[Lurking Libertarian]

Back in the fifties, we had conservative Democrats like Sens. Pat McCarran (D-Nev.) and Frank Lausche (D-Ohio)—a species now as extinct as the brontosaurus.

And we had liberal Republicans like Jacob Javits and Nelson Rockefeller, also equally extinct.

The Democratic and Republican parties each had liberal and conservative wings back then; that changed, in a process starting with the 1964 election and being virtually complete by the 1972 election.

[Fresh Wind]

Nelson Rockefeller

Something I will always remember is a brief scene caught through the magic of live TV at one of the Republican conventions (I'm guessing it was '64).

Nelson Rockefeller was apparently drunk and fell over a chair.