What happened? Liberalism used to have a solid footing on the essentials of the constitution. If your enemies or people you don't like don't have rights, you don't either. The ACLU used to understand this probably better than most organizations and today, like much of CA and NY, they're lost.
> The ACLU used to understand this probably better than most organizations and today, like much of CA and NY, they're lost
This is a line I've read from texts dating back to at least 1973 by conservative authors, nearly verbatim.
I think cultural mores change and conservatives have a hard time adapting.
Alternatively, they've simply been dishonest with themselves since just after WWII -- start with the nonsense about FDR allowing Pearl Harbor to happen -- because they believe the ends justify the means.