[Publius]

Why did the GOP of the mid 1960's roll over and play dead?

First, because they didn't have the numbers in Congress to stop LBJ. Run a search on the partisan makeup on Congress in that era. Only by teaming with southern Democrats could the Republicans have an impact.

Second, Goldwater's defeat was the repudiation of everything he stood for. Only when the country hit rock bottom, crashed through that bottom, and found a whole new bottom in 1980 did the political calculus change. Johnson's victory gave him the opportunity to turn the country left. His goal was to be remembered as the second FDR. The country, thanks to the Mainstream Media, bought everything he was pushing.

[MikelTackNailer]

Thank you, Publius. I was all of three then but enjoyed the last of the REAL great society of post WWII prosperity won by good overcoming evil and a nation moving ahead unified rather than today's divisiveness. I sincerely believe the machine behind Johnson had Kennedy 'removed' and had him step out after enough damage was done to insure their perpetuity - the early Deep State.

But I'm just a nut fallen off the tree (wnk).