[jla]

Thomas J did not create the "RAT party", (I'd say Ol' Hickory deserves that dubious honor). He was actually a Republican*, as he himself states in many of his speeches, including his first inaugural address.
Now we can all nitpick as to what exact moment defined the creation of the two modern major political parties, but there is no doubt that the Democrats of the modern era bear no semblance to the party, under Thomas J, that split with Washington and the Federalists.

* This term applies, accurately, to the ideology of the faction that broke with the Federalists. It is not meant to infer that Thomas J was the founder of a party that evolved into the G.O.P.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Jefferson was a Democrat Republican (anti-Hamilton party founded to thwart Hamilton and Washington) as opposed to the Federal Republican party. There were many similiarities between the modern RATs and their antecedents particularly in their common opposition to anything which strengthened National Security, alliances with our enemies (Jefferson's beloved France today the terrorist states). Deluded economic theories and a willingness to out lie about the opposition are two of the greatest similiarities.

Jackson and those following Jefferson fell all over themselves praising the Mountebank of Monticello. They ALL claimed themselves to be his followers. Almost all Democrat-Republicans became Democrats while almost all Federal-Democrats became Whigs. Jefferson was a Democrat.