Arguments Through the Ages: Barry Goldwater

Star Tribune ^ | November 17, 2002 | Barry Goldwater

[anncoulteriscool]

Editor's note: Barry Goldwater (1909-1998) was a Republican senator from Arizona who ran against Lyndon Johnson for the White House in 1964. Although he lost that election by a large margin, Goldwater became famous for rallying a conservative movement that came to see him as its champion. The following is excerpted from his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention.

[anncoulteriscool]

I saw this and just had to post it....i got this speech on tape too!

[WOSG]

A great speech indeed!
I find it interesting that even in 1964 he was criticizing the lack of honesty of LBJ in Vietnam. It was the lack of honesty and lack of vision that ultimately cost us that war. How similar to the behavior of Clinton! our nation paid a price for his lack of honesty too, a price we are paying still.

[billybudd]

I don't think any politician today would have the balls to make that speech.

[yoe]

Thank you! Thank you! Like our United States Constitution, Barry Goldwater’s words ring just as true as they did when he spoke them. Will all the Nancy Pelosies now exit to the left; the door is open.

[morque2001]

The good Lord raised this mighty republic to be a home for the brave and to flourish as the land of the free -- not to stagnate in the swampland of collectivism, not to cringe before the bully of communism.

This is the real battle, against collecivism. Until we can prove to the sheeple why it has never and will never work. They will fall for it.

[Asmodeus]

[Humidston]

Barry Goldwater was our hero, the beginning of an age...

More importantly to me at the time, I saw a relatively unknown man make a televised speech on behalf of Goldwater. I was so impressed with this "unknown" that I taped it on a reel to reel recorder to save for my children.

That man's name - Ronald Reagan.

[tet68]

He had McNamara pegged too.

[Common Tator]

I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.

In 1966 I interviewed president LBJ. Nearly every great Society bill had been passed. The United States had taken, in just 2 short years, a bigger leap to the leftt than it had in all the FDR years.

I asked Lyndon, who besided himself, would he say was most important in getting the Great Society passed into law.

I though he would mention Kennedy or the Democratic leadership or the American people. I gave him a softball to pander to his supporters. But he did not do what I expected.

LBJ laughed and said "The most help I had in passing the Great Society was Barry Goldwater." "I could not have done it with out Barry.", LBJ continued.

The Great Society is the Barry Goldwater legacy.

He did not mean it to be... But it was. It took the pathetic campaign of Barry Goldwater to give LBJ enough leftists in Congress to get his Great Society passed. Had Barry even run as bad a campaing as Bush Sr. did in 1992 the Great Society would have ended up like Hillary care. Barry saw to it that did not happen.

[Kerberos]

"But it was. It took the pathetic campaign of Barry Goldwater to give LBJ enough leftists in Congress to get his Great Society passed. "

Yeah Barry spoke the truth and unfortunately most of the people just couldn't grasp it.

Much like things are today. And people wonder why there isn’t much honesty in politics.

[Common Tator]

I saw a relatively unknown man make a televised speech on behalf of Goldwater

Four years earlier in 1960 Ronald Reagan was a registered Democrat that Voted for and donated money to Jack Kennedy. Just 2 years earlier Reagan had still been a registered Democrat whose political hero was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. They wanted to run Ron for Governor in California against Brown. They knew it would take a RINO to win against Brown in California. A former union president and recently a registerd Democrat they thought might have a chance against Brown. However they were afraid the far Right would label Reagan a RINO. They were afraid a RINO could not win the nomination. They got the bright idea of having their former lefist RINO actor union president give a speech for Goldwater. They reasoned that no right wing nut would lablel a RINO, a RINO after he had spoken for Goldwater. No national Republican wanted anywhere near Goldwater, so Barry accepted the offer from the Reagan people. Barry got a RINO edorsement in exchange for prime time TV exposure for Reagan.

It worked.

Riordan should have done that in 2000. He is no more leftist than Ronnie and we might have gotten a Governor instead of having to endure that husge loss by the Goldwater clone named Simple Simon.

[linkster]

Barry Goldwater,during his campaign, said he wanted to use small nukes and end the Vietnam war quickly. LBJ called him a "warmonger" and said he (Goldwater) would cost the lives of American soldiers. The facts are that by not trying to win the war, Johnson cost us more lives than we could have imagined. Typical Democrat threats and lies !

[Fiddlstix]

Great Post!

[jim_trent]

Unfortunately, Mr. Goldwater took a sharp turn toward the left during his last few years of life. He supported several leftist people and causes. Makes me wonder what he really believed. BTW, I agree with the above that he ran the worst campaign that I have ever seen.

[gusopol3]

you ellipsed past the truly amazing part!:

Now, the Republican cause demands that we brand communism as the principal disturber of peace in the world today. Indeed, we should brand it as the only significant disturber of the peace. And we must make clear that until its goals of conquest are absolutely renounced and its rejections with all nations tempered, communism and the governments it now controls are enemies of every man on earth who is or wants to be free. Now, we here in America can keep the peace only if we remain strong. Only if we keep our eyes open and keep our guard up can we prevent war. And I want to make this abundantly clear-I don't intend to let peace or freedom be torn from our grasp because of lack of strength, or lack of will-and that I promise you Americans. I believe that we must look beyond the defense of freedom today to its extension tomorrow. I believe that the communism which boasts it will bury us will instead give way to the forces of freedom. And I can see in the distant and yet recognizable future the outlines of a world worthy our dedication, our every risk, our every effort, our every sacrifice along the way. Yes, a world that will redeem the suffering of those will be liberated from tyranny. I can see, and I suggest that all thoughtful men must contemplate, the flowering of an Atlantic civilization, the whole world of Europe reunified and free, trading openly across its borders, communicating openly across the world.

[CPOSharky]

Thay said if I voted for Goldwater we would be up to our armpits in Vietnam. I voted for Goldwater. They were right.

[Cobra64]

Even as a 14 year old kid, I remember this speech. I also went to a rally in NJ to see Ronald Reagan supporting Barry Goldwater. All of my friends said I was a political right wing junkie. On one of my chemistry exams, after I signed it, I added, Go Barry AuH20.

[Cobra64]

That man's name - Ronald Reagan.

Yup, me too.

[Cobra64]

Who is saying what on your response? Between the several boldness and no quotations connected with anyone, your typed words are just a jumble of words with no logic from point ? to some point ?.

[Sonny M]

Goldwater at the end of his life, became, essentially, a libertarian. He had a lot of gripes with the socially conservative part of the GOP. He felt that the GOP was moving way to far in getting into a social agenda and away from the fiscal side.