[craigyk]

if I remember correctly, the Republicans and Democrats swapped places in every way but name not too long after that.

[kyllo]

Yeah, after the Reconstruction there was a mass defection of Southern Democrats or "Dixiecrats" (aka unabashedly racist politicians, many of whom were Klan members) from the Democratic to the Republican party.

[mnutt]

The Southern Democrats moved over to the Republican party long after the Reconstruction, starting in the 1960s.