The expansion of the welfare state during Nixon's time was a result of pragmatic compromises with a Democratic Congress which itself was a contested setting where liberal idealism bargained with pork barrel politics over the shape and size of federal programs. It was also a time where the political center of gravity was perhaps a more moderate Republicanism which had made some peace with New Deal welfare policies and favored something like social engineering in addressing social issues. But it was indeed a period of street demonstrations - certainly over the war, but also over the environment and even over welfare. Remember the movement to organize poor people. I think Nixon was pretty much stuck with the politics he inherited and had his second administration occurred with Watergate, he would have begun to curtail even more than he did the government initiatives that grew during the sixties.
I forget what prompted Justin's comments about how compared to the present even someone like Nison might look to left-leaning. But given the tidal changes in politics, most groups have moved considerably to stay afloat. Most leftists of the past are too left-leaning for today.
Gordon Fitch wrote:
>
> Rob:
> > > > >Yeah, but Nixon did what he had to do in light of the times. Any
> > > > >poll-watching dork could have done most of it - indeed, would have.
> > > > >Watergate saved the bastard! If his tenure had survived the 1973-4
> > > > >downturn, what standing he has in the eyes of yer average lefty
> > > > >nostalgia-buff would be very different.
>
> Peter K.:
> > > > I was very surprised to learn about the good things Nixon had done -
> > > > or was forced to do. Still, I associate him with COINTELPRO
> > > > and the Vietnam War and the Republicans' "southern strategy."
> > > > He was also anti-semitic from what I understand. ...
>
> Gordon Fitch:
> > > It may be that Nixon heartily agreed with Welfare-state
> > > practices accompanied by a repression of dissidence at home,
> > > and imperialism abroad. One can hardly say there is some
> > > fundamental contradiction between the three, as the ghost
> > > of Bismarck could tell you.
>
> Michael Perelman:
> > The progressive landmarks of the Nixon administration had far more to do
> > with people in the street than those around the White House.
>
> I don't recall any major demonstrations for social-democratic
> programs.