Rockefeller Republican

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They were usually fiscally moderate to center-right, socially moderate to center-left, and slightly hawkish on foreign policy, and were thus sometimes referred to as "[[liberal]] Republicans". Geographically, they were most concentrated on [[Blue state|the East Coast]], leading to the nickname "the Eastern Establishment" to describe them at the height of their power.
 
They were usually fiscally moderate to center-right, socially moderate to center-left, and slightly hawkish on foreign policy, and were thus sometimes referred to as "[[liberal]] Republicans". Geographically, they were most concentrated on [[Blue state|the East Coast]], leading to the nickname "the Eastern Establishment" to describe them at the height of their power.
  
Economically, they were opposed to [[socialism]] and government ownership of businesses, but still supported the rights of [[Trade union|organized labor]], some regulations on business, and the basic framework of the [[New Deal]] as integral parts of a [[Capitalism|capitalist]] system, even if they felt that they could be reformed to work more effectively. They believed in investment in education, health care, and infrastructure, supporting low-cost public universities and the Interstate Highway System. Like modern Republicans, they favored balanced budgets, though unlike modern Republicans, they were not averse to raising [[tax]]es in order to do so. They were strong supporters of Wall Street and big business; many of their ranks came from the worlds of business and finance. They contrasted themselves with the [[Democratic Party]] by styling themselves as the party of "good governance" in contrast to the often corrupt (and often Democratic) political machines of the big cities; they were a "protest vote" in urban areas, and when elected, they often came in as reformers.
+
Economically, they were opposed to [[socialism]] and government ownership of businesses, but still supported the rights of [[Trade union|organized labor]], some regulations on business, and the basic framework of the [[New Deal]] as integral parts of a [[Capitalism|capitalist]] system, though as [[FDR]] notes, they always dressed their tacit support with "We would like to, uhh, ''change'' it, you know?" They believed in investment in education, health care, and infrastructure, supporting low-cost public universities and the Interstate Highway System. Like modern Republicans, they favored balanced budgets, though unlike modern Republicans, they were not averse to raising [[tax]]es in order to do so. They were strong supporters of Wall Street and big business; many of their ranks came from the worlds of business and finance. They contrasted themselves with the [[Democratic Party]] by styling themselves as the party of "good governance" in contrast to the often corrupt (and often Democratic) political machines of the big cities; they were a "protest vote" in urban areas, and when elected, they often came in as reformers.
  
 
Socially, they were broadly supportive of [[civil rights]], [[feminism]], [[Abortion|reproductive rights]], and other social reform movements, at times to a greater extent than the mainstream of the Democratic Party and certainly more than its [[Dixiecrat|white Southern wing]]. Republicans like [[Earl Warren]] presided over many of the early social reforms of the 1950s and early '60s. However, for better or worse, it was typically an upper-class, [[WASP]]-y liberalism with a [[Very Serious People|VSP]] perspective on many such issues, seeking to accept and facilitate changes that were already happening and correct obvious injustices in society, but not rock the boat and push much further. When the [[New Left]] emerged in the late '60s, the Rockefeller Republicans often seemed reactionary by comparison. On foreign policy, they repudiated the isolationism of the [[Paleoconservatism#The_Old_Right|"Old Right"]] and were often fiercely anti-communist Cold Warriors, though not rabidly so; [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], in his speech upon leaving office, warned about the growing power and influence of the [[military-industrial complex]], and Nixon ran on a platform of ending the [[Vietnam War]] "with honor".
 
Socially, they were broadly supportive of [[civil rights]], [[feminism]], [[Abortion|reproductive rights]], and other social reform movements, at times to a greater extent than the mainstream of the Democratic Party and certainly more than its [[Dixiecrat|white Southern wing]]. Republicans like [[Earl Warren]] presided over many of the early social reforms of the 1950s and early '60s. However, for better or worse, it was typically an upper-class, [[WASP]]-y liberalism with a [[Very Serious People|VSP]] perspective on many such issues, seeking to accept and facilitate changes that were already happening and correct obvious injustices in society, but not rock the boat and push much further. When the [[New Left]] emerged in the late '60s, the Rockefeller Republicans often seemed reactionary by comparison. On foreign policy, they repudiated the isolationism of the [[Paleoconservatism#The_Old_Right|"Old Right"]] and were often fiercely anti-communist Cold Warriors, though not rabidly so; [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], in his speech upon leaving office, warned about the growing power and influence of the [[military-industrial complex]], and Nixon ran on a platform of ending the [[Vietnam War]] "with honor".

