What's ironic is that the original Whigs lost out in the early 1800's because they would not take a firm stand against slavery. The Whigs fell apart and the Republican Party was born to take a firm stand against slavery. The Democrat Party, at the time, was for slavery.
Later, the Republican Party presented obstacles to the Civil Rights movement, while the Democrats supported the Civil Rights movement.
Even more ironic, as recently as the Vietnam War, the Democrat Party was the "pro-war" party. We got involved in Vietnam because of President Kennedy. President Johnson escalated our involvement there. Both of these guys were Democrats. President Nixon tapered the war off and was moving towards ending it. President Ford actually ended the Vietnam war in total. These guys were Republicans.
Today, it is the Republican Party that is considered to be the "pro-war" party. And it is apparently President Obama (a Democrat) who is moving towards ending our wars.
In truth, though, both parties are warlike, in their own way. Every president since President FDR has involved the U.S. in some war, conflict of some sort.
So really, this smacks of bureaucratic policy rather than political ideology.
And now the Whigs are resurrected.