What didn't the electorate like about the 1980s democratic party?

[Reaganfan]

I remember hearing once that President Reagan came into office in 1981 and mentioned to someone that he wanted to return America to a place before the 1960s and 1970s ruined it.

With the exception of some positive aspects of the Civil Rights era and Women in workplace, I genuinely believe America would have been better had New Years Eve 1959 led into New Years Day 1980.

[Reaganfan]

And you'd be astonishingly wrong for myriad reasons (not the least of which being that Reaganaut conservatism was the antithesis of the conservatism of the 1950s; there were more contradictions than commonalities between them.).

No it's absolutely correct that the 60s and 70s did more harm than good. They were the drunk and hungover decades. The 1980s were when we sobered up, showered, shaved, and took things seriously again.

Man in the Gray Flannel Suit and Working Girl are examples of American economic progress. The garbage in between was unnecessary and hurt our country.

[Reaganfan]

You've utterly missed my point, Naso: you don't get the 1980s without the 1960s and 1970s, for an immense number of reasons. For instance - Man In The Grey Flannel Suit, that emodiment of staid Eisenhower organizational capitalism, is the antithesis of the Yuppie Reagan individualistic capitalism. It took the inward-focused counterculture, with its "Okay To Be Me" and Human Potential Movements, to get from A to B.

Not specifically true. I'm well aware of the capitalistic and business differences of the "Mad Men" era versus "Material Girl/Wall Street" era you speak of. However, one drastic change was that it was as if the boomers grew up into their parents viewpoints to a greater extent only later than normal.