Was the New Deal an attempt to save capitalism from collapse, a change in anti-government beliefs, or a liberal response to a unique crisis?

I would argue that these things are not mutuallly
exclusive.  The New Deal was a combination of all of these
things.

The New deal was clearly a response to what has so
far been a unique crisis.  The Great Depression was worse than anything before or
since.  The New Deal was a liberal response to that
crisis.

However, this does not mean that the other things
are not true.  There was clearly a worry among Americans that capitalism could
collapse.  There were worries that Americans would feel that capitalism had failed
them.  The New Deal offered a way to prop up the system rather than to see it
fall,

Finally, the New Deal required people to change their
beliefs about government.  The programs would not have been accepted by the populace if
the populace had not changed its views on
government.

Overall, then, I do not think these things are
mutually exclusive.  I think that the New Deal had aspects of all of these
things.