Ask yourself this...did Harry Truman ever have to face the thorny policy question of what to do about gays in the military? Had the ACLU in 1949 adopted the position that a pre-game prayer on the sidelines of a high school football field constitutes an illegal establishment of religion by the state? Were the Democrats of FDR's era screened for leadership positions on the basis of their endorsement of abortion on demand?
You're right, we did elect Reagan and Bush II, two stand-out presidents that pass today for conservatives...but if you could transplant them to 1950, they would be moderates at best.
That's what I mean about the culture moving to the left. It's happened so gradually, people consider it normal.
In dubya's presidency we have a major opportunity to put a lot of this to rest if we choose to do so....