jefferson had been particularly vicious with the hyperpartisanship as bad as in the early years of the 21st century. Jefferson tried to unify the nation with this quotation. It helped but there was still much bitterness.

This was much more the case in 1840 when this quotation was written. Since then, a much higher proportion of American society has become educated, and the cultures that American immigrants have come from had multiplied. Publications abounded and after radio and television there were more attacks on American majority positions. The major change came with radio call in talk shows, similar TV shows and then the Internet provided a painless way to publicly go against majority opinion. By the first decade of the 21st century, movements of majority rejectionists such as the Tea Party and the Occupy Movement were thriving and “futile contests” received much public attention and showed that there were others with the non-majority views who made it socially acceptable to be outside the norms of the majority.