I confidently say that America was far more conservative in the Reagan years. Even Democrats were reasonable at least half the time back then.
This is why conservatives are considered Alt Right these days - it’s an optical illusion based on how far the left has veered off.
America was far more conservative in the Reagan years
Speaker of the House O’Neill was a staunch Democrat of the times. He would be embarrassed and ashamed of his party now.
Interesting note, Speaker O’Neill often spoke of service to his constituents, and of “Asking For Your Vote” every election cycle.
The TV series MASH aired from 1972-1983 and was decidedly anti-war, everyone would have considered it to have a decided leftist bent at the time. One of the main characters, Corporal Klinger, was a straight guy who dressed in women's clothing so the Army would think he was crazy and discharge him. At the time even a left leaning TV show considered cross dressing to be so absurd that it was a major story line of the show.
Fast forward to today and not only are homosexuality and transgenderism accepted in the military, but we have several senior government officials who are either homosexual (Pete Buttigieg), transsexuals (Richard Levine), or crossdressers into BDSM (Sam Brinton).
What was considered so absurd that it was made a plotline in a left wing comedy 40 years ago is now being positioned as mainstream by today's democrats. That's how far the Overton window has been moved by leftists in America. We're now expected to take seriously and not criticize that which used to be considered laughably ridiculous even by leftists.