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Are Republicans The True Heirs To Jefferson? Are Dems The Hamiltonians?

Drake McHugh

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Jefferson has always been considered the father of the Democrats(even though Jackson was the first Democrat potus). Hamilton,who's Federalists later largely merged with Whigs,who later largely became the Republicans.
Jefferson believed in limited government(he was at certain times critical of concentrated wealth however). Hamilton believed in a strong federal government,and lot's of "impovements" through the government(though I highly doubt he would be too high on wealth redistribution).
 
Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats are the true heirs to either. However, Democrats, as of now, are much more willing to be Hamiltonian in outlook than Republicans. However, I would also say neoconservatives are perhaps more fond of the Hamiltonian perspectives. I would say it is perhaps quite possible much of what you saw in Romney, minus the appeals to the "regular joes" would be in keeping with the Hamiltonian tradition. There is a significant portion of the Democratic Party that would be horrified by Hamilton's corporate outlook, whereas the base of the Republican Party would be more in favor. Like anything else decades and centuries removed, ideas change and portions of them are thought useful and just, while other parts are not.
 
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Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats are the true heirs to either. However, Democrats, as of now, are much more willing to be Hamiltonian in outlook than Republicans. However, I would also say neoconservatives are not adverse to many of the Hamiltonian perspectives. Like anything else decades and centuries removed, ideas change and portions of them are thought useful and just, while other parts are not.


what Fiddy said.
 
The democrats would be horrified if Jeffersonian democracy were imposed upon Washington and Jefferson would be horrified by what the democrats are doing me thinks. I think Jefferson would approve of the social conservative side of the GOP but would strongly oppose the military.foreign affairs aspects of what they support.
 
The democrats would be horrified if Jeffersonian democracy were imposed upon Washington and Jefferson would be horrified by what the democrats are doing me thinks. I think Jefferson would approve of the social conservative side of the GOP but would strongly oppose the military.foreign affairs aspects of what they support.

Assuming no one's opinions would change, we can play with this. Considering Jefferson was not a Jacksonian, yeah, he would have issues with every-man democracy. This would conflict with both the Democrats and the Republicans, for similar, but slightly different reasons (the former's version of the everyman is especially more minority and class conscious, whereas the latter despises political leaders looking down on "average joe"). Jefferson would also have issues with the religious side of the social conservatism, as his outlook on intellectual development and historical progress frequently clashed with the prevailing attitudes of his own era.
 
I would think that the Libertarian Party would be more of a match for Jefferson. Especially from a limited government and little regulation standpoint, less so in terms of foreign affairs but it's still a better match than with Dems or Reps.
 
Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats are the true heirs to either. However, Democrats, as of now, are much more willing to be Hamiltonian in outlook than Republicans. However, I would also say neoconservatives are perhaps more fond of the Hamiltonian perspectives. I would say it is perhaps quite possible much of what you saw in Romney, minus the appeals to the "regular joes" would be in keeping with the Hamiltonian tradition. There is a significant portion of the Democratic Party that would be horrified by Hamilton's corporate outlook, whereas the base of the Republican Party would be more in favor. Like anything else decades and centuries removed, ideas change and portions of them are thought useful and just, while other parts are not.

The best way I would describe Hamilton,and his heirs like Clay,Lincoln,McKinley would be nationalists,not liberal or conservative. Some things,like say supporting infrastructure spending,or as they called it "improvements"would align more with Democrats. So would tariffs(although they supported them to protect big business,not for the same reasons Dems oppose them today-wrongly in my view).On banking and military they would be firmly in the GOP camp(although more in the Bush/Romney neoconservative side,not the Ran Paul/Cruz wing).
The reason I mentioned this is that a friend of mine,a liberal said he admired Hamilton very much. I hadn't spend time contemplating it ever one way or another,but was surprised. Former National Review editor Richard Brookshier,a Hamilton biographer,has said Hamilton would today be a Wall Street Journal Republican. Another Hamilton biographer,Ron Chernow,said he would be an Obama Democrat.
 
I think their urban/rural split is still at the center of a lot of our political discussions. The issues have changed, but a lot of the constituents and mentalities are the same.
 
I would think that the Libertarian Party would be more of a match for Jefferson. Especially from a limited government and little regulation standpoint, less so in terms of foreign affairs but it's still a better match than with Dems or Reps.

Yep...

If I remember correctly, Jefferson didn't want the United States getting involved in the French Revolution, so include foreign affairs as equivalent: Libertarians vs. Jefferson.

Jefferson was more fond of the Bill Of Rights than the rest of the Constitution, which makes him comparable to Libs.
 
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