Pure Goldwater

Dean, John W.; Goldwater Jr., Barry M.

ISBN 10: 1400107369 ISBN 13: 9781400107360

Publisher: Tantor Audio, 2008

Synopsis

Barry Goldwater was a defining figure in American public life, a firebrand politician associated with an optimistic brand of conservatism. In an era in which American conservatism has lost its way, his legacy is more important than ever. For over fifty years, in those moments when he was away from the political fray, Senator Goldwater kept a private journal, recording his reflections on a rich political and personal life. Here bestselling author John Dean combines analysis with Goldwater's own words.

With unprecedented access to his correspondence, interviews, and behind-the-scenes conversations, Dean sheds new light on this political figure. From the late senator's honest thoughts on Richard Nixon to his growing discomfort with the rise of the extreme right, Pure Goldwater offers a revelatory look at an American icon-and also reminds us of a more hopeful alternative to the dispiriting political landscape of today.

About this title

From the Publisher:

Q&A with Barry Goldwater, Jr.

Why did you write the book now?
My father's journals are rich with personal observations and feelings that have never been seen before. I am sure my father would not mind them being published for he enjoyed stirring the water of public opinion.

What is the story behind your collaboration with John Dean on this book?
John was doing research for another article at the AZ Historical Foundation located at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona when we stumbled upon several boxes containing my father's journals. These papers were presumed lost. We both came to the same idea that the public should see these and thus started the collaboration.

Will the personal writings in this book change public opinion of who Barry Goldwater, Sr. was?
Yes, they will see a kinder and gentler man who really cared about his country, his family, his party, and the average human being's welfare.

Do you think there is a message that this book has to offer today's presidential hopefuls?
Yes, get politics out of the gutter. Politics and government needs to be restored to a higher level of honesty and dedicated service. Start getting along and stop all the bitter partisan fighting.

Has the Republican Party changed since your father's time in office? If so how?
Conservative Republicans have been taken over by the religious right, the so-called social conservatives. My father had a deep faith in God but he never felt a need to put a bumper sticker on his car or dictate to anyone else how or what to believe. The demand of some to vote for a candidate strictly on the basis of religious views deeply troubled him, as such dictates violated freedom of choice and personal privacy, the antithesis of the original philosophy of the Conservative movement, of which he was a founder.

Why is Goldwater conservatism still relevant today?
Because it is all about maximizing individual freedom. This country is the only country founded on freedom but today we are slowly losing these to a growing government.

About the Author:

John Dean, the White House legal counsel to President Nixon, is the New York Times bestselling author of Worse Than Watergate.

About this edition

• Publisher: Tantor Audio
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1400107369
• ISBN 13: 9781400107360
• Binding: Audio CD