Background

Presidential Nomination

The Republican Party nominates its candidate for President at its National Convention through delegates who case votes on behalf of voters and the party leadership. More information on the nomination system can be found at Republican Presidential Nomination System.

The Grand Old Party

Founded in 1854 by like-minded Whigs, Northern Democrats, and Free-Soilers, the Republican Party began with an anti-slavery, pro-modernization platform. With its main base of support in the Northeast and Midwest, the Republicans held their first national convention in 1856 and later ran John C. Fremont as their candidate for president. Though the Republicans were considered a third party next to the Democratic and then dwindling Whig Party, Fremont still garnered 33% of the vote.

The Party of Lincoln

First Republican President & By Far the Most Popular

Republican prominence in the American political arena began with the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860. With Lincoln came an array of Congressional legislation that promoted modernization, incurred a huge national debt, levied the first temporary income tax, established high tariffs, and established a national banking system. Following the Civil War, the GOP pushed through the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments (following Lincoln's bold Emancipation Proclamation) and advocated hard money, big business and generous pensions for Union veterans.

Defining the Modern Republican

With a strong standing among Protestants in the 1890s, the Republicans demanded prohibition, pushing many German Americans to the Democratic Party, later deeming that party full of "Rum, Romanism and Rebellion," for the Democrats supposed drunkenness, Roman Catholicism, and earlier secession from the Union. The Progressive era in the early 20th century was a realigning period for the Republicans; in 1896 William McKinley entered the White House relying on finance, railroads, industry and altogether big business. Falling to an assassins bullet in 1901, McKinley's vice-president Theodore Roosevelt took office. After securing election in 1904, Roosevelt flipped the Republican, pro-business party on its arse, attacking big business and busting the trusts.

Republican: Anti-Big Business, Environmentalist, Progressivist...err

Splitting the party into conservative and progressive factions, Roosevelt ran, and lost, on a Progressive ticket in 1912. Regaining the presidency in the 1920s, the Republicans opposed Democratic President Wilson's League of Nations, high tariffs and fought for business. At this point, the Party put on the makeup that we recognize today; little government, laissez-faire economics and big business. Political disaster came in the form of the Great Depression, as the Republicans quite simply could not break from platform to save the country in the way FDR was willing and able to.

Fighting the New Deal

The dark ages of the Republican Party fell during the 1930s and early 40s; with Roosevelt and his New Deal Coalition in the White House and Democrats controlling Congress, there was little that could be done by the GOP. The Republicans split themselves in two as a minority party in Congress; the left wing of the Party supported New Deal legislation, though claimed the Republicans could run it better, while the right wing opposed it all together. It wasn't until the mid-40s that the GOP won back control of Congress and in 1952 Eisenhower entered the White House. Control of the Oval Office fluctuated, the GOP losing to Kennedy and LBJ yet gaining it back under Nixon in 1968; though, with the realization that New Deal programs couldn't be revived under JBJ's Great Society and the Vietnam War still raging, the American electorate needed something different. The GOP would find its savior in a one time actor from California.

"It's Morning in America Again!"

Ronald Reagan won election in 1980 and re-election in 1984. Winning nearly all fifty states on re-election, it was clear that America needed a new direction, and that Reagan was their man. Pulling in support from a strong Conservative, Christian Republican base, Reagan supplemented with what was considered "Reagan Democrats," white, blue collared workers who supported the President's pro-life social stance and anti-Communism foreign policy.

Every Conservatives Hero

Implementing supply-side economics (Reaganomics) and establishing the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI, "Star Wars" by critics), Reagan ensured the economic stability of the U.S. and curtailed the Soviet presence, all the while ensuring that his successor, George H. W. Bush, would be elected. Continuing Reagan policies, Bush I enjoyed a term as president but was kicked out in 1992 with the New Democrat Bill Clinton. After a tumultuous 2 terms, Clinton left the Oval Office and Bush II entered, carrying the Conservative torch lit by Reagan years earlier. The rest, as they say, is history.

So, What Is a Republican?

Structure

Recent Developments

In 2008 the Republican National Committee held it's quadrennial convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Going into this convention it was known that Arizona Senator John McCain would get the GOP nomination for President but it was not known who he would select as his vice presidential running mate. The Friday before the convention began, John McCain announced, at a rally in Ohio, that Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska would be the one for the job.

As the convention approached, a category 3 hurricane named Hannah was approaching the Gulf of Mexico and threatening to hit Louisiana which was devastated a few years earlier by Hurricane Katrina. As the storm approached, large scale evacuations took place all along the Gulf coast and in the face of all the disruption and the potential devastation that the storm could cause, Senator McCain and GOP officials canceled the regular program of Monday nights convention. In deference to the pending danger, only official business that was mandated by the rules governing the Republican National Committee would occur.

By Tuesday morning, the storm had come and gone and although it was responsible for flooding and minor wind damage in the gulf region, the disruption to life in the region was minimal and so the Republican schedule continued in full force.

As convention business was conducted Sarah Palin came before the convention and the nation in her first major speech to them. It was a speech to accept her nomination as Vice President. In it she expressed the virtues of John McCain and herself.

Despite technical difficulties that rendered useless, the teleprompter that Governor Palin was using for her speech, she won over the delegates who awarded her the GOP vice presidential nomination unanimously. At one point in an attempt to define herself as tough enough for the job, the Governor and mother of 5 joked...."you know what the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull is?.......Lipstick". This comment would later be used by democrat presidential nominee Barack Obama to insinuate that Governor Palin was a pig.

On the last day of the convention, Senator John McCain delivered his acceptance speech. It was a solid display of courage and vision which outlined the defining moments in his life and reinforced his committment to reform and the nation.

Between his selection of Sarah Palin for Vice President and his acceptance speech, John McCain fired up the forces and convinced them that the McCain/Palin ticket was the best ticket for our party to nominate and the best people to lead our nation in the years ahead. So much so that in the days following the convention polls indicated that the McCain/Palin ticket was as much as 5 points ahead of the Obama/Biden ticket and for the first time since the election began the Republican ticket reached the 50 percent mark in several polls.

Accomplishments

Criticism

Additional Information