Discuss the ideological transformation of the Democratic Party from the 1960s through the present.

What will be an ideal response?

During the 1960s anti–Vietnam War sentiment threatened the existence of the Democratic Party. During the early 1970s there was an ideological shift to the left that took it out of the mainstream. Not until the 1990s under Bill Clinton did it begin a shift back to the mainstream. The Democratic Leadership Council was key to this shift. During the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore likely lost support due to the D.L.C. position. In 2004 Democrats gained support even from voters who did not necessarily agree with party ideology due to the unpopularity of President George Bush. That same unpopularity helped then candidate Barack Obama draw support from across the ideological spectrum, which ultimately helped him win the election. Although there are still questions as to where the party will go after Hillary Clinton’s defeat in 2016, generally speaking, the ideological divide within the party has been easier to manage than that of their Republican opponents.