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Goldwater: 50 Years Later

Goldwater: 50 Years Later

A 50th anniversary look at the conservative legacy of Barry Goldwater and his 1964 presidential run.

Sen. Barry Goldwater rallied a new conservative generation during his presidential campaign in 1964. Although he lost that contest, his landmark philosophies of conservatism still echo a half-century later. As Goldwater's son, Barry Goldwater Jr., reminds us, conservatives must present positive answers to national problems, not just condemn them. (Associated Press)

Goldwater: The father of American conservatism

By Barry Goldwater Jr.

A half-century ago, Sen. Barry Goldwater strode to the podium of the Republican National Convention in San Francisco to accept his party's presidential nomination. He declared, "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vise." Let me remind you further: "Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." Published November 17, 2014

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Barry Goldwater in 1965. (AP Photo)

In the beginning there was Goldwater

- The Washington Times

In a very real sense, the modern conservative political movement began with Barry Goldwater. Had it not been for the Arizona senator it might have taken years or even decades for conservative ideas to break into the political mainstream, Ronald Reagan would be remembered today not as one of our greatest presidents, but as a "B" movie star and television host, and many of those who since the 1960s shaped our nation's politics would not have had an opportunity to do so.

Barry Goldwater greets an Indianapolis crowd during a campaign tour in Oct. 1964. (AP Photo

Goldwater: Good for a story, and good for the conscience

- The Washington Times

Barry Goldwater was the favorite candidate of every correspondent who appreciated a good story. I covered his 1964 presidential campaign for the old National Observer, the late, great Dow Jones newsweekly, and he never let us down. He was blunt, irreverent and unpredictable, often mocking the press caricature of him as a reckless gunslinger from the Old West. He was great copy.

A demonstration for Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater (right) is held on the final night of the Republican National Convention in San Francisco on July 16, 1964. Goldwater lost his presidential bid to incumbent Lyndon B. Johnson, who ascended to the presidency in 1963 following President John F. Kennedy's assassination. (Associated Press)

Goldwater's 'The Conscience of a Conservative' transformed American politics

Barry Goldwater's little 115-page book, "The Conscience of a Conservative," was published in 1960, long before running for president had occurred to the senator from Arizona, or much of anybody else. But Goldwater was already the undisputed champion of conservative ideas and policies in the Senate, and had traveled thousands of miles making speeches, campaigning for aspiring congressmen and senators, and raising money for the Republican cause.

Barry Goldwater waves to delegates inside the Cow Palace at the 1964 Republican National Convention in San Francisco. As a senator, he strongly argued that it is a core American value and in the country's best interest to stand by Taiwan as it faced an existential threat from tyrannical communists. Goldwater's contribution to the U.S.-Taiwan relationship made him a figure of enormous importance and won him profound respect on the other side of the Pacific. He championed the passage of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), a landmark piece of legislation, which through bipartisan support, was signed into law in April 1979. To this day, that law provides the bedrock for U.S.-Taiwan relations. (Associated Press)

Goldwater: Unwavering friend of 'Free China'

Barry Goldwater is rightfully an icon of the American conservative movement for decades since the 1960s, and it is a privilege and an honor to contribute to his remembrance on the 50th anniversary of his presidential campaign. What many Americans may not know, however, is the role then-Sen. Goldwater played in the U.S. relations with my country, the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan), usually termed by the senator as "Free China." His contribution to the U.S.-Taiwan relationship made him a figure of enormous importance and won him profound respect on the other side of the Pacific as well.

Sen. Barry Goldwater, then the GOP presidential nominee, and his vice presidential running mate, Rep. William E. Miller of New York, appear together on Capitol Hill, Aug. 14, 1964. In the fall election, the Conservative Party took the lead in promoting Goldwater after word went out that the state GOP was not to lift a finger for its presidential nominee. Although Goldwater lost New York by nearly 3 million votes on Election Day in 1964, he had a lasting impact on the state's fledgling conservative movement. (Associated Press)

1964 'Go with Goldwater' rally bore fruit in the Reagan presidency

Back in 1964, "conservative" was a dirty word in New York Republican circles. The party was under the thumb of the original RINO (Republican in name only) Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller, who believed he was destined to be elected president in 1964.

Sen. Barry Goldwater, Arizona Republican, announces his candidacy for the U.S. presidency in Phoenix on Jan. 3, 1964.

Goldwater: The man who ignited a revolution

Who was Barry Goldwater, universally known as "Mr. Conservative," and how did his '64 presidential campaign ignite a conservative revolution?

Shining moment: Barry Goldwater lost the presidential election 50 years ago, but he won the hearts of a new generation of conservatives. Many of those who have carried his torch will celebrate and remember at a dinner Tuesday in Washington. (Associated Press)

Barry Goldwater celebrated on 50th anniversary of campaign that ignited conservative movement

- The Washington Times

When Barry Goldwater accepted the 1964 Republican nomination for president, he gave a speech that galvanized his audience and went on to serve as a catalyst for the American conservative movement for decades to come. Now, a wide array of conservative luminaries — historians, politicians, journalists, former Goldwater associates — have joined forces to organize the Barry Goldwater 1964 Campaign 50th Anniversary Dinner and Forum, set for Tuesday in Washington.