“When was the last time the Democrats really swung right? The late 1700s when they were still the Democratic Republicans?”
The ‘conservative coalition’ consisted largely of western Republicans and southern Democrats. It battled liberal legislation in the House from the 1930s until the mid 1960s. Shadows of it remained until about 1990.
Lyndon Johnson helped weaken that coalition and the Democratic right began abandoning the party when the McGovern faction took over in 1972.
Oh, the alleged southern Democrats again. Funny how they couldn’t stop presidents like Wilson or FDR from gaining power.