On Mar 4, 2009, at 3:32 PM, Michael Pollak wrote:
> But the majority of the party members have been conservative since
> the Depression, since the party was then essentially everyone who
> opposed the New Deal, which defines reactionary. They were the
> majority during the 50s (hence their disaffection which bubbled over
> into the "new" conservative movements). And of course it only got
> worse after 1964, as the party gradually incorporated the South,
> which had been to the right of the Repugs on virtually all issues.
This doesn't really describe Nixon, who was nothing if not an iconic Republican. Reagan couldn't get the nomination in 1976 - but by 1980, he was dominant in the party. He was clearly a rising force in 1976, but Ford still beat him (and had beat him in the primaries). Reagan, Wikipedia reminds us, promised to select Richard Schweiker as VP, to please the moderates and liberals. Meaning that there were still moderates and liberals in the party 30 years ago.
Doug