Opinion of Barry Goldwater?

[Ardent15]

While he hated unions and did unforgivable things like voting against the Civil Rights Act, he was one of the more respectable conservatives, especially in retrospect.

He was consistent with his beliefs and principles.

[Warren Stupidity]

1. Conservative shit head with integrity.

His only saving grace is that he openly rejected the fundaloon deviation of the puke party.

[EFerrari]

3. If anyone had told me in my teens that I would miss Barry Goldwater

I would have called the police.

lol

[grantcart]

2. He is complex but much more progressive than any Republican today

He was for abortion rights and hated the religious rights bullying famously saying once "
"Every good Christian ought to kick Falwell right in the ass".

He hated homophobia and said


"You don't have to be straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to shoot straight."

A few years before his death he went so far as to address the right wing, "Do not associate my name with anything you do. You are extremists, and you've hurt the Republican party much more than the Democrats have.

[Warpy]

4. He mellowed after he lost to Johnson

and became quite tolerable in the end, although he was still wrong about so many things, especially domestic policy.

He mellowed instead of surrendering to bitterness and plotting revenge, a shortcoming of most of his conservative fellows.

[tularetom]

5. He's dead

When he was alive he was pretty much a jerk, but definitely a step or two above the current crop of repubs on the evolutionary ladder.

He's probably spinning in his grave at the thought of the McCain-Hayworth primary selecting his successor.

[Blue_In_AK]

6. He used to scare the crap out of me

but in retrospect he doesn't seem all that frightening.

[pscot]

7. right wing loony

n/t

[bemildred]

8. Raygun without the charm or wit. nt

[jaysunb]

9. LOL !

:hi:

[bemildred]

17. Dood!

:hi:

[mitchum]

16. Well said (n/t)

[fishwax]

10. other than his eventual turn towards championing gay rights, my opinion of him is not high

I'm not sure that being consistent with one's beliefs and principles is much of a virtue when one's beliefs and principles cause one to vote against something like the Civil Rights Act, though.

[JVS]

11. Fuck him.

Being a less loony rw loon than the current ones doesn't win any points with me.

[47of74]

12. He probably wouldn't be a Republican if he was still around today...

Goldwater wouldn't be anywhere near teabagger enough for the Republican party today.

[madrchsod]

14. he`s be a neo-liberal.....

[devilgrrl]

13. He seemed to progress toward the end.

If I was of age when he ran, there's no way in hell I would have ever voted for him - he had some pretty fucked up ideas. Tactical nukes? WTF?

Compared to what the GOP has now - he'd be considered a socialist.

[mitchum]

15. First demigod of the pioneering Orange County wingnuts...good riddance