Posted by
Tim Blessing on Friday, April 04, 2008 7:52:37 PM
What would Barry Goldwater think of American Politics today?
The first Conservative Presidential Candidate since before Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal.
He lost in a landslide to Lyndon Johnson, but his ideas lived on with him in the United States Senate and through Reagan.
He believed in lower taxes, a mightier military, and self reliance as much as possible.
He called Eisenhower's Administration Program a dime store new deal, but Ike was the best all around President he had studied and Ike had able men around.
He said that Harry Truman was the best decisionmaker President we had.
He said that Reagan was more inspirational than Kennedy, but not by much.
He said that the main difference between Kennedy and Reagan is the fact that Reagan had humlity because he lived through Vietnam, Watergate, and the Carter Economic Malaise.
What would he say today? The Terror War need's to be fought to a successful conclusion. That the Iraq War subcomponent is being run by amateurs. That we need to maintain our guard against China. Deal fairly with the Europeans, Japanese, and the rest of our allies.
He might have misgivings about the Russians.
He'd say balance the budget by repealing laws that are not needed.
He'd consolidate the bureaucracy and fire most of them.
He'd end most federal programs even though this would be politically impossible.
He'd cut taxes.
He'd end regulations on business altogether.
He'd get rid of George W. Bush for being too amoral.
He'd get rid of Dick Cheney because he's way too arrogant.
He liked the Kennedys and had a good friendship with JFK.
He was committed to his ideas, but had no charisma.
A Radical who did not care what impact his words had on people.
He'd get rid of social security, medicare, medicaid, and he did vote for and against different civil rights bills.
He unified the Conservative Republicans, but contributed to the divisions in the nation.
He did not like gay people per se, but what they did was their business so long as it wasn't in his face.
He thought a woman had a right to choose.
He thought the religious right people needed being kicked in the rear to beat some sense into them.
A man of strong views who was too controversial to become President.