Revision as of 16:39, 15 April 2015

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I have just one purpose, and that is to build up a strong progressive Republican Party in this country. If the right-wing wants a fight, they are going to get it... before I end up, either this Republican Party will reflect progressivism or I won't be with them anymore.
Ike

Rockefeller Republican (named after former New York Governor and Vice President Nelson Rockefeller of the Rockefeller family) was a euphemism used to describe members of the moderate wing of the Republican Party. They were the dominant force in the party from the end of World War II until 1964, when the party's conservative elements backed Barry Goldwater for President and did lasting damage to its influence, but remained a powerful wing of the GOP until the late '70s and the ascendancy of Ronald Reagan.

Contents

Positions

They were usually fiscally moderate to center-right, socially moderate to center-left, and slightly hawkish on foreign policy, and were thus sometimes referred to as "liberal Republicans". Geographically, they were most concentrated on the East Coast, leading to the nickname "the Eastern Establishment" to describe them at the height of their power.

Economically, they were opposed to socialism and government ownership of businesses, but still supported the rights of organized labor, some regulations on business, and the basic framework of the New Deal as integral parts of a capitalist system, though as FDR notes, they always dressed their tacit support with "We would like to, uhh, change it, you know?" They believed in investment in education, health care, and infrastructure, supporting low-cost public universities and the Interstate Highway System. Like modern Republicans, they favored balanced budgets, though unlike modern Republicans, they were not averse to raising taxes in order to do so. They were strong supporters of Wall Street and big business; many of their ranks came from the worlds of business and finance. They contrasted themselves with the Democratic Party by styling themselves as the party of "good governance" in contrast to the often corrupt (and often Democratic) political machines of the big cities; they were a "protest vote" in urban areas, and when elected, they often came in as reformers.

Socially, they were broadly supportive of civil rights, feminism, reproductive rights, and other social reform movements, at times to a greater extent than the mainstream of the Democratic Party and certainly more than its white Southern wing. Republicans like Earl Warren presided over many of the early social reforms of the 1950s and early '60s. However, for better or worse, it was typically an upper-class, WASP-y liberalism with a VSP perspective on many such issues, seeking to accept and facilitate changes that were already happening and correct obvious injustices in society, but not rock the boat and push much further. When the New Left emerged in the late '60s, the Rockefeller Republicans often seemed reactionary by comparison. On foreign policy, they repudiated the isolationism of the "Old Right" and were often fiercely anti-communist Cold Warriors, though not rabidly so; Dwight D. Eisenhower, in his speech upon leaving office, warned about the growing power and influence of the military-industrial complex, and Nixon ran on a platform of ending the Vietnam War "with honor".

List of historical Rockefeller Republicans

  • John B. Anderson, who found Reagan too conservative for his tastes and ran in 1980 as an independent candidate for president. Anderson won over 6% of the vote, not bad for an independent not running on a party ticket. This would be the last major backlash from the liberals in the GOP against the conservatives that soon after took complete control of the party.
  • Thomas Dewey (of "Dewey Defeats Truman" infamy)
  • Bob Dole would like you to know Bob Dole is on here too. (Notably before 1996.)
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • Gerald Ford
  • Richard Nixon (while he ran as a right-wing "Silent Majority" warrior, he governed from the center)
  • Nelson Rockefeller
  • George Romney[1]
  • Margaret Chase Smith
  • Earl Warren
  • Wendell Willkie

Where are they now?

They are largely gone, having been driven out by the rise of neoconservatism, neoliberalism, and the Religious Right, as well as by the tax revolts of the 1970s. Today's "moderate" Republicans (like Olympia Snowe, Arlen Specter, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Bloomberg, and Chris Christie) are often dismissed as "RINOs" by the activist "movement conservatives" that have taken over the GOP since Reagan. As a result, what had once been among the most solidly Republican areas of the country, like New Jersey and western New England, are now among the most solidly Democratic, as these areas were hotbeds of the Rockefeller wing of the party. The endangered species status has also been placed in states of the Upper Midwest, where Rockefellers used to be similarly prevalent.

Today it can effectively be argued that the centrist wing of the Democratic Party (Bill Clinton, Barack Obama) is most similar to the Rockefeller Republicans in policy and ideology. Indeed, in the world that is not the United States, Obama has been compared to the "one nation Toryism" of Benjamin Disraeli,[2] and he's even been explicitly linked to old-styled Rockefeller Republicans.[3][4][5]

See also

Footnotes

  1. His son never lived up to the family name.
  2. Is Barack Obama a Tory?, BBC
  3. Cheer Up, Republicans, Slate
  4. Barack Obama, Left Conservative, The New Yorker
  5. How Liberal is President Obama?, The New York Times
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