Opinion of Henry Clay

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

One of the few members of the Whig Party that wasn't terrible (normal)

Meh, yeah I guess this is probably my best answer given that Clay was mostly concerned with economic modernism and not necessarily upholding the status quo.

Generally speeking, most of the Whig Party did in fact adhere to Clay's American System. The exception would be the States Rights types who came in as a reaction to Jackson's approach to SC nullification like John Tyler.

[Mechaman]

One of the few members of the Whig Party that wasn't terrible (normal)

Meh, yeah I guess this is probably my best answer given that Clay was mostly concerned with economic modernism and not necessarily upholding the status quo.

Generally speeking, most of the Whig Party did in fact adhere to Clay's American System. The exception would be the States Rights types who came in as a reaction to Jackson's approach to SC nullification like John Tyler.

What I was referring to was the holier than thou moralism that generally came from Whig politicians.  I should note, for instance, that the first widely recognized attempt at Prohibition was attempted by a Whig mayor.  When people protested his law (which he and others forced on the Maine Legislature), he did not react very well to it at all.
Sure this is just one man, but if you spend enough time on wikipedia you will run into quite a few cases of Whigs who supported poll taxes, wanted to keep voting in the middle/upper classes, supported outright anti-Catholic legislation, and other "civilizing" issues.
And then, if they weren't Protestant Supremacists (not saying those weren't in the Democratic Party either, they certainly were at least in the South), they ended up being moderate heroes who ended up agreeing with Democrats on the bad issues!  Needless to say, I (and TNF) am not a fan of the Whig Party.

That's what I meant by "status quo".

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

One of the few members of the Whig Party that wasn't terrible (normal)

Meh, yeah I guess this is probably my best answer given that Clay was mostly concerned with economic modernism and not necessarily upholding the status quo.

Generally speeking, most of the Whig Party did in fact adhere to Clay's American System. The exception would be the States Rights types who came in as a reaction to Jackson's approach to SC nullification like John Tyler.

What I was referring to was the holier than thou moralism that generally came from Whig politicians.  I should note, for instance, that the first widely recognized attempt at Prohibition was attempted by a Whig mayor.  When people protested his law (which he and others forced on the Maine Legislature), he did not react very well to it at all.
Sure this is just one man, but if you spend enough time on wikipedia you will run into quite a few cases of Whigs who supported poll taxes, wanted to keep voting in the middle/upper classes, supported outright anti-Catholic legislation, and other "civilizing" issues.
And then, if they weren't Protestant Supremacists (not saying those weren't in the Democratic Party either, they certainly were at least in the South), they ended up being moderate heroes who ended up agreeing with Democrats on the bad issues!  Needless to say, I (and TNF) am not a fan of the Whig Party.

That's what I meant by "status quo".

What do you mean by "bad issues"?

Prohibition, Protestant "Puritanical Crusading" and Upper Class Elitism are something you find common amongst the history of the Federalist-Whig-Republican progression in the 19th and then 20th Century.

I am still at a loss as to how prohibition in an era where Whiskey ran like water can be labeled as status quo though?