Goldwater, Jr. Discusses His Book Based on Father

By JEFF GOODMAN Palisadian-Post Intern Despite the mainstream media’s around-the-clock coverage of the presidential campaign, we risk digesting news regarding Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain in a vacuum. But understanding the upcoming election is difficult without historical context. That was the overriding message imparted by Barry Goldwater, Jr. when he spoke last Wednesday afternoon at Village Books before signing copies of ‘Pure Goldwater,’ a book containing the previously unpublished diaries of his father, the longtime Arizona senator Barry Goldwater. Though it has been more than 40 years since Goldwater ran for president, his race against Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 provides an appropriate reference point for today’s presidential politics. In particular, his thoughts on campaign finance, energy policy, and international relations seem especially relevant. ‘[The book] gives a perspective on where we are today based on what happened in the past,’ said Goldwater, Jr., who co-authored the collection with former White House counsel John Dean, during an interview following the presentation. ‘It’s difficult to pass judgment if you don’t know how [this election] fits into the overall history of the country.’ The elder Goldwater carved out a large chunk of that history during his career, serving as a senator in Arizona from 1953 to 1965 and from 1969 to 1987, when he retired and was succeeded by McCain. Nicknamed ‘Mr. Conservative,’ Goldwater advocated limited government, a doctrine from which the GOP has strayed, his son asserted. ‘[Republicans] became what they campaigned against,’ Goldwater, Jr. said. ‘Under Republicans, we’ve got more government. My father would turn over in the grave.’ Goldwater also supported low taxes, a strong defense and, above all, individual liberty. Goldwater, Jr. said he remembers putting up posters during his father’s senatorial campaigns, and taking a year off from work to help his father run for president. And while his bid for the White House was not successful, Goldwater eventually inspired his son to run for office in the House of Representatives. The feeling of responsibility, he said, was overwhelming. ‘I was in Congress with my hand up swearing to uphold the Constitution,’ said Goldwater, Jr. to a small but attentive audience at Village Books. ‘Talk about feeling inadequate. My dad talks about [the same feeling] in ‘Pure Goldwater.” ??The diaries were discovered at the Arizona Historical Foundation by Dean, who was in the process of writing a book with Goldwater when the senator became ill and died soon thereafter. Dean told Goldwater, Jr. (his high school roommate at Staunton Military Academy) that previous biographers had missed out on a plethora of insightful first-hand accounts. For Goldwater, reading the journals reinforced two central facets of his father’s political career: his philosophy of pure conservatism, which the book jacket says ‘has lost its way’ in recent years, and the steadfast nature in which he held those beliefs. An appreciation for unwavering principles led Goldwater, Jr. to endorse Ron Paul in the 2008 presidential primaries, and he believes the American people crave that kind of sincerity. ‘A politician ought to stand for something. His constituents ought to know what he stands for,’ said Goldwater, who is 70. ‘[My father] was dogmatic about his views. People would say, ‘I don’t agree with your dad, but I sure like him.’ ‘ During a Q&A session after his presentation, Goldwater contextualized the partisan gridlock in Congress, calling the stalemate ‘unacceptable.’ When the Democrats controlled Congress, they welcomed bills and amendments by Goldwater, Jr. and other Republicans. But when the political tides turned in 1994, Republicans didn’t give Democrats the same privileges. Since 2006, Goldwater said, liberals have exacted justifiable revenge. What about 2008? ‘It’s a Democratic year,’ said Goldwater, whose prediction came with a twist. ‘Republicans deserve the beating they’re gonna get. Democrats will take both houses, but McCain is gonna win the presidency. After a while, people are going to start looking for substance.’ He noted that although Obama excites people much like John F. Kennedy did, he lacks foreign policy experience. But neither candidate lacks monetary resources, said Goldwater, who estimated that nearly $1 billion would be spent on the upcoming election. Goldwater agrees with his father that the best solution to curbing the exponential increase in campaign finances is a time limit on the campaign itself. ‘You’d think we could learn about these politicians in maybe six months,’ he said. Through the memoirs, Goldwater learned about his father’s insecurities, doubts and personal relationships with several influential political figures. ‘He was a lot more involved in government than I thought,’ his son said. Goldwater, Jr. admitted that he never planned on running for office. But one night at a bar, after a few beers and some encouragement from friends who said they would manage his campaign, Goldwater agreed to follow in his father’s footsteps. After representing areas of Ventura County and northern Los Angeles County (including Woodland Hills, Oxnard, Camarillo, Valencia, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks) from 1969 to 1983 and losing his bid for a U.S. Senate seat in 1982, Goldwater returned to the financial sector. He is currently chairman of MyStudio, which allows people to showcase their talents by making videos in high-tech mall kiosks. Starting in mid-September, customers can pay $20 for DVDs of their performances as well as a link to the Web site (MyStudio.net), where their singing, dancing, acting and modeling clips can become part of an online profile. ‘It’s got lots of sizzle from an investment point of view,’ said Goldwater, who lives in Phoenix with his wife, Sylvia. Their son, Barry Goldwater III, also lives in Arizona, and works in the entertainment business.