When did the GOP adopt a more democratic primary process?

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

As we all know the Democrats had primaries before 1972, but they were all for show. The real power was held in the smoked filled rooms where party hacks would decide who would actually win. The early 1970's McGovern-Fraser commission democratized the Democratic primary process, by putting the nomination in the hands of the actual voters, not the machine hacks.

I have no idea historically how the Republican party nomination process was run. I would assume that it was democratized by the 1960's as I can't see the establishment party hacks being too pleased with Goldwater being the GOP nominee. When did the GOP hand over power to the masses and away from the party bosses?

[RogueBeaver]

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.

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

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.

Interesting, I guess I overestimated the power of of the East Coast GOP establishment in 1964. I guess it was down to just Rocky by then. I guess 1948 would have been the last gasp of the East Coast establishment. I had always assumed that Goldwater had taken the nomination from the establishment's cold dead hands.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

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.

Interesting, I guess I overestimated the power of of the East Coast GOP establishment in 1964. I guess it was down to just Rocky by then. I guess 1948 would have been the last gasp of the East Coast establishment. I had always assumed that Goldwater had taken the nomination from the establishment's cold dead hands.

Eisenhower, whose original run was very much spearheaded by men like Dewey and Lodge, very much represented the triumph of internationalism and moderation over isolationism and ideology in 1952. Perhaps it says something that their last man had to be a nationally popular general.

[darklordoftech]

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?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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?

Political machines in places like Philadelphia (collapsed in the late 40's/early 50's), papers like the New York Herald-Tribune (folded in 62 I believe) and of course numerous politicians in places like New York, New England and so on.

The Conservatives had the upper had within the party since the Bullmoose Party, and post New Deal a lot of the politicians in the Eastern Establishment were having a hard time competing and maintaining power with the increase in union strength and democratic voting, in their former bastion.

The Conservatives on the other hand were plowing fertile fields in the Sunbelt in places like Arizona, Southern California, and metros throughout the South (Dallas, Atlanta, Tampa, Charlotte).

[Kingpoleon]

The Eastern Establishment lost because it went under attack throughout the nation. Richard Nixon, William Knowland, Ronald Reagan, James and William Buckley, Norris Cotton, and many others contributed to the destruction of the organization. The most surprising things to me are the victories of Winthrop Rockefeller, Howard Baker, and Linwood Holton. It seems the moderates shifted their gears to the South after losing New York and the Midwest and California. Hatfield, it seems, was an ally of the Western liberal Republicans and the Buckley conservatives, which makes it easy to understand how the "Goldwaterites" - not really like Goldwater at all - split the moderates and allied themselves with the weaker wing of the moderates.