How did the GOP become the party of the rich and big business and corporate welfare

I don't want to vote for the interest of big business and honestly i've been one of the ones so confused about how or why it could be so obvious your interest are not necessarily the self interest of your employer who might actually be interested in paying you less for the same work but gradually over time I began to examine the interent of the filth these people said and it became obvious that they think for instance that Every Aborted fetus is equalivent to a human life that was snuffed out during the holocaust and that modern society for allowing abortion is even more wicked than the nazis themselves and has a bigger death toll.

These people (those who vote republican) don't care about money, All they care about is their Guns and aborted fetuses and such a privilege to not have to worry about money.
it's about FREEDUMB, not money.

The Republican Party has always stood for smaller government as government tends to over regulate business in general.

That has little to do with the characterization of the party as “right wing”. The true right wing element is politicized to appear that’s it’s the mainstream when that’s far from the truth. It’s an admitted segment promoted by media coverage.

Pandering is the reason. It’s all about votes. Over time groups (and/or regions) become disenfranchised and change political party affiliation.

Both parties live in fear of a strong third party candidate because their strongholds are so fragile. Bernie is a great example now. Ross Perot was one 30 years ago. Both parties attack the Independent so they don’t lose their base and risk the comfort of the two party system. After all, elections are typically won by a mere 0-4% vote differential.

It’s essentially just hatred of the “other” party that allows the election of nut jobs into the mainstream arena. Trump and AOC are great current examples. A strong Independent candidate (or Party) would alleviate some clear voter mistakes inherent in our two party system.

Assuming an unbiased Media - which is a horrible assumption in the US… They are actually part of the problem. News is no longer news. It’s an editorialized version thereof with some facets of the truth interspersed.

Similar story to the Tories in the UK. Big business waking up to the power of lobbying plus growth of the global economy/elite with their "dark money" and influence (RW Thinktanks) ...all exacerbated by the unbridled greed and lack of integrity/morals of the majority of RW politicians...

Also, no media left to "speak truth to power" in the UK; either because they are owned by global elite (Murdoch, Lord Rothermere, etc) or they are scared of being litigated out of existence.

...suspect US is much the same? 🤷‍♂️

That's been going on since the depression. Minimum wage, regulation and Social Security or horrible, so bankers and big business claim.

Since poorly educated people started watching westerns on tv so they fantasize they are cowboy boom boom with guns and murder Indians and Mexicans.

US campaign finance freedom.