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Caspian's avatar

"libertarian right" was always "MAGA."

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michaelflutist's avatar

I disagree. Goldwater was libertarian but far from MAGA.

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Paleo's avatar

Goldwater wasn’t exactly a libertarian.

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michaelflutist's avatar

He was literally the face of libertarianism.

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sacman701's avatar

He was probably closer to the libertarian ideal than anyone else who served in the Senate in the 20th century.

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James Trout's avatar

Goldwater had no problem sucking up to bigots in his 1964 run for President though. Lest we forget he made comments about how "Negroes run this country" as if that were a bad thing. The Republican Party didn't go from receiving 32 per cent of the African American vote in 1960 - and BTW that was AFTER JFK called Coretta Scott King and got Georgia Governor Ernest Vandiver to release MLK Jr from prison - to SIX per cent in 1964 for nothing.

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michaelflutist's avatar

I'm well aware of his appeals to segregationists, though I didn't know he made that horrible lying remark about who ran the country. However, he was dead-set against any entanglement of religion and state, supported abortion rights and gay rights, took the constitution as he saw it seriously, and didn't hesitate to work with Democrats, notably including his friend Ted Kennedy, on legislation of mutual interest. He was not close to MAGA.

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Jonathan's avatar

Imo Goldwater would have been appalled by MAGA ideology

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michaelflutist's avatar

Unquestionably!

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