Republican Party of Florida "…comes off less like a joke and more like an intentional smear." The mascot symbol, historically, is the elephant. A political cartoon by Thomas Nast, published in "Harper's Weekly" on November 7, 1874, is considered the first important use of the symbol. In the early 20th century, the usual symbol of the Republican Party in Midwestern states such as Indiana and Ohio was the eagle, as opposed to the Democratic rooster. This symbol still appears on Indiana ballots. After the 2000 election, the color red became associated with the GOP although it has not been officially adopted by the party.
Political positions of the Republican Party pro-life planks have been part of the party platform since 1976., before 1988 there was little difference between Republicans and other voters regarding abortion, and in 2015, 40 percent of Republicans supported legal abortion. Despite their divergence from the party platform, pro-choice Republicans are unlikely to switch parties. Pro-choice ideology has been present in the Republican Party since before the "Roe v. Wade" decision in 1973, and the pro-choice ideology is still present today. According to some pro-choice Republican groups, the Republican belief in limited government and individualism should extend to social issues, such as abortion rights. Research indicates that