Somethings Never Change!

I'm currently reading up on President Martin Van Buren, someone who in the teaching of history I received, wasn't viewed as a standout. Yet Van Buren's tenure was responsible for the onset of most of the political behavior we endure today. I guess if you ignore history it quietly goes away.....

The father of the modern day Democrat party was without a doubt, Van Buren. The uprising of the party was based upon dissent against the "privileged" class, and the radical democratization of the political process. So in English, he promoted class warfare, and the destruction of the Republic our forefathers designed. He learned to employ the persuasion of the media,(newspapers) like no other candidate had, to sway the opinions of the voters. Sound familiar?

The State's requirement for voters to be landowners was diminished during that era. Funny side note, while the restriction of allowing just property owners to vote, turn out was never less than 70%, and often reflected 90%. One might conclude they had more interest in how they were governed....

Van Buren vision for maintaining national unity evolved from the notion that money corrupts, ironically it was the same corruption he abhorred that he harnessed to grow the size of the Federal government, distributing jobs in the Post Office and other Federal departments as rewards for supporters. He used this to buy off the votes with the noble purpose of saving the nation from civil war over the slavery issue. Basically he kicked the can down the road for Lincoln to deal with.

In almost 200 years the democrats haven't changed tactics nor motivation. You'd think we'd have learned by now. But then none of this was taught to you in the liberal run learning institution you attended, was it?

God Bless!
Capt. Bill