What would Barry Goldwater say about how politics is practiced in the United States in 2015?
December 17, 2015
I can't believe that we watched the whole Republican presidential debate this past Tuesday. But we did. It reminded me of the glory days of professional wrestling that would come to our town where you would see guys like Leaping Larry Chene and others make lots of noise and shake their fingers at each other.
The debate was disappointing. These guys and one woman want to govern our country. And all they can do is trash talk each other. I found it impossible to pick through the bile filled words to discern the real values of any of them. It seemed like they changed whenever convenient depending on the audience.
That wasn't the case with another presidential candidate who came to my hometown when I was a freshman in college. Barry Goldwater made a whistle stop to make a case for his candidacy in 1964. I still remember it. You could disagree with him, but he was clear and he was consistent.
He wouldn't twist his words just to get your vote. I really respected that. I still do, but I don't see it much anymore.
Do you like politicians who tell you what they think you want to hear or do you prefer those who are honest about what they feel based on their values?