Oct. 13, 1964 - Senator Barry Goldwater tonight called the Democratic party a “fascist organization.”
The remark, made extemporaneously at the end of a speech, was repeated by the Senator when he said the Democrats represented “absolutism and monarchy” and were a “fascist group.”
Goldwater was highly emotional as he spoke, and so was a crowd of about 10,000 persons who roared their approval at the Milwaukee Arena.
The Republican Presidential candidate’s remarks were triggered by a report that a Milwaukee alderman, Robert Dwyer of the Fourth Ward, had been expelled from the Democratic party for announcing that he would vote for Goldwater.
The Senator said during the New Hampshire primary campaign last winter that there was a “fascism of the left” in the United States.
Tonight, he told his audience that Alderman Dwyer had been forced to “turn in his Democratic suit.”
Goldwater said: “Now, ladies and gentlemen, I tell you when you build a fascist organization like that in a free country that will not even allow a member to speak his mind in favor of a member of the other party, then I say the need for a strong Republican party should be more and more evident because we must make sure that this kind of absolutism, this kind of monarchy, this kind of fascist group never is allowed to gain a foothold in this country.”
Goldwater also renewed his demand for a televised debate with President Johnson. He said it could be prerecorded on video tape “so as to avoid the possibility of Mr. Johnson making a mistake that might jeopardize national security.”

Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s
Comments