1964 RNC Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speech: Freedom and Tyranny Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Sentence)

Quote #4

I believe that the communism which boasts it will bury us will, instead, give way to the forces of freedom. And I can see in the distant and yet recognizable future the outlines of a world worthy of our dedication, our every risk, our every effort, our every sacrifice along the way. Yes, a world that will redeem the suffering of those who will be liberated from tyranny. (78-81)

It hadn't been that long since Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev had been mistranslated as saying "We will bury you" to the U.S. and the rest of the Western world. What he'd actually said is more along the lines of "We will outlast you," but whatevs. For Barry G's purposes, the end result is the same: communism will crumble in the face of the sheer awesomeness of freedom. It took another 27 years for the Soviet Union to fall, but fall it did. And honestly, to see East Germans pouring into West Germany after the Berlin Wall fell—well, we see what Goldwater meant.

Quote #5

Today… the task of preserving and enlarging freedom at home and safeguarding it form the forces of tyranny abroad is great enough to challenge all our resources and to require all our strength. (129)

It's hard when the enemy is both at home and abroad. Tyrants, tyrants, everywhere…

Quote #6

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. (133-134)

When Barry G threw this line into his speech, his critics' heads exploded all over the country. "He's an extremist!" they said. "He's going to nuke us all!" they said. But really, he just wanted to make the point that he was all about the freedom, and he wasn't going to respond moderately if anyone tried to take that freedom away. Guess this line didn't really go over like he'd hoped.