One of the forbearers of the Conservative movement in the United States was a Mr. Barry M. Goldwater. Seen by many as the father of the modern Conservative movement, his ideas on the role of government, particularly as a small, efficient entity that does not interfere in one's personal life is the basis of the Republican Party's philosophy today. Goldwater practiced brinkmanship in his day and was seen by many as a radical when he ran for president in 1964. But as time passed, his personal idealism cooled and he supported more establishment candidates. Many on the right admire him as a role model today. Yet Goldwater would surely cringe at the modern GOP.
Goldwater has a different political philosophy than a conservative. As noted by his firm stances on governmental regulation of the environment, secularism, abortion, homosexual rights, and isolationist foreign policy (all of which he supported), are very different compared to the average American conservative today. Why has the GOP shifted so far from the values of the man many consider to be an idol?
The answer lies in the social conservatism of the Religious Right. Goldwater unwittingly (or perhaps later regretted) aided the revival of social conservatism. Unlike his beliefs, this wing of the party strongly supported government intervention in one's personal life. This group is firmly in control of the Republican Party and will remain so for some time.
Do you think Goldwater was a positive part of the Conservative movement? Have social conservatives taken over the GOP? Would he stand aghast at the GOP of today?
Personally, (as you can read in my sig) I believe he would booed off the stage at CPAC. He definitely was more of a libertarian than a conservative and his stance on social issues would alienate a large portion of the GOP. It's quite ironic that he unleashed a conservative movement that would later transform the party into social reactionaries.
