Why Barry Goldwater Couldn't Support Obama

The Goldwater name carries with it the standard of modern conservatism and has shaped the Republican Party for decades, waving proudly and with the dedication my father brought to everything in his life. However, that standard recently has been hijacked and used without any grounding in reality.

Being Barry Goldwater's son and living in Arizona, one would assume that I would be voting for our state's senator, John McCain. Well, I am. The decision truly is a no-brainer.

In a previous article, my niece CC implied that the Goldwater family would support Obama. I don't resent my niece's beliefs, she is after all entitled to the freedom of choice we all enjoy as Americans -- however, I do resent what she has done. When she speaks, she should speak for herself and not imply that she is a representative or spokesperson for the Goldwater name. When I speak, I represent my own thinking and never imply I speak for anyone else.

Before one can even attempt to speak for the reputation and beliefs of the Goldwater family, it might be helpful to re-read the Conscience of a Conservative that Barry Goldwater, Sr. wrote and be reminded of the principles of what it means to be a Goldwater conservative. My niece owes the family that at least if she thinks her public endorsement is so important.

Further, that endorsement should at least contain the specifics of what she thinks my father would find so appealing about Obama. Is it his tax policy on small businesses that will increase taxation for over four million people or half of the top one percent of income earners? Is it his anti wealth policy when he advocates increasing taxes and doing away with the capital gains tax? Is it his universal health care program? Who will pay for that? Is it his so-called education program that calls for free college education and offers more federal intrusion into our education process? Or maybe it is just his lack of foreign policy experience?

When anyone makes this kind of leap they at least owe specifics and not generalizations. It's this kind of blind reasoning that is helping liberal Democrats take over our government with a veto-proof Congress and allowing free control of the executive and legislative branches. I have to ask CC if she thinks her grandfather would want this. Absolutely not. He would view this as dangerous and I'm surprised she doesn't.

Barry Goldwater was one of the icons of the Republican Party and, yes, would be unhappy with many of the recent failures from within. I speak about this all the time and how mad I am that Republicans have lost their way. However, we do not find our way back by sheepishly going over to the other side. My father worked to rebuild the party in 1964 by taking it back from the liberal Establishment. He would work to do the same thing today.

CC does not help the Republican Party nor the cause by minimizing John McCain. McCain may not be everything she wants in a President or hold her exact values, but she should work within the party to promote the ideals Barry Goldwater stood for. Endorsing one of the most liberal Senators in Congress is certainly not the way to help fix any problem she sees; instead it is a betrayal of everything my father advocated government should be. My father would never endorse a candidate or a party that wanted to grow government, raise taxes or in any way step on our freedoms.

Together the Goldwaters, including CC, should work together to redefine the Republican Party and make it the model Barry Goldwater Sr. stood for.

Comments

[kravenknit]

"is it his tax policy on small businesses that will increase taxation for over four million people"

Why do you not see that there are approx 200 million people who are looking for some form of tax relief as well? We may not be small business owners, we may not make 250,000 per year. However, we go to work every day, and all it has gotten us is the government deeper in my pockets. Almost 1/3 of my check goes to taxes. And that amount increases every year. Enough is enough.

[Chagrined]

Liberals are the conscious of the nation! I suggest Mr, Goidwater read Victor Gold's book "INVASION OF THE PARTY SNATCHERS: HOW THE NEO-CONS AND HOLY ROLLERS DESTROYED THE GOP" Mr. Gold served as press secretary to Senator Barry Goldwater.

[McFlipFlop]

You really don't know much about education, do you: "Is it his so-called education program that calls for free college education and offers more federal intrusion into our education process? "

Yes, more education means more productivity for all. I gather you would rather continue to cut grants like Bush has done. Let only the rich get an education?

Do you care at all about the flattening of wages for the middle class? Or are you only concerned about the "half of the top one percent of income earners"?

Interesting that you call these folks "income earners". It's relatively easy to earn income if you have wealth to start with, isn't it?

Are you even aware that we already have a progressive tax system that has been abused by Bush to benefit only the wealthy? You think it's wrong to take this back to Reagan levels?

It's pretty obvious where your concerns are based, and it's not for mankind, but for only certain kinds of men.

[rlasorsa]

I blame all of this on the McCain Campaign - possibly the worse run presidential campaign of all time time. The Democrats put forth the most liberal, radical, and dangerous Presidential Candidate ever AND the Democrats cause one of the worse economic problems in the last 50 years. The Republicans should have destroyed the Democrats this year: keeping the Presidency and taking back the House and the Senate. This inept and incompetent campaign that Senator McCain is running is going to leave us with a socialist President and the most liberal Congress in the history of the United States.
This is what happens when the Republicans run a "left-of-center", somewhat liberal Presidential Candidate like Senator McCain.


Quite frankly, I am scared and I do not know how my family is going to survive.

[knollfence]

Huh???????

[tainochef714]

Barry Goldwater Sr. was a very poracative politician and great thinker for the Republicans in his time. An example of someone Republicans should have looked for in leadership for this election. Any ideas who?

[TinaCL]

Mr. Goldwater,

Unlike many of the previous posters, I am in complete agreement with your position. There are many problems in today's GOP (hijacking by the religious right, neoconservative foreign policy, and deficit spending), but I am not throwing the baby out with the bathwater. McCain is not a perfect candidate (Ron Paul's principles of limited gov't are probably closer to the policies your father would have supported), but I am going to, like you, hold my nose and vote for McCain. As far as taxes and fiscal domestic policies, he is still a a better choice. Obama is too inexperienced and too reminiscent of the Mondale/McGovern big-government Dems.

[cblmc]

Mr. Goldwater

We've had corporate and wealth socialism for the past 8 years and more to come. Since when would your father have children considered last. Last in education, health, and other services that help them grow to make this a Great America.

