I'm reading Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus about how the USA shifted to the right an unthinkable amount between FDR and Reagan. Obviously there are a lot of things that don't survive transposition across 75 years of political realignment but I am starting to think nearly all dems would find themselves to Nixon's right if they were sent through a time machine.
I think I heard it said that Nixon was the last true believer in the system.