George Washington was a Democrat? Who knew. But then all of the Founding era slave holders are exempt from neoyankee hatred because they want to be able to claim them.
"started Jim Crow laws"
Like the Black Codes of Lincoln's own Illinois?
But then as you say, gotta keep up with the narrative.
Don't you love it when people idiotically retroject contemporary political issues and debates back into past centuries? The fact that J.C. Calhoun or Jefferson Davis were Democrats in the 19th century doesn't mean that their policies had anything in common with Obama's, because what defined Democrats (Democratic Republicans early in their history) and Republicans (Federalists and Whigs earlier in their history) weren't the issues the define the parties today. In fact, the defining issue separating Democrats from Republicans during most of the 19th Century was States' Rights (Democrats) vs. a stronger Federal Government (Republicans).
Of course, the people who say "The Confederacy was evil because it was founded by Democrats" spout that line hoping that someone listening to them is stupid enough to believe that because Calhoun or Davis were "Democrats" they would have supported transgender bathrooms or social welfare programs for illegal immigrants today.