barry goldwater crusaded against the rockefeller republicans, beating rockefeller narrowly in the california primary of 1964 giving the arizona senator, all of the california delegates and a majority at the presidential nominating convention. the election was a disaster for the conservatives, but the goldwater activists now controlled large swaths of the gop and they had no intention of retreating. the stage was set for a conservative takeover, based in the south and west, in opposition to the northeast. ronald reagan continued in the same theme. george h. w. bush was more closely associated with the moderates, but his son george w. bush was firmly allied with the conservatives.