Word: goldwaterism
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Myth No. 1 is that "Goldwater's nomination would set the Republican Party back 20 years."
The New York Times, which fervently believes this one, gave Barry a break of sorts last week when it cut the period by which Goldwater's nomination would set the party back to a mere decade.
The notion behind the myth is that although Goldwater would almost certainly lose to Lyndon Johnson, he would remain the party's national leader, and his fervent followers, who believe their brand of Republicanism is the only kind, would take over the G.O.P. machinery for years to come.
Recent history points to the flaw in the theory. As it happens, losers have an awfully hard time controlling anything thereafter. Alf Landon certainly didn't control the Republican Party after 1936. Neither did Wendell Willkie after 1940, or Dick Nixon after 1960. Tom Dewey did maintain his control...
Myth No. 2 holds that "Goldwater should be nominated so as to provide, once and for all, a clear-cut choice between a conservative and a liberal."