July 17, 1964 - Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York today called Senator Barry Goldwater’s espousal of “extremism” in his acceptance speech last night “dangerous, irresponsible, and frightening.”
Goldwater slashed back instantly. He challenged Rockefeller to tell the public “in writing” exactly what he means by “extremism.”
The row probably boiled up because Goldwater failed to toss an olive branch to liberals of his party in the acceptance speech. Last night, he simply outlined his views and called for support of all good Republicans.
The part of the speech which drew Rockefeller’s fire stated: “Extremism, in the defense of liberty, is not a vice. Moderation, in pursuit of justice, is not a virtue.”
In a statement from his hotel headquarters in San Francisco, Rockefeller said: “To extol extremism — whether ‘in defense of liberty’ or in ‘pursuit of justice’ — is dangerous, irresponsible, and frightening.”
Rockefeller said: “I regret that my reaction to Senator Goldwater’s very first public statement as the Republican standard-bearer must be one of amazement and shock.
“Coming as it did from the new leader of a great American political party in his first public utterance, it raises the gravest of questions in the minds and souls of Republicans in every corner of our party.”
The Governor served notice that he will “continue to fight extremism within the Republican party. It has no place in the party. It has no place in America.”
Goldwater snapped back only minutes after the statement was released, when reporters met him en route to a meeting of the Republican National Committee.
“Extremism is no sin if you are engaged in the defense of freedom,” Goldwater said. “Is it extreme action for our boys to give their lives in Vietnam? I would like the Governor, for my benefit and the benefit of the party and the people of America, to put down in writing his definition of extremism.”
Goldwater pointed to actions of Theodore Roosevelt in Cuba and in Panama at the turn of the century as possible examples of extremism — and for the good of the country.
Later, Goldwater visited former President Eisenhower in his suite. Ike told Barry he was a little surprised at the extremism line in his speech.
Goldwater asked in reply, sources said, whether it wasn’t extremism when Ike led Allied forces into Normandy and Barry flew as a transport pilot in the China-Burma-India theatre.
“I never thought of that,” Ike was quoted as saying.
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