Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater (2006) User Reviews

Honest portrayal worth seeing

[abvinson · 7/10 · 22 September 2006]

As a liberal who remembers Goldwater's run for the presidency, I was impressed by this honest portrayal of my adolescent "enemy." His libertarian ideals were well represented, even his stance against desegregation (that one cost him.) In the end I still couldn't agree with his opinions, but was thrilled to hear him express himself so freely and candidly. Particularly his comments about how Falwell needed a good kick in the ass! Should be seen by those who aren't afraid to hear the other side. It didn't hurt me one bit.

Delightful surprises were his talented photography and his piloting skills. Seems to have sired an decent brood. His granddaughter did him proud with this film.

As good a commercial for the Old Right .....

[toolkien · 7/10 · 6 November 2007]

...as I've seen.

It seems that many of the commentators lean left, but have some interesting things to say about Goldwater. They seem to have a high regard for his rejection of the cultural movements the Republican Party moved toward in the last 50 years. I agree. But as a libertarian/old rightist, I can only wish that they would follow through the logic and support Goldwater's anti-liberal policies of government transfer by force. There is a whole OTHER aspect as to how the government endeavors to control culture and that is through forced transfers. Liberty cannot exist if people are threatened with force, and have it used against them, that is not in a defensive posture. To dictate that one person MUST assist another without ANY consideration of facts and circumstances cannot be anything other than an abridgment of cultural paradigms.

Simply put, Goldwater was very consistent on the role government played in people's lives, especially the Federal Government. He simply wanted people out of other people's lives, socially AND financially. One without the other is nothing at all. So I implore those who have watched this program (or haven't but will) to consider that the State is Force, that is ALL that it is, and if we are to have one, we should be VERY careful what it is used for and rely that through a LIBERATED culture, socially AND financially, will people find maximum freedom to live their lives free of coercion of ANY kind.

A fascinating portrait

[armstrt · 9/10 · 23 September 2006]

Admittably, I was fairly unaware of the importance of Barry Goldwater in US politics until viewing this film. As a left-leaning independent voter in my mid-30s, I am very interested in how the conservative movement has changed since the 1950's, and even more so since the 1970's.

The good and bad aspects of his public life are all on equal display here: his stance against desegregation, his friendship with rival JFK, the presidential campaign against Johnson, and the years following in the Senate. But what stood out to me was the balls the man displayed standing up to his own party on cultural issues. Goldwater's steadfast denial of the grasp of the ridiculous self-righteous Falwell and his ilk are a prime example of what is missing from today's conservative politicos. Other examples of how he felt conservatives should practice what they claim to preach (keeping government out of our lives) are his oppositions to limiting gay and abortion rights. Very few current GOP candidates would ever dare follow these leads, proving that Goldwater was quite possibly the last of his kind.

The man's personal life is also very well represented, lovingly presented by his granddaughter C.C., with many interviews with friends and family peppered throughout. Goldwater's love of photography, Native Americans and their culture, flying planes, and his family (even when separated by the call of public service) are all touched upon, a reminder that the men and women we may idolize or vilify for their public personas are all still human underneath it all.

This is all laid out in an easy-to-follow, well-documented fashion that leaves you knowing much more about the man than before, and possibly wishing to know more. I hope that there are more films in the future so clearly portraying the political figures of the recent past, so perhaps our future crop may learn from their follies and successes.

** I hope that future reviews of this fine documentary actually grade this film on the merits of the film, rather than the politics the man stood for. **

I Could Even Vote Conservative After Seeing This ****

[edwagreen · 10/10 · 30 September 2006]

Just kidding about my title but I have to admit that this is a fascinating documentary regarding the life of Barry Goldwater.

While a fiscal and military conservative, Goldwater certainly was not a social conservative. He was not anti-gay, or anti-abortion either. Had he run for political office today, the Conservative wing of the Republican Party would have looked at him far differently.

The documentary is fascinating as it takes us into a historical insight of the Republican nominee for President in 1964. A wide arrange of people are in it for commenting. Clare Booth Luce, an ardent Republican and screen writer, admired Goldwater. Rumor was that she wanted to be placed on the ticket. Maybe, that would have given the latter some pizazz as William Miller was a colorless V.P. candidate. Remember him doing commercials for the American express card?

