Tell him to look up the word “Whigs.”
He might pick up a clue in the eerie parallel to today’s hot button issue of immigration...
The party was ultimately destroyed by the question of whether to allow the expansion of slavery to the territories.
With deep fissures in the party on this question, the anti-slavery faction successfully prevented the nomination of its own incumbent President Fillmore in the U.S. presidential election of 1852; instead, the party nominated General Winfield Scott, who was soundly defeated.
The voter base defected to the Republican Party, various coalition parties in some states, and to the Democratic Party.
There is a saying that McCain's head of hispanic outreach, Juan Hernandez, is fond of quoting: "Si se puta!" - yes, we can.
“Winning political parties tend to shift further toward their base.”
> Care to give some examples concerning the GOP that would support your assertion?
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There are many examples, but you don’t have to go back very far. After Republican victories in 1998, 2000 & 2002, the Republican candidate won in 2000 & 2004 using Karl Rove’s strategy of appealing to the base.
On the other hand, after the 2006 elections in which the Republicans lost, the party shifted back to the center; we now have a moderate candidate for President.