1964 RNC Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speech: Resources

Barry Goldwater was a big deal, but he wasn't the only big deal happening at the time. There was so much stuff going on in the U.S. during the 1960s that it would take a group of real geniuses to boil it all down into one comprehensive guide. Luckily, we know a group of geniuses, and we know where to find that guide. Let's get our context on.

What does Goldwaterism look like in practice today? The Goldwater Institute in Phoenix, Arizona attempts to keep the late Senator's principles alive in Arizona and across the country. Info about their mission, history, and current projects is all available on their website.

Get the goods on everything Barry Goldwater in this HBO documentary produced by Barry's granddaughter CC.

Ever wondered how ginormous cities like Phoenix and Los Angeles thrive in locations with little to no fresh water sources? Barry makes a cameo in this 1997 docuseries on that very subject. Snippets of this bad chicken can be viewed online, but it can only be bought in its entirety from a few sellers, and it's only available on VHS. Yes, you read that right: VHS.

In 1952, Barry wrote an article on what he thought his beloved home state might look like in the year 2012. Was the Senator a seer of the future, or did his predictions wash out like a flash flood in the desert? You decide.

The Arizona Republic, the Grand Canyon State's largest newspaper, printed this article after the Senator passed away in 1998. It's a great overview of Barry's life, loves, careers, hobbies, and PG-13 language.

This fun little article is written by obvious Barry G fan Josh Guckert, and describes a world in which Goldwater beats LBJ in the 1964 presidential election. Spoiler alert: No one gets nuked.

Goldwater drove some of his previous disciples nuts with his views on social issues and opposition to the religious right. But really, they were consistent with his ideas about individual liberty.

Politico thinks the election of 1964 predicted later electoral results despite Goldwater's landslide defeat.

Settle in for 50 minutes of patriotic music and exuberant cheering as Barry Goldwater gets bombarded by balloons and redefines what Republicanism is all about.

Watch Barry get his roast on at the expense of Rat Pack legends Jimmy Stewart and Dean Martin (and watch him crack a few jokes at his own expense).

Smooth-voiced William Buckley, Jr. interviews Barry G in this 1966 episode of "Firing Line," an old-school political TV show in which the point seems to be to actually have a discussion rather than a contest of who can shout the loudest. They just don't make 'em like this anymore.

Check out LBJ's infamous 1964 presidential campaign ad, in which a cute little girl assumedly gets obliterated by an atom bomb. The insinuation was that if Goldwater was elected POTUS, kids everywhere faced a similar threat. We may have been spared from the atom bomb, but this ad is often seen as the beginning of something almost as toxic: negative campaign ads. Thanks for that, Daisy Girl.

Seriously, this exists. This little ditty by the Worsh Ahts is not only catchy, it also gives listeners a nice rhyming bio of the Arizona Senator, complete with audio snippets from his 1964 nomination acceptance speech. Hey, ho, let's go—Barry AuH2O!

We can't help but picture top hats, tap shoes, and a chorus line when we hear this rousing radio ad from Goldwater's presidential campaign. Who's ready to get their Fred and Ginger on?

Not a big Barry fan? Neither were the Chad Mitchell Trio, who produced this toe-tapper back in '64. We get the feeling they might've voted for the other guy… and they made some pretty catchy music while they were doing it.

Some Nashville folks put together a conservative bunch of college students to record songs in response to the Chad Mitchell Trio anti-BG recording. Lead singer Ken Crook disagreed with one critics assessment that the album was "nearly unlistenable." "It was completely unlistenable," he admitted.

Goldwater supporters at the 1964 convention.

Barry often said that his first love was flying. (Not sure how Peggy felt about that…) One of his favorite things to do was cruise around Arizona and the Southwest in cool planes; he and his friends did it all the time. Just look at this happy face.

What's the greatest compliment a city can pay to its favorite son who also happens to be an avid pilot? Why, naming an airport terminal after him, of course. Travelers in and out of Sky Harbor International Airport's busiest terminal will surely be pleased to know that that building was named for Arizona's own Senator Goldwater.

Right on the steps of the Yavapai County Courthouse in Prescott, Arizona, is where Barry Goldwater launched his senatorial and presidential campaigns. Today, one can sit on those very same steps and eat ice cream while cute elderly couples squaredance below. Of course, one could also do courthouse-y stuff like pay tickets and sue people, but that seems less fun than ice cream and squaredancing.

Barry loved him some ham… radio. He had antennas at his pads in both Phoenix and D.C., and said that if he won the Presidency, he'd have had one at the White House too. Here's a pic of him partaking in one of his fave hobbies. His call sign, BTW, was Bravo Alpha Romeo Romeo Yankee. Ha! Get it? It spells 'Barry' So clever…

Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater and running mate Bill Miller clasp hands and turn on the smiles after securing the nomination at the 1964 RNC convention.

Wanna see what a landslide looks like in electoral map format? We got you.

The Goldwater memorial in Paradise Valley, Arizona