I used to be puzzled by the fact that, with few exceptions, States that were strongly Democratic 100 years ago - basically, the South - are now rock-ribbed Republican, and vice versa (New England).In fact, hard as it is to imagine now, the Republicans were originally the party of the Left in America, formed to oppose at least the extension, if not the existence, of slavery. The most fiercely Radical politicians of those days (Ben Wade, Thaddeus Stevens et. al.) were all in the Republican Party, as would Michael Moore and Ralph Nader have been, if they had been alive then. Conversely, the slave interests - the most reactionary force in the country - were all Democrats and George Bush and John Ashcroft would have been in there with them. Some one should write a book on how the two parties gradually swapped places in the political spectrum - or has someone already done so? If so, can someone point me to it? Any comments?
I myself have pondered this also. It is weird how in the 30's south carolina was nearly 100% democratic (I believe they hit 98% in 32 or 36), yet today the white population of south carolina is almost exclusively republican. Vermont on the other hand, used to be the most republican state in the nation. They are now solidly democratic. Look at the party platforms: I have noticed that economically the parties have remained more or less the same, but socially the democratic party has moved much further to the left, and the republican party much further to the right.