Goldwater is shown never to mince words. His acceptance speech at the Cow Palace in San Francisco was memorable when he stated the groups that he didn't want to vote for him. This included bigots as he mentioned that his grandfather was a Polish Jew. Though a devout Christian, Goldwater had a rabbi as well as a priest officiate at his 1998 funeral.

His children and brother are forthright and a pleasure to listen to.

Let's remember that Lyndon Johnson did exactly what Goldwater was advocating regarding Vietnam.

Though I would have voted for President Johnson had I been eligible to vote, this marvelous documentary gave me a lot of insight regarding this American hero. Apparently, he was too right to be president.

A Great Man

[ffchris · 10/10 · 18 September 2006]

Another great American destroyed by the Soviet Union...oops i mean the liberal Biased press. Why is it that every time someone spoke out against communism or the unjust influence that labor unions had on the government he was immediately vilified by the liberal media. I think it is just a travesty the way he was portrayed during his presidential bid. This was a man who was for strong national defense, opposed to big government, and anti-communist. He was a great American and we need more med like him today. His conservative views were as relevant then as they are now. If ever there was a man more deserving of the presidency that him I haven't seen him yet. God bless Barry Goldwater and god Bless the United States.

Refreshing

[[e-mail] · 10/10 · 22 October 2006]

This movie is delightful to watch. I expected the topic to be more concerned with his conservative philosophy. The movie is, however, about the man. In this richly detailed biography we see a man who lives his philosophy. He was an outdoorsman, a photographer, a pilot, a ham radio enthusiast. He spoke his mind. We also gain historical insight into his relationship with J.F.K., Nixon, Sandra Day O'Connor, and yes... even Hilary Clinton. He voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 not because he was a bigot (he was half Jewish) but because it violated the constitutional protection of people to freely associate. He believed that such a clear violation of the constitution would contribute immeasurably to the explosion of federal power. He was right.

Disgusting apologetic for the creation of the Southern Strategy

[AndytheDirector · 1/10 · 12 May 2013]

Barry Goldwater was pro-choice, pro-LGBTQQ, and told the remains of his following to eject the Religious Right from the GOP due to what he called a blatant theocratic matrix of power that would destroy politics in America, essentially pre-saging the modern debacle of the Republican Party by 25 years. His sort of populist cowboy demeanor combined with austerity economic theory under the guise of anti-intellectual cherry picking of the Constitution was akin to the Ron and Rand Paul dog and pony show we witness today. Ronald Reagan was able to shape himself into a President by pretending to be Goldwater's second coming. Martin Luther King Jr. said that he found his views suicidal and the compliment to bigotry and racism, even though Goldwater fancied himself as opposed to racism.

The film skirts the major reason why Goldwater matters at all, regardless of his bogus theories of Conservatism: the Goldwater election flipped the Democratic Solid South to the GOP. Four years after making a fool of himself, Goldwater watched Nixon hire the same politicos and staff from the 64 Draft Goldwater organizations, who told bitter whites that they were a 'Silent Majority' of decent Americans, not bigots and racists who were angry about the end of an apartheid society.

A shrill and absurdly bizarre film that looks damned good and has great interview subjects, despite the fact that Goldwater is a real source of modern political stupidity and deadlock.

Excellent documentary.

[PWNYCNY · 10/10 · 25 January 2010]

Excellent documentary about an interesting and iconic figure in American history. Barry Goldwater may have lost the 1964 election but was vindicated 16 years later with the election of Ronald Reagan as President. What this documentary shows is how image counts for everything in the political process. It's not who you are but how you are perceived. It's not what you are but what the public thinks you are. That Mr. Goldwater's political career survived the 1964 drubbing he received at the polls is a remarkable event, possibly unprecedented in American political history. It's also a testament to Mr. Goldwater's durability and ability to overcome adversity and earn a place of honor in American political history. Mr. Goldwater was probably the last of the real conservatives whose political career was not propped up by the so-called Religious Right and because of that he lost in 1964. But the Republicans learned from their defeat in 1964 and four years later won with Richard Nixon whose strategy for winning marked the start of a new era in American politics, marking the emergence of religion as a major influence in the shaping of the American political agenda.