1924 was the last time the Democrats nominated a Conservative for President (former Wilson Solicitor General and ex-WV Congressman John W. Davis). The last gasp of sanity.
JFK would be the most conservative of today’s GOP slate.
The dems had that pesky 2/3s requirement for a long time.
It cost Martin Van Buren the nomination in 1844, probably a good thing for them cause I think he’d have lost to Clay, and it cost Champ Clark the nomination (and Presidency) in 1912. Both got a majority but couldn’t get to 2/3s. I wonder if Clark would have been as awful as Wilson.
In ‘24 though, McAdoo, the KKK candidate, topped out at 48% I think, not even a majority. Though if the threshold wasn’t 2/3s maybe he’d have gotten it, being so close to 50%. 103 ballots, unbelievable. I think they were just desperate for it to be over. They gave the VP nod to WJ Byran’s brother, Jeb, I mean Charles.
Many libs in both parties backed LaFollette in the general election. He got most of the dem vote in the west.
Al Smith would be considered an arch conservative today.
Al Smith would be a conservative by today’s standards. He opposed FDR’s reelections.