The mistake was allowing the Dems to classify government welfare programs as “charity”. They replaced the religious impulses of Jews and Christians to give sincerely felt charity to needy people and groups of their own choosing. Now the choices of money taken without choice in the form of taxation goes to voting blocs who will benefit the Dems politically. NOT actually Judeo Christian charity.
Then it was all downhill.
I remember Larry King putting a GOP pol on the spot on TV once demanding:”So if the man is dying you are going to let him die rather than have the government take over health care? You’d let him die?”
Sleazy.
Hell, Catholic Charities played a big role in redefining government welfare as charity.