If history is the judge, it's too late for the Republicans to stop the takeover of their party. In 1964 a conservative wave swept over the nation. It seemed like every Republican wanted their liberties, less government, (states rights), same old buzz words, just like today. In actuality, it wasn't every Republican. A poll taken in June showed 62% of rank and file Republicans preferred Scranton over Goldwater. And yet, Goldwater won the nomination.
That leaves 38% that "ran the show." Is this starting to sound familiar?
http://www.pbs.org/...
Rockerfeller tried for sanity but could hardly make himself heard over the booing.
The atmosphere at the Republican convention was heated as Nelson Rockefeller stepped up to the podium to address the belligerent crowd: "During this year I have crisscrossed this nation, fighting ... to keep the Republican party the party of all the people ... and warning of the extremist threat, its danger to the party, and danger to the nation," he said, taking his time as the crowd cheered "We want Barry!" "These extremists feed on fear, hate and terror, [they have] no program for America and the Republican Party... [they] operate from dark shadows of secrecy. It is essential that this convention repudiate here and now any doctrinaire, militant minority whether Communist, Ku Klux Klan or Birchers." It was, according to many, Nelson Rockefeller's finest moment -- but it did little to stop the conservative wave that was transforming the GOP.
Goldwater would articulate some of these conservative principles in his controversial acceptance speech: "Let our Republicanism, so focused and dedicated, not be made fuzzy and futile by unthinking and stupid labels," he summoned the crowd. "I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice -- and let me remind you also, moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.
Here's blindsided to the max!
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/...
"What in God's name has happened to the Republican Party!" muttered Henry Cabot Lodge —the party's 1960 vice presidential nominee—as he paged through the delegate list in his hotel room. "I hardly know any of these people!")
Like Republican leadership today, Lodge and his cohorts had ignored the warning signals, they hadn't believed that the crazies could come this far.
The media did not get off free from this conservative group either.
The logy Mark Hopkins elevators gave the insurgents, flooding into town for what Goldwater biographer Robert Alan Goldberg called the "Woodstock of the right," at least two chances a day to bait Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, anchors of NBC's nightly newscast—and crypto-liberals, according to their harassers. "You know, these nighttime news shows sound to me like they're being broadcast from Moscow," one conservative observed to another on the way down, loud enough for the two newsmen to hear. Brinkley forbade his son, Alan, to show his NBC insignia, except to security.
Yup, the "lamestream media" was then the "Moscow media."
In 1964 LBJ was the opponent and he didn't mess around. His ad crew set out to save the presidency for Johnson.
http://www.conelrad.com/...
"These are the stakes – to make a world in which all of God's children can live, or to go into the dark. We must either love each other, or we must die." The ad – which never identifies its target – was aimed at reinforcing the perception that the 1964 Republican candidate for president, Senator Barry M. Goldwater, could not be trusted with his finger on the button. As has often been recited, the Daisy ad aired only once as a paid advertisement – on NBC during the network movie (DAVID AND BATHSHEBA) on Monday, September 7, 1964.[ 5 ] Since that long ago Labor Day, the film of the child and her daisies has been re-played millions of times.
This is considered a primary factor in Johnson's overwhelming victory,
the thought of a "nutjob" having his finger on the bomb button scared the hell out of everyone.
We may not be in a presidential election this year but we could sure use a "daisy ad" to wake the American people up to the dangers of the crazies.
What's happening in Republican politics today reinforces the old saying, "there is nothing new under the sun."