What Would Barry Think?

Former Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) would not think much of the current conservative Republican leaders...And the man was THE conservative of his day, leading the revival of American conservatism in the 1960’s. This would later sweep Ronald Reagan into the Whitehouse. He was the spark of the Libertarian movement.

Goldwater deeply distrusted the religious right taking hold of the Republican Party in their efforts to form theocratic governance. He said “Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them.”

He was an outspoken opponent to discrimination against homosexuals during the passage of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) in 1994, stating “You don't need to be straight to fight and die for your country. You just need to shoot straight.”

He was even an advocate for legalization of medical marijuana in his later years, bucking the social conservative establishment within the Republican Party.

The man is a Republican icon...The outspoken conservative leaders like Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Marco Rubio, Governor Sarah Palin and Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann embody Goldwater’s biggest fears. They advocate for religious liberty, free speech and free expression in the case of Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson’s suspension, yet hypocritically oppose homosexuals in the military and same-sex marriage on religious and moral grounds. They defend rights when they agree, but do not defend the rights of those they oppose. Real Republicans support the rights of ALL Americans.

This should give us pause when we look at whom we choose to lead our party. Politicians who follow the example of the quintessential 20^th century conservative are labeled “RINOs”. This is a red flag. We should be asking what kind of people these “True Republicans” with “conservative values” even are. Are they the ones Barry Goldwater warned us against? Are they even Republicans?