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Speech · 1964

Acceptance Speech at the 1964 Republican National Convention

Accepting the Republican presidential nomination at the Cow Palace near San Francisco, Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona called for a return to limited constitutional government, praised a federal system that reconciles diversity with unity, and urged a firm stand against communism abroad. His closing defense of extremism in the defense of liberty, and rejection of moderation in the pursuit of justice, thrilled his supporters and alarmed the party’s moderate wing.

PM·DOC·1964·044Primary Source
Date
July 16, 1964
Author
Barry Goldwater
Type
Speech
Held by
The American Presidency Project (UCSB)

Why it matters

Goldwater lost to President Lyndon B. Johnson in a landslide, carrying only Arizona and five Deep South states, but his campaign built the grassroots conservative movement that later helped elect Ronald Reagan.

Read the full text at presidency.ucsb.edu
Primary Source

The original record, reproduced or linked from the institution that holds it. Primary sources show what people said and did in their own words.

Subjects

conservatismelectionslimited governmentanti-communism

From the library

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