How disappointing.....this is not just about being a Republican....this is about supporting America! Your father was first and foremost a great American.

[apple597]

"My father would never endorse a candidate or a party that wanted to grow government, raise taxes or in any way step on our freedoms." By your assertion, your father wouldn't support the Republican Party in its current incarnation since it's failed miserably at 2 out of those 3 ideals you describe (grow government, step on our freedoms). Instead of raising, taxes have been cut to the point of our not being able to pay off our own bills and instead borrowing from other countries to pay others. We all believe in reform but at what point are we short changing ourselves by cutting taxes instead of investing in our country? To the point where our children can't compete intellectually with other countries (how will we innovate?), where we have levees breaking and bridges falling, and where we are stuck in a war far away from where Bin Laden is hiding. I grew up learning that we do not live beyond our means, that we do not become arrogant and take things for granted, and finally that we appreciate what this country stands for (liberty, freedom, hope). It is the last that the GOP has disregarded the most. McCain has played on fear/religion to garner votes from those who are intolerant of what makes America the best country in the world (diversity). Perhaps your father would work to "take it back" from the ultra-conservative establishment this time (this is not 1964 anymore) by working from middle.

[lucylou]

Mr. Goldwater - you seem to have forgotten one tiny nuance about voting for particular people and their parties: by giving them your vote, you are part & parcel giving them your personal seal of approval - a mandate - to continue on with their agenda, as it is articulated. You obviously have been watching too much of the 'Maverick' series these days.
With your vote going to 'the other guy', you send a much stronger message of your disgust with a party that has literally run amok. Why would anyone have cause to change seeing that "heck, I got all these votes!"
So, go ahead and vote holding your nose.

But, I remind you of the definition of Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

[tainochef714]

I always wondered what Goldwater Sr. would say to these modorn neo-cons.

[angrykeyboarder]

Are you sure about this? I've lived in Arizona (on and off) since 1982 and I recall your father gained much more "common sense" in his later years.

In other words, he remained conservative, but far less so.

And frankly I think he'd be disgusted with McCain at this point.

Obama has gotten a huge amount of support from Republicans (including many prominent ones).

I think your niece may be more representative of how your father would be thinking right now than you want to believe.

[olephart]

“work together to redefine the Republican Party and make it the model Barry Goldwater Sr. stood for.:

I’ve got some bad news for you Junior, the good old days weren’t that good. Harking back to a time of “real” conservatism would mean adopting some concepts that had their day, were put to the test and discarded. The recent economic disaster is a case in point. Conservatives have always held FDR’s New Deal policies in low esteem. Reagan, Congressional Republicans and Bush Jr. rolled back tested New Deal regulations with disastrous consequences. Likewise with Social Security, privatization championed by conservatives would have cost trillions more than is now being spent to undo the damage. The World has moved on, it has a way of doing that when you’re not watching. This is especially true if your financial circumstances insulate you from the stark reality of 99% of your fellow citizens.
The one aspect of conservative thought that does ring true is the concept that Public monies are precious and should be well spent. The programs funded should be well administered, effective and provide a service that is accepted as necessary by the citizenry. Bush has taken competence to a new low. I might suggest that rather than attempt to return us to a place that never existed just relax in the comfort of your estate, pleasantly mingle with like minded friends and let us run the system the way it should be run. The wealthy do better under Democrats anyway.

[loufan]

luluLA
I totally agree with your advice given to Mr GoldwaterJr.. I to enjoyed the article written by CC and agree with her endorsement, what a brillant and smart young lady.. Mr Goldwater Jr is back in the day and the younger generation today are very different in their thinking!! the world has changed and will continue to because America has changed so my advice to Mr. Goldwater Jr is to Get with the New day. or go somerwhere and sit down. I to knew Mr Goldwater Sr and he is gone and so is the old days. CC keeping standing up and speaking out this is a New Day!! Watch the New generation on Election Day!!

[southphillyitaliana]

Yet another Republican who neither listens nor reads. Obama - again - is NOT advocating a universal health care plan. It is universal for CHILDREN only - adults still have to pay their own way.

[dcrinaz]

Mr. Goldwater:

While I agree that your father, Barry Goldwater, "would never endorse a candidate or a party that wanted to grow government, raise taxes or in any way step on our freedoms.” I wonder how, with your knowing this, you can support today's Republican party and its leadership.

You speak about "how mad" your are "that Republicans have lost their way.” Yet you refuse to see that it lost its way because it is not the party of smaller government, lower taxes and protection of personal freedom.

The Federal government under George Bush and years of a Republican congress is larger than ever. Republicans do raise taxes when it suits them or push them off on future generations. As far as protecting personal freedoms, all one has to say is Patriot Act, domestic spying and Guantanamo.

Remember the huge Federal budget deficits Republicans have accumulated since Reagan's presidency, the Iraq war costs and the bail-out for Wall Street. One day, these bills will have to be paid for, which will force future governments to raise raise taxes regardless of who is president. Republicans are against raising taxes, they are against raising taxes on themselves and prefer to have their children pay them. Thanks, Republicans.

Upon considering these Republican hypocrisies along with Karl Rove et alia’s Machiavellian dishonesty and manipulations used to gain power, one can see why CC Goldwater and others have chosen to support Barack Obama. It's the honest and logically consistent thing to do.

[Alffy]

I voted for your Father, Mr. Goldwater, not because of anything other than he was honest, he seemed to say what he meant. We could not say that for L.B.J., and I was oh so young. I read and appreciated CC's article, she is a wonderful woman, I like her values, I suspect she is a lot like her grandfather... I recommend you re-read her article, with out the judgements already in the front of your mind, and see if you cant hear a bit of your father in her words...