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The Party of Reagan ...

How did conservatism go from where it was in the 80's with The Party of Reagan to where it is today?

I can't really call myself a true conservative, but I am definitely conservative-friendly. Every online political survey I've ever taken has labeled me somewhere right of center to varying degrees, but I find less and less alignment with our national conservative leaders.

I just read an opinion piece by conservative political commentator, Adam Kinzinger, on Why Republicans are turning against aid to Ukraine. Mr Kinzinger is a USAF veteran of Iraq & Afghanistan and was also a Republican member of Congress from 2011 through January of this year. In his piece he says:
Gone is the party of Reagan, which was steadfast in its stand against tyranny. In its place is rising a GOP that seems immune to the world’s need for American leadership and uninterested in the suffering of a country we should aid until the fight is over.

Obviously, Mr Kinzinger in his essay and I in my post here are talking about Ukraine and Russia. One is led by an authoritarian tyrant who invaded the other, a fledgling democracy trying to shed the systems and institutions put upon it after decades of Soviet rule.

The Party of Reagan would not have taken a nanosecond to decide who to support in this conflict. Sure, they would've approached Ukraine about cleaning up some things (which they are doing), but none of that would have deterred The Party of Reagan from supporting Ukraine to the successful end of this conflict.

So, to my conservative friends ... Help me understand the thinking here? And in your explanations, please avoid the words Trump and/or Biden. Both of them are short-term blips in the history of this great country and in the development of western civilization & democracy.
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Amylynne · 31-35, F
it was Regan, that opened the republican party to evangelical Christianity. till then they were marginalized.
and now evangelicals are being taken over themselves by a lot of well exclusionary things
the conversion to "Limbaughism: has been heavily funded by so called right money

do look into
the Powell memorandum for the road map that lead to the current party
Fukfacewillie · 56-60, M
@Amylynne I never got Reagan, but he was beloved. He was very optimistic in stark contrast to today’s Republicans. He also ignored AIDS which was unforgivable, especially when you consider his time in Hollywood. He would have known many gay men.
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Fukfacewillie · 56-60, M
@SW-User Interesting -- haven't heard the theory Reagan was gay before, ala Rock Hudson!
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