There's an old saying about the left and the right in American political history that goes like this: The pendulum swings, and swings too far. And having swung, swings back. To the left is liberal thinking, of course, and right is conservative. Modern day American politics began its dramatic swing to the left with Franklin D. Roosevelt, and reached its zenith with Lyndon B. Johnson. This move toward the liberal left was supported by a Democrat Congress that held doggedly to leftist politics. A right-swinging Ronald Regan was stymied by a Congress dominated by left-leaning Democrats. The political pendulum began its swing to the right with Goldwater, even though he did not win the presidency. Reagan, as president, did move the political pendulum to the right, however. Although Congress was solidly Democrat while Reagan was president, Southern Democrats ... especially those who chaired powerful committees
