Happy 160th Birthday Grand Old Party

Birthplace of the Republican Party, Ripon,WI - March 20, 1854

It began in a little schoolhouse in Ripon, Wisconsin, in 1854. (March 20th to be exact.) A small group of dedicated abolitionists gathered to fight the expansion of slavery, and they gave birth to a Party dedicated to freedom and equal opportunity.

The name “Republican” was chosen, alluding to Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic-Republican Party and conveying a commitment to the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Party was formally organized in July 1854 by thousands of anti-slavery activists at a convention in Jackson, Michigan. And it was no accident that two years later, in 1856, the first Republican National Convention took place in Philadelphia, where the Constitution was written.
(http://www.gop.com/our-party/our-history/)

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Ray Metz of Kentucky

Ray Metz of Kentucky says, "I am so very grateful to the American citizens who worked to establish the Republican Party and I'm proud to have voted for:

• Barry Goldwater (1964),
• Richard Nixon (1968),
• Richard Nixon (1972),
• Gerald Ford (1976),
• Ronald Reagan (1980),
• Ronald Reagan (1984),
• George H.W. Bush (1988),
• George H.W. Bush (1992),
• Bob Dole (1996),
• George W. Bush (2000),
• George W. Bush (2004),
• John McCain (2008)
• Mitt Romney (2012)."

There have been good times, and there have been challenging times. As I look back, there was never a Democrat, who I believe deserved my vote more than the Republican.

I am among the most fortunate to have ever walked the earth. I am an American, a citizen of the greatest country even known, who has lived in the best of times. And so it is with humble gratitude that this proclamation is made: I am proud to be a Republican, and I am a proud supporter of Senator Mitch McConnell.

Happy Birthday GOP! March 20, 1854 - March 20, 2014