Changes

A '''conservative Democrat''' is a member of the [[Democratic Party]] in the United States who holds [[conservative]] views on social or economic issues. Despite that party's longstanding reputation as a [[liberal]] political party, the Democratic Party has always had a conservative wing. Most recently they were successful in the 2006 midterm elections when 8 Blue Dog Democrats won election to the House[http://voteview.com/hou110.htm], and as of 2008 there are 47 Blue Dog Democrats in that body.

A '''conservative Democrat''' is a member of the [[Democratic Party]] in the United States who holds [[conservative]] views on social or economic issues. Despite that party's longstanding reputation as a [[liberal]] political party, the Democratic Party has always had a conservative wing. Conservative Democrats today are organized into the [[Blue Dog]] caucus in the House. Previously they were known by other names including "boll weevil Democrats" during the 1980s, when a large number of conservative Democrats voted with [[Ronald Wilson Reagan|President Reagan]] on fiscal and social policy.

Conservative Democrats today are organized into the [[Blue Dog]] caucus in the House. Previously they were known by other names including "boll weevil Democrats" during the 1980s, when a large number of conservative Democrats voted with [[Ronald Wilson Reagan|President Reagan]] on fiscal and social policy.

Most recently they were successful in the 2006 midterm elections when 8 Blue Dog Democrats won election to the House[http://voteview.com/hou110.htm], and as of 2008 there are 47 Blue Dog Democrats in that body.

The American South had a long tradition of electing conservative Democrats to office, including in Presidential elections until they broke from the Democrats in 1964 to vote for [[Barry Goldwater]], the Republican nominee.  From 1948 to the 1970s an even more conservative wing of the party, mostly from the South, was called "Dixiecrats".  The Dixiecrat wing of the party has been essentially defunct since the 1970s and many of them, such as [[Strom Thurmond]] and [[Jesse Helms]], were early converts to the [[Republican Party]], foreshadowing a long trend of conservatives leaving the Democrats and joining the Republicans that continued through the 1980s and 1990s.

The American South had a long tradition of electing conservative Democrats to office, including in Presidential elections until they broke from the Democrats in 1964 to vote for [[Barry Goldwater]], the Republican nominee.  From 1948 to the 1970s an even more conservative wing of the party, mostly from the South, was called "Dixiecrats".  The Dixiecrat wing of the party has been essentially defunct since the 1970s and many of them, such as [[Strom Thurmond]] and [[Jesse Helms]], were early converts to the [[Republican Party]], foreshadowing a long trend of conservatives leaving the Democrats and joining the Republicans that continued through the 1980s and 1990s.