Heck Of A Guy

DrHGuy On Goldwater On Goldwater

I caught CC Goldwater on The Daily Show, pimping Goldwater On Goldwater, her kinda-sorta documentary about her grandfather, Barry Goldwater. Having harbored an admiration for the man since his run for president when I was in high school, I tuned in to the HBO special – and I’m glad I did.

You should be glad as well because … but first, I require a brief digression in the service of setting up an analogy:

I have accumulated a dozen or more low fidelity MP3 files of Leonard Cohen singing such improbable songs as “Another Saturday Night,” “As Time Goes By,” “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You,” and “I’m The Man Who Wrote Suzanne (A Hundred Years Ago),” a set of lyrics sung to the tune of “Suzanne” improvised when he forgot the lines to that song. While I feel these recordings are quite special and, indeed, treasure them, I nonetheless realize that this esoteric collection will appeal primarily and perhaps exclusively to the hard core Cohen contingent.

Similarly, if you were, as I was (and as was Hillary Clinton), or still are a Goldwater junkie, Goldwater On Goldwater provides sufficient return on an investment of 90 minutes; otherwise, I’d suggest spending your discretionary TV time watching episodes from the first season of Scrubs, now that it’s in syndication. Goldwater On Goldwater does, however, have its moments, which, lucky ducks, I distill for you in this post, thus bestowing upon you the full benefits of the program and an estimated savings of 84 minutes, 22 seconds.

Because [prepare for today's blog slogan]

It’s Not TV And It’s Not HBO
It’s HOAG

The HBO Special

This is an oddly constructed program. Goldwater On Goldwater is a documentary to the same extent that my videos of Da Boyz sprinting around the Christmas tree and then tearing open their presents would be if I had also interspersed some comments about them from their grandmothers, a teacher, and a friend or two.

In many ways, Goldwater On Goldwater resembles a student project that combines the Goldwater family scrapbook, a couple of chapters from a 1960′s political primer, a few panoramic shots of the Arizona desert for local color, and a “I Love My Grandpa” T-shirt, all spliced together with newsreel footage of the period.

Then, there are the interviews.

Goldwater On Goldwater has the requisite film clips of and commentary from family members. The choice of non-family interviewees, however, has a weird skew. George Will gets a fair amount of camera time, but as far as I can recall, he and Richard Viguerie are the only professional conservatives in the bunch along with John Warner and Justice O’Conner from the centrist GOP group. Given the number of conservatives writing books and making pronouncements these days (William F. Buckley Jr, for example), I was surprised that none of the others found their way into a professed documentary that posits Barry Goldwater as the fountainhead of the contemporary conservative movement.¹

It’s the list of folks who are featured in this film that highlights such omissions. OK, Hillary Clinton is included on the basis her high school fling as a (and, certainly, I am not making this up) Goldwater Girl in the 1964 campaign. Walter Cronkite is in the cast, one assumes, because he is Walter Cronkite. Sen. Edward Kennedy apparently made it on camera because his brother, John Kennedy, and Goldwater were close friends.² I can’t deduce any rationale beyond random selection from a producer’s address book for the decisions to interview Andy Rooney, Bob Schieffer, Normal Lear, Helen Thomas, James Carville, Ben Bradlee, Sally Quinn, and Al Franken.

Here’s a rule of thumb for you budding cinematic auteurs:

If you’re making a documentary about Barry Goldwater with Al Franken³ as a featured expert, you’re not making a documentary about Barry Goldwater.

Barry Goldwater: The Man

Barry Goldwater

• Believed in small government and large armies
• Opposed federal civil rights legislation, believing it unconstitutional
• Supported gay rights
• Supported Pro-choice legislation

He was for and against a lot of other stuff as well. The important point, however, is that everyone knew what he was for and against.

Well, everyone who listened knew what he for and against because he told us. His subtle signals that he was pro-gay rights, for example, included his declaration that the GOP’s stand against legislation affirming basic rights and military service for homosexuals was, in a word, ”dumb.” He then went on to point out that his grandson and a grandniece were gay.

He also said

You don’t have to be straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to shoot straight.

The rights that we have under the Constitution covers anything we want to do, as long as its not harmful. I can’t see any way in the world that being a gay can cause damage to somebody else

Hmmm. I think I’ve got it.

Goldwater was, in fact, characteristically blunt and, arguably, a tad quick to shoot from the lip. Another of his remarks is

There are words of mine floating around in the air that I would like to reach up and eat.

Consider these Solid Goldwater quotes:

Nixon was the most dishonest individual I have ever met in my life. He lied to his wife, his family, his friends, his colleagues in the Congress, lifetime members of his own political party, the American people and the world.

We cannot allow the American flag to be shot at anywhere on earth if we are to retain our respect and prestige.

To insist on strength is not war-mongering. It is peace-mongering.

I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.

I think every good Christian ought to kick Falwell right in the ass.

It’s wonderful that we have so many religious people in our party, … They need to leave their theologies in their churches.

The best thing Clinton could do … is to shut up… . He has no discipline. … If he’d let his wife run business, I think he’d be better off⁴

Anyone not clear on that?

