by Dr. Gina Loudon for Politichicks.tv
http://politichicks.tv/column/the-end-of-the-gop/
When I spoke with author and historian, Michael Zak on my radio show, he spoke of the birth of the Republican Party. It really is something every student of American history should know, and most do not.
The Democrats were dominating the American political scene. They had officially added slavery to their party platform, but no party had the guts to stand up for freedom. The Whig party establishment leaders were afraid they would lose more members from their hemorrhaging ranks if they became the anti-slavery party, so they tried to ignore the issue (if they could just concentrate on other issues, they thought, then they could hold onto whatever power they had left). Disgruntled Whig party members were crying out for leadership because they could feel their Republic crumbling.
Could you imagine being an American in a time when its outlook was so dim?
Actually, for many, it feels that way now, doesn’t it? In those dark days, this brand new party called the Republican Party took a bold stand against slavery and within just a couple of election cycles, held the reins of power.
Americans crave leadership and the restraint of the Tea Party has been remarkable.