Yes, Republicans started as the party of Lincoln, but they didn't stay that way - Opinion

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4. LBJ's decision to seat Fannie Lou Hamer's Freedom Democratic Party...

at the 1964 Democratic National Convention played significantly into the southern Dixiecrats jumping over to the republican party which totally severed the repubs from their Ripon, Wisconsin roots.

Nixon's Southern Strategy and Reagan adhereing to it by opening his presidential campaign in Philadelphia, Mi. also helped to complete the change over from southerners, Dixiecrats, being part of the Democratic Party to joining the republican party which became the party of the southern racists, thus totally severing the republican party from it's already badly frayed Ripon, Wisconsin reform party roots.