“Our Party Once Did That”
Note: this was a particularly popular Facebook post of mine. Just thought I’d save it for posterity here.
Next time a fellow Republican says “The GOP ended slavery and passed the Civil Rights Act!”
I’ll say:
“Yes, our party once did that. We also pioneered industrial policy, infrastructure improvements, central finance, export-heavy trade deals, foreign policy restraint, Americanization of immigrants, and other things. We worked with the Democrats in the 1930s and 1950s to craft the transfer payments of the welfare state. We competed with Democrats in the 1900s and 1910s to pass progressive labor and regulatory legislation.We once stood for prudent internationalism and multilateralism on the international stage.
The party of supply-side economics and “free markets” and “limited government” we became in the 80s did nothing to help forge and preserve the promise of American life. Our “big-government” ancestors did that.
So yes, the GOP once ended slavery and passed the Civil Rights Act. Would you like to help me turn our party into that kind of party again?”
abiasedperspective 
You’re exactly correct. Our party was once a pragmatic party drawn more to what could be done rather than an ideologically driven position. We need politicians like Governor Jon Huntsman and Senator Susan Collins who are pragmatic Republicans who look to work with the Democratic Party. I agree in full and am saddened by the state of the union of our party!