I guess I'm after something between a lecture and a TL;DR, but as an australian i'm fascinated by foreign and historical politics. Perhaps it is no surprise that some of the highest profile records are that of the USA.

So I'm intersted, what's the deal with the republicans and democrats through the ages.

To give context to my question:

Recently, in house of cards, Underwood is a democratic president with deep south connections. On the face of it, this flies in the face of the south's depiction in maintsream media. (ie, it is 'backwards' and racist - not the overt qualities of a US president)

And then this question: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/71z0op/so_the_kkk_in_the_mid1920s_could_boast_having_45/

lead me to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birth_of_a_Nation

Which talks of Lincoln's (an independent/whig ((which raises further questions, a whig, I tend to think of as a westminster/english idea!?)) that advocates a more or less conciliatory approach) actions in dealing with the southern loyalists. (now, I will obviously concede that TBoaN is fiction and I have no idea of the real treatment of any of the southern captives/defeated states at the hands of the north)

It just seems to me that at some point american politics have been 'twisted.'

You don't seem to have a working class V 'landed gentry' kind of narrative. I'm just seeking insight into the situation.