Which of the following is not true of 1964 Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, who is credited with re-firing the American conservative political movement?
Explanation
Answer: C - Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater was not opposed to using nuclear weapons in Vietnam. In fact, he advocated it and was demonized during the 1964 presidential campaign for his position. Though Goldwater is credited with kick-starting the conservative resurgence that dominated American politics in the 1970s and 1980s, he was actually out of step with many of the conservative ideals with which Republicans are identified. Goldwater had a strong libertarian streak, which is what informed his values. He was a states’ rights advocate and believed in minimal federal intervention on nearly everything except national defense, which does match the conservative Republican ideology. However, he supported women’s reproductive rights and open military service for homosexuals, and he opposed the rise of the Religious Right.
