As Goldwater's remarked would indicate, he was as much an enemy of the neocons as he was of the socialism. The other major change in party was family values which ushered in the evangelicals.By the same token, this isn't the Republican party of Eisenhower or Goldwater. It's been taken over by neocons and evangelicals.This isn't the same Democratic Party as Kennedy's Party, or even Clinton's Party. That Democratic Party is long gone. It's been taken over by a bunch of anti-American Liberals.
The Republican party is still pretty much the same.
They did go towards liberalism and that is why they were voted out.
They are starting to go back somewhat to what they were.
Eisenhower and Goldwater were against socialism and were for balancing the budget, just like the party is now.
Eisenhower called it creeping socialism. He was completely right.