AHC: Make the Democrats Fiscally Conservative, GOP Fiscally Liberal

Keep William Jennings Bryan from being nominated. He, more than anyone, made the Democrats fiscally populist, if not fiscally liberal.
 
Exactly what the title says. How could you make the Democrats Fiscally Conservative, GOP Fiscally Liberal?

Which party is "conservative" on the following:

Foreign Policy (your choice of neoconservative or Taftian)
"Moral Issues"
Civil Rights
Social Welfare

That will determine a lot.
 
Keep William Jennings Bryan from being nominated. He, more than anyone, made the Democrats fiscally populist, if not fiscally liberal.

And give Teddy the 1912 election. The Progressives eventually merge back into the Republicans after the Republicans adopt Progressivism.

Alternatively, have Hughes or Robert LaFolette win big in 1916.
 
How about some populist like Donald Trump gathering up the Republican nomination while the Democrats run some establishment figure with heavy ties to Wall Street, Hillary Clinton say? ;)
 
How about some populist like Donald Trump gathering up the Republican nomination while the Democrats run some establishment figure with heavy ties to Wall Street, Hillary Clinton say? ;)

Trump wants tax breaks for the rich and the abolition of the minimum wage, while universal healthcare is one of the issues Hillary has built her career on.

But let's not get carried away by current politics.
 
And give Teddy the 1912 election. The Progressives eventually merge back into the Republicans after the Republicans adopt Progressivism.

Alternatively, have Hughes or Robert LaFolette win big in 1916.

Why not just have Roosevelt take the Republican nomination that year, which he came close to doing? That seems to me to be the far easier way for him to win.
 
And give Teddy the 1912 election. The Progressives eventually merge back into the Republicans after the Republicans adopt Progressivism.

Alternatively, have Hughes or Robert LaFolette win big in 1916.

That's not enough. The Republican progressives were more "mavericks" and the party as a whole was much more conservative than the Democrats were since 1896. Even in 1904, when the Democrats fielded a ticket that was to the right of the Republicans, most big businesses supported the GOP as the Democratic Party as a whole was considered too radical.
 
Ike.

The guy who advocated for the Interstate Highway system. Let's say he becomes an infrastructure and education president. He calls himself a pragmatist and a practical man.

The Democrats say we can't afford it. (the more realistic southern Democrats realize they need to bring up the education of black citizens almost the equal of white citizens, or the South will remain vulnerable)
 
How about some populist like Donald Trump gathering up the Republican nomination while the Democrats run some establishment figure with heavy ties to Wall Street, Hillary Clinton say? ;)

You aren't that far off really. The Republicans are increasingly appealing to working class Whites and Trump has talked favorably of UHC in the past, while VanityFair has noted the Democrats are increasingly absorbing the 1%. Give or take a generation, and this could be reality.

As far as concerning the past, maybe have Pat Buchanan win the nomination in 1996 and then go on to beat Clinton?
 
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You aren't that far off really. The Republicans are increasingly appealing to working class Whites and Trump has talked favorably of UHC in the past, while VanityFair has noted the Democrats are increasingly absorbing the 1%. Give or take a generation, and this could be reality.

Doubt it. Universal healthcare and increasing taxes on the rich is a Democratic staple by this point. And for the GOP, tax breaks on the rich and wishing to lower, and in some cases abolish, the minimum wage is a staple. The rich Democrats are already being alienated by the Democratic Party's recent left-wing turn and I'd expect this resentment to increase.

As far as concerning the past, maybe have Pat Buchanan win the nomination in 1996 and then go on to beat Clinton?

No Republican, and especially not Buchanan, is gonna be able to beat Clinton in 1996.
 
Aren't the Republicans already fiscally liberal?

In the classical sense, I would say yeah to some degree. They tend to think the government shouldn't be forced to do the jobs that businesses do and it should butt out at least to some degree.
 
In the classical sense, I would say yeah to some degree. They tend to think the government shouldn't be forced to do the jobs that businesses do and it should butt out at least to some degree.

The weirdest part is that it's inversed when it comes to social issues.

When exactly did this change is meaning take place?
 
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