Democrat and Republican switch!

[TommyC1776]

How come the Democratic Party switched to the party of the poor and the Republican party switched to the party of the rich?  I believe wasn't William Jennings Bryan who started the progressive trend in the Democrats right?  with the exception of Parker and Wilson I believe this is right.  Maybe a little more Parker, though.

[TommyC1776]

How come the Democratic Party switched to the party of the poor and the Republican party switched to the party of the rich? 

While ever since the days of WJ Bryan you could, with too much simplification, claim that the Democrats are the party of the poor, there never was a time when it could be claimed that the Republican party was the party of the poor.

ok.  but wouldn't being against slavery being for the poor?

[TommyC1776]

But would W J Bryan be the first Democrat to be a little more liberal than Democrats before him?  or was Cleveland a liberal?  What was W J Bryan and Cleveland's position on Civil Rights?  And would Taft be the first Republican conservative as far as Federal Programs?