GOP adopted a popular election system parallel to Dems. Goldwater conquered the party through grassroots organizing and the traditional method of winning states. Once he won California he clinched the nomination, with an uncertain contested convention best outcome Rocky could hope for before that. Eastern networks had atrophied entirely by 1964, as Rocky said "You're looking at it" (Eastern Establishment) privately.
Who/What were these "eastern networks"/"eastern establishment" and what atrophied them before 1964?
