“Barry Goldwater” on The Daily Caller

Barry Goldwater shocked the nation’s political class, and is said to have thrown away his chances at winning the 1964 election, with his infamous line that “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, and moderation in the defense of justice is no virtue.” Today a growing chorus of analysts are saying the Republican Party has become a wholly “extremist” party dedicated to the obstruction of all compromise, a shift that became most pronounced starting with the insurgent mentality of Newt Gingrich in the 1980s and 1990s, and accelerating under George W. Bush and Barack Obama. (more)

Speaking in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Tuesday, President Obama said “this election will probably have the biggest contrast that we’ve seen since the Johnson-Goldwater election — maybe before that.” The president may well be correct, but the extremist this time around is not the challenger. (more)

This week, JCPenney introduced Ellen DeGeneres as its new company spokesperson. One Million Moms, an anti-gay activist organization, immediately jumped to the defense of self-righteous homophobes everywhere and called upon JCPenney to ax Ellen from the campaign because she is a lesbian. JCPenney responded by saying they were sticking by their decision to hire her. (more)

On Tuesday’s episode of the “Laura Ingraham Show,” Pat Buchanan dismissed rumors that another candidate — such as Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal or former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — could be selected in a “smoke filled room” by a GOP leadership unhappy with Republican front-runners. (more)

Radio talk show host Mark Levin says he couldn’t vote for Texas Rep. Ron Paul in the general election even if the Texas congressman were to somehow win the Republican nomination. (more)

An endorsement, and what follows it, speaks not just to the object of the endorsement, but also the person making it. (more)

An editorial in the August 1960 edition of National Review described the conservative youth activists who agitated to get Barry Goldwater on the ballot with presidential nominee Richard Nixon: (more)

While accepting the 1964 Republican presidential nomination in San Francisco, Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater uttered his now iconic defense of political extremism. (more)

Conservatism is a negative philosophy. I don’t mean “negative” in the sense that it proposes something undesirable. I mean that it seeks to negate objectionable aspects of the human condition. Man has a propensity for evil. This means that men must be restrained in some fashion — which is precisely why conservatives have typically stressed religion, conventional morality, humility, etc. (more)

For much of the time I’ve been a conservative, I’ve often thought “What’s the point?” Not that I was going to start believing any differently, or go off and be a liberal or something — but what was the overall point of worrying about politics when nothing ever really seems to change? (more)

I was wandering through a used bookstore last weekend when I found a diamond in the rough — an original edition of Barry Goldwater’s 1976 classic The Coming Breakpoint. (more)

Do Republicans need to grow up — again? (more)

With a possible government shutdown, a proposed budget, and Libya still in the news, word that Glenn Beck would be leaving his popular daily Fox News show still managed to prove a huge story this week. (more)

Dear Baby Boomers, (more)

A civil debate on foreign policy is desperately needed in this country, especially within the conservative movement. The outside threats facing our nation today are serious but dramatically different from the dangers Ronald Reagan faced during the Cold War. (more)

In the late 1970’s, with interest rates, inflation and taxes at back-breaking levels, a broad array of politicians and interest groups with a shared conviction that excess spending, taxes and regulation must be turned around coalesced into a “conservative movement” that elected Ronald Reagan and set into motion a fundamental shift in American politics. That coalition included a lot of different interests who did not necessarily agree on all issues, but for whom the imperative to save the economy was the rightful priority of the day. (more)

President Ronald Reagan, who would have turned 100 on Sunday, was a bold and inspirational conservative visionary. His ability to effectively communicate both the failures of bureaucratic central planning and the virtues of a free market are unparalleled in modern American political history. To commemorate Reagan’s birth, General Electric is sponsoring the two-year Reagan Centennial Celebration, which coincides with GE’s release of a short documentary on the anniversary of Reagan’s famous “A Time for Choosing” speech. (more)

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — America is on a “road to ruin” because of misguided policies in Washington and needs to get back in step with the values of Ronald Reagan, Sarah Palin said at an event honoring the former president’s legacy. (more)

As we approach the 100th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan’s birth, February 6, 2011, it is enlightening and entertaining to look back on the speech that launched his political career. This was a nationally televised address delivered on October 27, 1964, in support of Senator Barry Goldwater’s 1964 presidential campaign. Reagan’s speech — called “A Time for Choosing” — remains incredibly fresh and relevant to current challenges confronting America. I will quote a few passages along with my contemporary spin. (more)

Oh, boy. This was quite a week for Keith Olbermann. There’s nothing like a senseless act of violence to bring out the worst in pundits of all stripes, and Olbermann not only isn’t an exception, he’s the rule. (more)