Reagan...Goldwater...Ted Cruz and William F. Buckley would strongly and correctly disagree with you on that.
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A demurral.
The R's were an anti-slavery party and represented the Northern Mercantile Class,
which evolved into the Industrial/corporate class.
It's pillars included Strong Centralized Government, Trade Protectionism to protect
our "infant industries" as described by that Ohio moron McKinley and Judicial Activism.
During its 70 year ascendancy from Johnson to Hoover, these pillars created modern governance.
Buckley, Goldwater and Reagan were conservatives first and R's last.
As for Cruz, he's a talker.