The difference between 1964 and now is vast. Keep in mind that in those days, Republicans and Democrats mostly worked together to run our country. Although they had serious disagreements about policies, for the most part they did their jobs and kept the country functioning.
Today, we have a vast chasm between the parties and the Republicans have repeatedly demonstrated that they don't want to govern. They don't want to do anything for our country. They don't pass bills. They don't hold hearings on presidential appointments. They shut down the government. The Democrats try to function but their power is limited by their minority status. Our president has had to take extraordinary steps just to keep the lights on in DC.
Back in '64, Barry Goldwater didn't really represent the majority of Republicans, many of whom were quite moderate. I'm sure you've heard it said that if he were alive today, Dwight Eisenhower would be a liberal Democrat. (wink) But the conservative movement, mostly led by William F. Buckley, Jr. among others, hadn't yet matured into a powerful national force. Since 1980, we've had to fight the Dark Side of American politics and we've lost far too many battles over those years. The success of the conservatives has allowed them to become more and more extreme which is a big part of why they are fracturing: their coalition has finally shown its cracks.
One other point about the 1964 election. It's always struck me that the US had lost its president to an assassin only a year before. Perhaps the electorate wasn't ready for that amount of political instability in such a short time. President Johnson really didn't have to work up much of a sweat to defeat Senator Goldwater. Today, the polarization of our nation means that Secretary Clinton could have more of a challenge on her hands.
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