[perrylaj]

You realize that during the time of the Civil war the Republican party was the more progressive party, right? The shift to more conservative ideals started in the early 1900s, shifting further with the Southern Strategy, and then most recently, has shifted even further.

The Republican party of today shares little but name with the progressive GOP of the mid 1800s. Trying to claim it is the "side that ended slavery" is a fairly silly statement, as that side no longer exists in the party at all.