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The '''Republican Party''' is one of the two major political parties in the [[United States]]. The current [[President of the United States]], [[George W. Bush]] is a Republican. The party is the center-right party of the USA. The Republican voter coalitions have generally comprised businessmen and evangelical Protestants, while the [[Democrats]] appealed more to the poor and to minority ethnic, racial and religious groups.

The '''Republican Party''' is one of the two major political parties in the [[United States]]. The current [[President of the United States]], [[George W. Bush]] is a Republican. The party is the center-right party of the USA, represently godly White Americans. The Republican voter coalitions have generally comprised businessmen and evangelical Protestants, while the [[Democrats]] appealed more to the poor and to minority ethnic, racial and religious groups.

The party was created in 1854 by anti-slavery activists. It soon swept to control of all the northern states, and in 1860 elected [[Abraham Lincoln]] president.  The South seceded, and the Union side of the [[American Civil War]] was directed by Lincoln and the new party, with help from "War Democrats." The GOP (as it was also called from the 1880s) dominated the elections of the [[Third Party System]] (1854-1894) as well as the [[Fourth party System]] or Progressive Era (1894-1932).  However the Democrats built a liberal [[New Deal Coalition]] under President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], and dominated the [[Fifth Party System]], 1932-1966, with the GOP only electing Eisenhower in that era.  The [[Sixth Party System]], since 1968, has been dominated by the GOP.  

The party was created in 1854 by anti-slavery activists (a position that the party has always stood by). It soon swept to control of all the northern states, and in 1860 elected [[Abraham Lincoln]] president.  The South seceded, and the Union side of the [[American Civil War]] was directed by Lincoln and the new party, with help from "War Democrats." The GOP (as it was also called from the 1880s) dominated the elections of the [[Third Party System]] (1854-1894) as well as the [[Fourth party System]] or Progressive Era (1894-1932).  However the Democrats built a liberal [[New Deal Coalition]] under President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], and dominated the [[Fifth Party System]], 1932-1966, with the GOP only electing Eisenhower in that era.  The [[Sixth Party System]], since 1968, has been dominated by the GOP.  

18 of the 27 US Presidents since 1861 have been Republicans and since that same year a Republican has won 23 of the last 37 presidential elections. The party's most recent candidate [[Arizona]] [[Senator]] [[John McCain]], together with his running mate [[Alaskan|Alaska]] [[Governor]] [[Sarah Palin]] lost the 2008 presidential election to [[Democrat]] [[Barack Obama]] and his running mate [[Joe Biden]].  

18 of the 27 US Presidents since 1861 have been Republicans and since that same year a Republican has won 23 of the last 37 presidential elections. The party's most recent candidate [[Arizona]] [[Senator]] [[John McCain]], together with his running mate [[Alaskan|Alaska]] [[Governor]] [[Sarah Palin]] lost the 2008 presidential election to [[Democrat]] [[Barack Obama]] and his running mate [[Joe Biden]].