I’m ambivalent about Lincoln....
Thomas Jefferson was a Democrat....as was Madison.
It’s just not as simple as Democrat-Republican over history... though admittedly the Democrats at least since FDR are very very problematic.
But then again...John Kennedy was much more conservative than 80% of the GOP today...in my opinion....as was Scoop Jackson and those.
Now of course we are in a situation where the Dems are 99% off the reservation for anyone even slightly conservative.
and the GOP are questionable.
up until recently I did not see the GOP being marginalized by 3rd party but I do now....and am very concerned about the short term damage.
third parties gave us the WBTS as you might recall...so it’s a perilous path
my beef is not refighting anything....but any new school of thought that makes Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Lee or TJ Jackson unfit for school names because they owned slaves or fought for the South after being invaded to quell said succession (and yes I am aware of Ft Sumter....I would have ignored the fort myself)...anyhow...that sort of thinking is just not for me or mine nor do any of the several hundred southern conservatives I know ...even black....feel that way either.
If you are on a crusade then you have your work cut out for you....but you do have time on your side arguably.
thanks for the cordial post