If Woodrow Wilson were alive today, which party would he be affiliated with?

[Maxwell]

Most certainly he'd be a Democrat.

[Famous Mortimer]

If adult Woodrow Wilson was plucked out of the time stream in 1912, he would be racist as hell and thus probably not a fan of either party.

If Woodrow Wilson had been born and raised 50 or 100 years later than he was but followed generally the same trajectory, he wouldn't have been racist and he would almost certainly still be a Democrat.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

American Nazi Party.

[ElectionsGuy]

What does he think about gay marriage?

Considering he thought African Americans were second class citizens I don't think his opinions on gay people would be very pretty.

[SWE]

What does he think about gay marriage?

Considering he thought African Americans were second class citizens I don't think his opinions on gay people would be very pretty.

what about abortion

[Mechaman]

lolthisthread.

[Bigby]

Probably Independent.

[Princess Nyan Cat]

His pathological hatred of Black people would have made him a staunch Republican.

Nice hack response.  He'd be a Democrat.  Period.  Being a racist doesn't even in the slightest bit prohibit someone from being in your party, pal.  Sorry.

Quite true. The most bigoted people I've ever met are San Francisco liberals.

[IceSpear]

His pathological hatred of Black people would have made him a staunch Republican.

Nice hack response.  He'd be a Democrat.  Period.  Being a racist doesn't even in the slightest bit prohibit someone from being in your party, pal.  Sorry.

Quite true. The most bigoted people I've ever met are San Francisco liberals.

Something tells me you've never left California then.

[Mr. Smith]

@Princess Nyan: Ah, a typical Orange County or other So-Calian regressive response.

But as someone who has had to deal with Shenandoah Virginians, Utahans, and Orange County conservatives for too damn long, I can safely say that point is bullsh**t.

[Mordecai]

He would have been a Joe Lieberman Democrat.

This. No way could he be a Republican, they'd run him out for being an elite librul intellectual.

[Bigby]

He would have been a Joe Lieberman Democrat.

This. No way could he be a Republican, they'd run him out for being an elite librul intellectual.

This man has a great point. Wilson WAS the man who was idealistic enough to think Europe would get along and give Germany a soft peace agreement after WWI.

[RINO Tom]

lolthisthread.

Haha, great response.  It's pretty silly to try to guess which parties past Presidents (who, uh, were in a party!) would be in today, decades after they've finished serving and even died.  Yes, I know the parties have changed over the years, in some areas significantly, but not THAT much.

Plus, think about how many people (Robert Byrd, anyone?  How about Zel Miller!) stick with their party if for no other reason than to avoid being called a sellout, even as their party changes.  They joined that party for a reason initially, and even if it has changed, they might want to try to change it back; and the only way to do that is to stay, right?

Anyway, Wilson would clearly be a Democrat today, I am surprised this is even debatable to some.

[Anonymouse]

He'd still be a Democrat, although his intense racism and neo-Confederate sympathies would preclude him from any type of active involvement in the party. I see him voting for McCain and Romney just to "save the nation" from Obama.

[ScottieF]

Democrat. But his blatant racism would obviously put him at odds with those in his party. Honestly though he's probably the earliest Democratic president that would still identify with the party today. Paulites would despise him.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Wilson was not really "blatantly racist"-certainly not compared to most other white Southerners of his time, or even many white Northerners. Not saying he was by any means a saint, and yes he had Southern sympathies. But that didn't mean he was a neo-Confederate or like a Klansman or whatever.

To the extent that Wilson was racist, I would argue that it was more implicit with him-like many educated white elites today, actually, of any party or ideology.

Anyway, he basically pioneered the modern Democratic Party's emphasis on pragmatic reform of institutions, and greatly expanded the then-small welfare state. Plus, his foreign policy was the definition of internationalism. I don't see a strong case for him being a Republican today.

[Representative MJM]

Woodrow Wilson would undoubtedly be a Democrat today.
I would say that he was the first Democrat (president, anyway) whose positions began to greatly reflect modern liberalism. Of course, if you took his positions at face value rather than looking at them in relation to his time, his liberalism can be hard to see, particularly on a social level. But he is know for his creation of the Federal Reserve System as well attempted creation of the League of Nations. Definitely a Democrat.

[The_Doctor]

I know this is a few days old but something to add.

Woodrow Wilson's Secretary of the Navy was Franklin Roosevelt. Wilson's progressive ideals were the forerunners of the New Deal. Wilson's internationalist leanings (League of Nations) foreshadowed the United Nations. (The League of Nations was designed to avoid war and to resolve conflicts peacefully).

Wilson also held a liberal view of the safety net in the United States and was clear that he favored an activist government. He supported the Federal Reserve, Food regulations, and so on. His ideology was a major influence on the Democratic Party's direction for the next seventy years, and arguably to today.

His advocacy for what is deemed neoconservativism is a tad off. While he favored spreading democracy and believed it the best ideal for government, I don't think he ever supported it in the same way Bush supported spreading it (through military action). His beliefs on spreading democracy were not that ideological in a sense; they were and are popular ideas across the ideological spectrum.

His election made him the first liberal Democratic President in the modern day understanding of the word. He was probably the second liberal Democrat nominated for president by that party since the Civil War. (I'm speculating somewhat).

Strictly in terms of ideology he was not only a Democrat but a liberal. His racism and sexism aside the man is arguably one of the founding fathers of today's strain of support for the welfare state,  economic liberalism,  and international liberal thought in today's Democratic Party 

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

He'd still be a Democrat. I think most Presidents from the last century would be in their same party. Eisenhower is the only one that probably wouldn't be.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

He'd still be a Democrat. I think most Presidents from the last century would be in their same party. Eisenhower is the only one that probably wouldn't be.

Teddy Roosevelt? William Taft?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

He'd still be a Democrat. I think most Presidents from the last century would be in their same party. Eisenhower is the only one that probably wouldn't be.

Teddy Roosevelt? William Taft?

Not from the last century.

[Goldwater]

He'd still be a Democrat. I think most Presidents from the last century would be in their same party. Eisenhower is the only one that probably wouldn't be.

Teddy Roosevelt? William Taft?

Not from the last century.

Most people would think "last century" would refer to the whole 20th century. At least, that how I usually see people use terms like that...

[Mr. Smith]

No way would Teddy or Hebert Hoover be Republicans here and now.

Taft would be though.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

He'd still be a Democrat. I think most Presidents from the last century would be in their same party. Eisenhower is the only one that probably wouldn't be.

Teddy Roosevelt? William Taft?

Not from the last century.

Most people would think "last century" would refer to the whole 20th century. At least, that how I usually see people use terms like that...

Well, I meant the last 100 years.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

No way would Teddy or Hebert Hoover be Republicans here and now.

Taft would be though.

I would argue that Taft had a far more "progressive" Presidency than Roosevelt, although Teddy was far more successful at waving his dick around. Plus, Taft's foreign policy would be more appealing in a Democratic primary than his opponent's.