It is worth noting the obvious – that many of the issues on which he was most outspoken were political bombs around which more pragmatic candidates would tiptoe.⁵

It is likewise important that Barry Goldwater, in addition to advocating such fun activities as kicking Jerry Falwell’s ass, also advocated bombing North Viet Nam into a “swamp” rather than permit another American soldier die there. And, he insisted that Americans realize that civilians would likely be killed in any bombing raid and certainly would be in the sort of missions he proposed. And, he also opposed federal civil rights legislation.

The preceding paragraph is my subtle way of distinguishing between the idea that Goldwater was always right and the idea that Goldwater was always clear about where he stood.

Even at the time, it seemed to me that the likely outcomes of some of Goldwater’s proposed programs were far too uncertain to make In your heart you know he’s right⁶ an effective slogan and that, in any case, it missed the point. The more accurate, if perhaps less pithy, slogan would be In your heart, you know he means exactly what he says.

There is a relatively bland Goldwater quote that, I would argue, is as important in characterizing him as of his grander, more provocative statements,

To disagree, one doesn’t have to be disagreeable

Barry Goldwater was a politician who revealed in simple, direct sentences what he supported, what he opposed, and what he planned to do about it and who not only behaved civilly toward his opponents but extended them friendship and, until they proved unworthy of it, trust.⁷ His anger toward Nixon, for example, was triggered by Nixon’s bald-faced lies to him at a time when Goldwater was trying to be supportive of a man he found personally distasteful. In fact, Goldwater’s anger and his most vicious insults were directed at one trait: dishonesty. Otherwise, he made it a point to tolerate opposition and embrace his opponents.

I found the most telling moment in Goldwater On Goldwater to be Julian Bond’s statement, issued on behalf of the NAACP, that although Goldwater was not a racist, his opposition to the Civil Rights Act was wrong. While this seems to have impressed no one else, I am certainly taken by the notion of any political leader strongly opposing the program of another political figure without defaming him personally. That the issue, racism, was especially volatile and that the leader who eschewed going negative was Julian Bond, who has evidenced few inhibitions about levelling personal accusations, including but by no means limited to racism creates, in my eyes, a powerful acknowledgement of and testimony to Goldwater’s honesty.

I find it difficult to name another politician other than Goldwater with that kind of reputation for truthfulness and integrity. Indeed, I can only think of a handful of people, regardless of profession or circumstances, that match Goldwater in those characteristics.

The Cheerful Malcontent

Goldwater was indeed known as “The Cheerful Malcontent,”⁸ and displayed an enviably dry wit.

One of my few specific memories of his failed presidential bid is of him casually telling reporters who asked what he did after his devastating loss, [After returning to Arizona]

I just came up here on the hill with [my wife] Peggy, sat out there watching the sunset, and whistled, “Hail to the Chief.”

Director’s Cut Bonus #1: The Factoids

For the record, Goldwater was also a highly skilled photographer and ham radio operator as well as a successful businessman. In addition, he was a military pilot in World War II and, while he was a Senator, was known for having personally flown (not “flown in” but “flown”) every military jet manufactured. Finally, he was a student of and major benefactor to Indian tribes in the Southwest, arranging medical care, supporting pro-Indian legislation, and protecting them from local politicians. None of that has much to do with this essay, but when is the next time I’m likely to post about Barry Goldwater?

Director’s Cut Bonus #2: The Fantasy

What are the chances of another Goldwater coming to the political forefront now? Another cowboy riding out of the west? Make that another Jewish cowboy riding out of the west? A guy who says exactly what he thinks even if he is hassled for it? But a man who is still friendly and funny?

Now, that would be Kinky.

_____________________

1. While there is no disputing Goldwater’s role in the growth of the conservative movement, the film’s implicit contention that he was its founder and primary theorist is by no means established and, indeed, is doubtful, but that’s a matter for a book or a real documentary to address [↩]
2. Goldwater and JFK also anticipated being rivals in the presidential race and had worked up preliminary plans for touring the country in the same plane to carry out a series of debates. [↩]
3. I think Al Franken, as a political humorist, is a good enough comedy writer although I like his older work better than his more recent efforts. I think Mr. Franken, as a potential senatorial candidate candidate from Minnesota, is a good enough comedy writer [↩]
4. Goldwater’s concerns about Clinton did not seem to be the result of prudery, as these quotes indicate:

   Hubert Humphrey talks so fast that listening to him is like trying to read Playboy magazine with your wife turning the pages.

   I think any man in business would be foolish to fool around with his secretary. If it’s somebody else’s secretary, fine.

   If you don’t get it by midnight, you might as well go to bed.” (Advice he gave to his son) [↩]

5. As I envision the political bomb metaphor, I picture Barry backing away from the bomb — to get a running start for his kick [↩]
6. The Democrats’ counter, by the way, was “In you guts, you know he’s nuts.” [↩]
7. He also extended them, as many of his friends and political foes testify, premium grade liquor [↩]
8. That Goldwater was known as “The Cheerful Malcontent” and another leader of that era, Hubert Humphrey, was known as “The Happy Warrior” makes me think that folks in Washington were having a lot more fun than I was having, growing up in Southwest Missouri at the time. [↩]