and more

Note that calling conservatives racist by the media and the Democrats is not new... This was a turning point in the black support for Republican candidates, when in fact it should not have been. Note that Goldwater, like McCain, was from Arizona and was not popular with the east coast RINOs


Although Goldwater had been successful in rallying conservatives, he was unable to broaden his base of support for the general election. Shortly before the Republican Convention, he had alienated most moderate Republicans by his vote against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which Johnson championed and signed into law. The Johnson camp used this to paint Goldwater as a racist. This is despite the fact that Goldwater supported the civil rights cause in general, and voted in favor of the 1957 and 1960 Civil Rights Acts. Goldwater argued that it was a matter for the individual states rather than federal legislation.