Goldwater’s Campaign Messaging

by | Quotes

“Goldwater’s personal style, while ruggedly honest, was somewhat astringent and doctrinaire. In this connection, he was also badly served by his speechwriters, many of whom apparently regarded his candidacy as a golden opportunity to bring home a series of long-overlooked and highly unpleasant “truths” to the American people. It was—as it so often is—not so much what Goldwater said as how he said it.”

Source: The Making of the New Majority Party (1975)

Keywords: campaigns,biography,public-discourse

Author

  • William A. Rusher (1923–2011), publisher of National Review (1957–1988), was a leading conservative spokesman, columnist, and author. He helped draft Barry Goldwater for the 1964 GOP nomination, shaping the party’s future. A Princeton and Harvard Law graduate, he served in WWII, worked in law, and advised the U.S. Senate. In 1989, he became a Distinguished Fellow at the Claremont Institute and remained active in conservative circles until his passing in 2011.

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