Oppie's ambivalence came into full view in his dispute with Dr. Edward Teller over whether the hydrogen bomb should be developed. Teller took the research forward over Oppie's protests and refusal to participate.
It should also be mentioned that the media were as solidly left-wing then as now. They helped crucify Whittaker Chambers and argued forcefully that Hiss was innocent. A lot of Hiss's media sympathy came from Nixon's role in the matter. The Left -- and the media, if there's a distinction -- hated Nixon worse than anyone and they finally got him. I've never been able to figure out why since most of the evil agencies (EPA, etc.) that plague us today were created on Nixon's watch. One would think the liberals would love him.
It was just another false hope that any Republican could do anything to appease these earth worshipping, militant, fanatical pagan groups and make peace with them. They are just as militant and mystical in their religious zeal and phony sense of moral superiority as the Bin Laden terrorists!
The political reality is... even if Abe Lincoln, the first Republican President were alive today and returned to the Presidency, his advisors would become convinced they have to find a way to appease the "EnvironMental Commune"(yes commune, not community) since they cannot marginalize them anymore. They have become too rich, influencial and POWERFUL!!!
People like Freepers, or conservatives in general, will not pay the long-term political price of consistently pursuing long-term goals and objectives to eventually prevail, in the legislatures, in the courts, or in the executive branches of the States, or the Nation!
We all are working so hard to try to survive the over-burdening of the private sector with heavy-handed regulation and taxation, that we don't have time or the money to become the inexorable "winners" that they have! Plus, we can't even begin to agree on our goals, or the means of achieving them.
Why? Because we love "Individualism" and they love "Collectivism!" Plus they consistently "hate" what they oppose and we don't!!!