Goldwater

Well, the “stupid’ and “negligible” folks have made quite a comeback since then, beginning with Barry Goldwater’s 1964 presidential campaign.

Most strikingly, 23 percent were both ideological conservatives and operational liberals, and that proportion was doubled in the Deep South states carried by Goldwater — precisely the targets of the Long Southern Strategy.

In recent years we have seen angry minds at work mainly among extreme right-wingers, who have now demonstrated in the Goldwater movement how much political leverage can be got out of the animosities and passions of a small minority.

When Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, a compassionate conservative who championed civil rights and environmental protections, announced his intention to run against John F. Kennedy in the 1964 election, Didion embraced his candidacy.

“Goldwater was a commanding presence who projected a straight-forward approach towards issues,” observes Wilkinson.