Bill Clinton saying "We're all Eisenhower Republicans here"
Obama claiming he would have been a republican before the conservative revolution
Hillary trying out her fucking GOLDWATER credentials to get elected.
And there's Biden talking fondly of Strom Thurmond (Although at least he didn't try to claim his political legacy)
Who are they trying to appeal to? Anyone who likes Goldwater isn't going to vote for a Democrat, ever, and anyone else who knows who he was would hate it.
Liberals get a big ol' hit of dopamine when they do something that makes them feel superior to conservatives. Conservatives paint all Democratic politicians as evil without any nuance, so by saying that crap it makes them feel like they are smart and reasonable.