When one thinks of Republican ideology today, one thinks of conservatives, with a geographic base in the regions of the South, Midwest and Appalachia. They’re known for emphasizing border and immigration control, small government, pro-life views, and a strict interpretation and protection of the enumerated rights set forth in the Constitution, specifically the right to bear arms. These ideals, and any other rhetoric one may hear if they listened to a pundit on Fox News. On the Democratic side, there is a Northern, coastal base with a focus on a more lax approach to immigration, a raised minimum wage, gun control, pro-choice rights, and bigger government with a strong inclination towards the rights of minorities. Despite these core values being
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Nelson Rockefeller’s poll numbers continued to indicate that he was the top candidate for the nomination through late 1962 and into early 1963. In December 1962, Rockefeller was in the lead of the Gallup Poll, polling at 42 percent, followed by Barry Goldwater with 14 percent. In April 1963, Rockefeller led with 43 percent of respondents’ support, followed by 23 percent for Goldwater, who would go on to win the nomination. Rockefeller’s support was strongest in the East and West, weakest in the South. This indicates a liberal support, as even at this point in time, the South had a reputation for being the most conservative geographic region in the country. A month before Rockefeller’s remarriage he led Goldwater by 20 percentage points. Then it all came crashing down, with the introduction of Happy Rockefeller. The presidential candidate had just divorced his wife in 1962, was already testing the boundaries of christian voters, who had strong republican ties, on family values. Then, he ran with with Margaretta (Happy) Fitler Murphy, who left her husband and four children to marry Nelson. This led to rampant rumors that they had been engaged in an affair prior to the divorce, and Nelson was dubbed a wife-stealer, and after the news broke, Rockefeller lost 20 points in the polls almost immediately, and it was all downhill from there. Senator Prescott Bush, a Connecticut Republican, articulated the frustrations “Have we come to the point in our life as a nation where the governor of a great state—one who perhaps aspires to the nomination for president of the United States—can desert a good wife, mother of his grown children, divorce her, then persuade a young mother of four youngsters to abandon her husband and their four children and marry the governor?”. Those who had opposed the liberalness that was Nelson Rockefeller used this as ammunition
Nelson Rockefeller’s poll numbers continued to indicate that he was the top candidate for the nomination through late 1962 and into early 1963. In December 1962, Rockefeller was in the lead of the Gallup Poll, polling at 42 percent, followed by Barry Goldwater with 14 percent. In April 1963, Rockefeller led with 43 percent of respondents’ support, followed by 23 percent for Goldwater, who would go on to win the nomination. Rockefeller’s support was strongest in the East and West, weakest in the South. This indicates a liberal support, as even at this point in time, the South had a reputation for being the most conservative geographic region in the country. A month before Rockefeller’s remarriage he led Goldwater by 20 percentage points. Then it all came crashing down, with the introduction of Happy Rockefeller. The presidential candidate had just divorced his wife in 1962, was already testing the boundaries of christian voters, who had strong republican ties, on family values. Then, he ran with with Margaretta (Happy) Fitler Murphy, who left her husband and four children to marry Nelson. This led to rampant rumors that they had been engaged in an affair prior to the divorce, and Nelson was dubbed a wife-stealer, and after the news broke, Rockefeller lost 20 points in the polls almost immediately, and it was all downhill from there. Senator Prescott Bush, a Connecticut Republican, articulated the frustrations “Have we come to the point in our life as a nation where the governor of a great state—one who perhaps aspires to the nomination for president of the United States—can desert a good wife, mother of his grown children, divorce her, then persuade a young mother of four youngsters to abandon her husband and their four children and marry the governor?”. Those who had opposed the liberalness that was Nelson Rockefeller used this as ammunition