The Later Goldwater, Alas

THE phrase that most accurately describes the last years of many political lives is “forgotten—but not gone.” Ifitisa shock to pick up a newspaper and read that Senator Hiram J. Bafflegab (D., Minn.) has gone to his reward, that is usually because we thought the old boy had been properly rewarded many years before.

But the death of Barry Goldwater was something which any attentive reader or viewer had been expecting for some time. It had been preceded by about 15 years of trailers—newspaper articles and television profiles which kept us informed about the former senator’s life, health, and evolving political opinions. These premature obituaries, which were faithfully echoed by the actual obituaries when he died late this May, portrayed Senator Goldwater as a Great American Character, an irreverent, straight-shooting, and principled conservative who could be forgiven a certain extremism in defense of liberty because he shot straight at the Religious Right in his later years.

About the Author

John O’Sullivan

John O’Sullivan is a senior fellow at National Review Institute and a contributing editor of National Review.

Featured Tags

THE phrase that most accurately describes the last years of many political lives is “forgotten—but not gone.” Ifitisa shock to pick up a newspaper and read that Senator Hiram J. Bafflegab (D., Minn.) has gone to his reward, that is usually because we thought the old boy had been properly rewarded many years before.

But the death of Barry Goldwater was something which any attentive reader or viewer had been expecting for some time. It had been preceded by about 15 years of trailers—newspaper articles and television profiles which kept us informed about the former senator’s life, health, and evolving political opinions. These premature obituaries, which were faithfully echoed by the actual obituaries when he died late this May, portrayed Senator Goldwater as a Great American Character, an irreverent, straight-shooting, and principled conservative who could be forgiven a certain extremism in defense of liberty because he shot straight at the Religious Right in his later years.