The Fifth Great Awakening radically transformed American politics. As a result of the country's renewed religious devotion, full-fledged social liberalism became untenable outside of a handful of major metropolises. In reaction to these changes, the Democratic Party attempted to increase its natural working class appeal by running socially conservative, economically left-wing candidates for the nation's highest offices. This left the Republican Party in an awkward position, as less affluent voters began to flock to the Democrats in droves. The party ultimately decided that the only way forward was to appeal explicitly to the middle and upper classes.
Governor Law (D-MO) / Senator Beans (D-CA)Governor Maxwell (R-OK) / Senator Goldwater (R-WA)Unfortunately for the Republicans, unusually strong showings in the Plains and Pacific Northwest were not enough to override the Democrats' equally impressive performance among Asians, Hispanics, and Midwesterners.
