In a message dated 7/24/01 11:14:13 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << This refers to the Republicans who are associated with the Northeastern aristocracy. Like current Sen. Lincoln Chafee, they have been Republicans for generations, because the Republicans are the Party of business and wealth, as opposed to the Democrats, which are the Party of the commoners. >> Well, I think the term refers quite specifically to Nelson Rockefeller, the central to left Republican who was governor of New York. He ran unsuccessfully against Goldwater for the republican nomination for president in 64 and was Gerald Ford's VP. It was against this version of republicanism that Goldwater and later Regan fought (successfully of course). Moderate republicans of the Rockefeller type are largely confined to the Northeast now. It will be interesting to see if some of these states now become firmly democratic over the next few years just as southern conservatives moved from the democratic to republican party in the late 60's and early 70's. If this were to happen there would be a new dynamic in congress.
