Nelson Rockefeller Family, the influence on the Republican Party over the years, and his time as governor of new york state. Aboutalso talks rockefeller outside of politics, his marriage to Happy Rockefeller, and the murky circumstances of his death. Richard norton smith, after 14 years of work on your book, what would you tell somebody who does not know about Nelson Rockefeller, who he is, what he did. . Significant, indeed historically significant, figure in a number of fields. Gave him the i name of rockefeller republicanism, that i would describe as existing views of tens of millions of americans who may not be aware of the phrase. Nutshell, a combination of policies that are fiscally responsible and socially liberal. Had ad himself that he republican head and a democratic heart. Aceto nead esposito, who was one of rockefellers allies, he said that he was too liberal for the conservatives and to conservative for the democrats. Middleoftheroad politics, that is a worldview that we c