Changes

=== Democrat to Republican ===

=== Democrat to Republican ===

In 1970, Helms left the Democratic party, which was far more popular in the South as a whole, for the Republican party, which had been the catalyst in the war of Northern Aggression a century before.  Guided, in part, by the [[Southern Strategy]] of the Republican Candidate, [[Richard M. Nixon]], Mr. Helms lead a victorious campaign against his opponent, Democrat Nick Galifianakis.  Mr. Helms's campaign succeeded in associating Galifiankis with presidential candidate George McGovern.  Galifianakis attempted to play the "race card" (Galifianakis was Greek), but voters saw through this to lend a 120,000 vote margin to Mr. Helms.<ref>http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-helms</ref>

In 1970, Helms left the Democratic party, which was far more popular in the South as a whole, for the Republican party, which had been the catalyst in the war of Northern Aggression a century before.  Guided, in part, by the conservative policies of the Republican Candidate, [[Richard M. Nixon]], Mr. Helms lead a victorious campaign against his opponent, Democrat Nick Galifianakis.  Mr. Helms's campaign succeeded in associating Galifiankis with presidential candidate George McGovern.  Galifianakis attempted to play the "race card" (Galifianakis was Greek), but voters saw through this to lend a 120,000 vote margin to Mr. Helms.<ref>http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-helms</ref>

=== Senator No ===

=== Senator No ===

=== Moving the Party Right ===

=== Moving the Party Right ===

Helms challenged the Republican party to engage socially and economically conservative values.  Helms's conservative values won him a 100% rating from the American Conservative Union for the entire last decade he was in office and never more than 10% according to similar liberal groups.  Terry O'Neill -- of the feminist group, the National Organization for Women -- on hearing that Helms was retireing, reacted gleefully with the statement "He has been absolutely aggressive in his attacks on women's most basic rights for years.  To call him irascible would be kind. Irrational would be more like it. It's a very good thing for the country that he's leaving the Senate."   

Helms challenged the Republican party to engage the socially and economically conservative values of the American People.  Helms's conservative values won him a 100% rating from the American Conservative Union for the entire last decade he was in office and never more than 10% according to similar liberal groups.  Terry O'Neill -- of the far left feminist group, the National Organization for Women -- on hearing that Helms would reacted gleefully with the statement "He has been absolutely aggressive in his attacks on women's most basic rights for years.  To call him irascible would be kind. Irrational would be more like it. It's a very good thing for the country that he's leaving the Senate."   

Helms stated his disbelief in the old adage that "morality cannot be legislated".  Helms took an active role in campaigning and in helping the Republican party to engage these values.  First in his early work for Smith, then locally and eventually in early 1980 played a key role in helping the father of modern conservative, Ronald Reagan, win the Republican primary and take the White House back from the liberal and weak president Jimmy Carter.  Helms's political action committee spent over $4.6 million dollars to help Regan capture the white house <ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b8990d63719.htm</ref>.  Until 1984, when Helms became incapacitated, in his home state of North Carolina few conservative Republican candidates would dare run for state or national office without an endorsement from the godfather of North Carolinian conservatism, Senators Jesse Helms.

Helms stated his disbelief in the old adage that "morality cannot be legislated".  Helms took an active role in campaigning and in helping the Republican party to engage these values.  First in his early work for Smith, then locally and eventually in early 1980 played a key role in helping the father of modern conservative, Ronald Reagan, win the Republican primary and take the White House back from the liberal and weak president Jimmy Carter.  Helms's political action committee spent over $4.6 million dollars to help Regan capture the white house <ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b8990d63719.htm</ref>.  Until recently, when Helms became incapacitated, in his home state of North Carolina few Conservative Republican candidates would dare run for state or national office without an endorsement from the godfather of North Carolinian conservatism, Senators Jesse Helms.

=== Foreign Policy ===

=== Foreign Policy ===

Helms believed that America should stand against dictators and help bring its values of Freedom and Democracy to the world.  This belief caused Helms to stand against "Most Favored Nation" status for China (which the Reagan and Nixon Administrations supported).  At the same time, Helms stood for a strong national defense and strongly opposed Communism and would occasionally compromise on the humanitarian part of his policy when it suited those aims, such was the case in his support for the dictator Augusto Pinochet.  <ref>http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/principles/default.asp</ref>  Helms also stood up against arms control and nuclear test-ban treaties even when some of these measures were supported by Reagan himself.

Helms believed that America should stand against dictators and help bring its values of Freedom and Democracy to the world.  This belief caused Helms to stand against "Most Favored Nation" status for China (which the Reagan and Nixon Administrations supported).  At the same time, Helms stood for a strong national defense and strongly opposed Communism and would occasionally compromise on the humanitarian part of his policy when it suited those aims, such was the case in his support for the dictator Augusto Pinochet.  <ref>http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/principles/default.asp</ref>  Helms also stood up against arms control and nuclear test-ban treaties even when some of these measures were supported by Regan himself <ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b8990d63719.htm</ref>.

 

 

Helms was also notable for his staunch opposition to [[free trade]] agreements such as NAFTA.

=== Equal Rights ===

=== Equal Rights ===