Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-10975360-20140428163406/@comment-32656-20140506083145

Remember the era in question - the majority of the party could be called "centrist" at that time.

The Dems, rather unfairly, tarred Goldwater with an extremism brush in 1964. Majority of it was vastly undeserved.

Despite prior support (and later support) for civil rights, including quietly advocating it in segregated 1950s Phoenix, his vote against the 1964 Civil Rights Act is about the only thing that was off about him - and he voted against it because he viewed it as being both a violation of state's rights, and an intrusion into private affairs. Not because he opposed it, but because he thought it beyond their powers.

Past that, he was anti-communist, and wanted to reform unions. Nothing surprising, there.

He also was very opposed to the fringe of the party at the time, and that became even more evident later on. In his waning years, his condemnations of the right-wing of the Republican Party became rather loud, remember.

Without a Kennedy assassination to deal with, any civil rights bill would likely not go quite as far - thus getting Goldwater's vote.

Reagan could not have been on said list - Nixon, as a California resident, could not have Reagan, another resident of California, as the VP nominee. That would violate the law.

Being Secretary of State would not damage his chances, unless he screwed it up. Just because there hadn't been one becoming president since Buchanan doesn't mean much of anything other than a lack of interest. Only one serious candidate since Buchanan has ran for the office after having previously been the Secretary, remember - James G. Blaine. Few others got nominated or were in contention later in life, mind.

In 1964, Goldwater had the problem of running in a civil rights campaign, in which his vote was used against him, somewhat unfairly, and against the assassinated Kennedy. He's actually on record as saying that he was running not against Johnson, but against the spirit of Kennedy, more than not.

Atl, not the case. Would be far better margins than otl, and as for winning or losing, it would be a wash.