I am getting off topic, but he would not be middle of the road- he would be conservative on those issues. First of all, he would leave all of those up to the states. Also, he would not support taxpayer-funded abortion clinics that would be supported by the left. I guess it does not matter though, and it is arguable either way.

 

Have you ever read or seen what Goldwater was saying in the 80's? It might open up your eyes about those issues I listed.

Culturally, the United States has become more liberal and perhaps its politics have followed as a result. Economically, however, it has done the opposite.

I am not sure that I agree but you could certainly make that argument especially on the basis of international trade policies. The Nixon-Ford-Carter years were dark ones for our economy. However, OTOH, today's businesses must deal with far more government regulation and higher compliance costs than ever before. On balance, whether the economy is more "conservative" or "liberal" probably depends on how you broadly you define the economy.