JFK: Conservative and Barry Goldwater's Best Friend

Reader comment on: How the Left Spun Kennedy

Submitted by Jim J (China), Nov 15, 2013 13:30

In 1963, my paternal grandfather was working with the GOP and the fledgling Conservative Party of New York State to draft Sen. Goldwater to run against JFK in 1964 (He later became the Goldwater campaign's NYS Finance Committee chairman in the "quixotic" run against LBJ--not a loss but a coup, ITBT). So my father got to meet the great statesman at the age of 27. He described the meeting as "the most embarrassing moment of my life." Why? Because he told Sen. Goldwater, "I hope you beat that left-wing so-and-so, that fellow-traveler, that..." when "Mr. Conservative" interrupted him. "You can stop there, son," he said. "Jack Kennedy just happens to be my best friend in the Senate. He is a war hero, a dedicated public servant, and a great patriot. A true American. I'm proud to call him my friend, and you should be proud to call him your president."

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