Research Cheis Dodd's role in Congredd during 2006-2008. See what Bush was warning about in terms of the housing market and what the Democrat response was when Bush warned about Fannie/Freddie instability. He was essentially laughed at by Chris Dodd and friends.
This instinctive anti-Reublicann sentiment is depressing because it seems like the Democrat marketing machine has done a good job obfuscating the issues. Whenever someone gets close to real scrutiny of the issues, they conveniently pull 'racism' or 'war on women' out of a hat. Meanwhile, I bet a majority of Americans can tell you the name of the Charleston shooter but have no idea what percentage they paid in Federal income tax or payroll taxes last year. Rand Paul released his tax proposal and more people seem to be concerned about a stupid flag. These supposedly 'big' news stories aren't that important. They're distractions. Who gives a flying -- what race that white NAACP lady was? Who cares what comic book the Charleston shooter read when he was 15? Distractions. Give them bread and circuses..
America's incredible post-war boom and burgeoning strong middle-class all happened at a time when the very wealthiest had very high tax rates.
[1] http://taxfoundation.org/sites/taxfoundation.org/files/docs/...
Actually it was the Republican marketing machine's "southern strategy" that started that. When you decide to explicitly become the-party-that-appeals-to-racists it takes a really really long time to dig yourself out of that hole. Especially because right now is when the people that grew up with those messages are in/coming-to power.
They also co-opt the previously fairly moderate evangelical crowd with red-scare tactics around the same time.
Or Reaganomics, or the wars they got us into, their rabid support for the military and uber-rich in our country, the list goes on.
Most people on HN are probably too young to remember a republican president before GW Bush.