Mourning the Loss of Moderate (and more importantly, SANE) Republicans

There was a time when Republicans were considered classist because they tended to be well educated, secular, intellectual, fiscally moderate to conservative, and wanting a well equipped but seldom used military. They worked in a bi-partisan way to create social safety nets, and yes they favored business but usually without demonizing or intentionally  marginalizing the poor. Corporate types might be Republican and Labor types might be Democrat (though there were Republican Union members and super rich  Democrats), but Republicans weren't necessarily mean, and certainly weren't anti-science or fundamentalist. I bristle when people say "I hate Republicans" or "Republicans hate the poor" or "Republicans are a cult" because I remember when that simply was not true. But, the spirit of the once vocal and completely odious Dixiecrats has in the last generation taken over the leadership of the Republican party. The fair minded, strong but peace loving intellectuals that once dominated the GOP have gone the way of the dinosaurs, which the current GOP leadership is likely to deny having ever existed. Though my left of center leanings mean that I would rarely ever vote Republican, I am sad that I can't respect or trust the party as a whole. One should be able to like one's philosophical opponents, but this incarnation of Republicanism (hijacked by fundamentalists and tea partiers and Fox news) has made it impossible to take them seriously except as a threat. My condolences to the Teddy Roosevelt and Nixon and Ford Republicans...your party was stolen from you and I grieve for your loss. Our country is worse off as a result. (dw)