Our collection of Barry Goldwater quotes! Barry Goldwater was a five-term United States senator from Arizona who served from 1953 until 1965 and was the Republican Party’s nominee for President of the United States in the 1964 election. He was a strong advocate for limited government and individual liberty, and his legacy lives on today in the form of his quotes. Here, we explore some of the most inspiring and thought-provoking quotes from the late, great Barry Goldwater.
Senator Barry Goldwater quotes on freedom
💠 “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” — Barry Goldwater
“I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom.” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “To my mind, the single essential element on which all discoveries will be dependent is human freedom.” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “The effect of Welfarism on freedom will be felt later on – after its beneficiaries have become its victims, after dependence on government has turned into bondage and it is too late to unlock the jail.” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “My aim is not to pass laws but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed in their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden.” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “I am frankly sick and tired of the political preachers telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in A, B, C, and D. Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me?” — Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater quotes about the separation of church and state
💠 “Can any of us refute the wisdom of Madison and the other framers? Can anyone look at the carnage in Iran, the bloodshed in Northern Ireland or the bombs bursting in Lebanon and yet question the dangers of injecting religious issues into the affairs of state?” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “By maintaining the separation of church and state, the United States has avoided the intolerance which has so divided the rest of the world with religious wars.” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “I am a conservative Republican, but I believe in democracy and the separation of church and state.” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “Religious factions will go on imposing their will on others unless the decent people connected to them recognize that religion has no place in public policy. They must learn to make their views known without trying to make their views the only alternatives.” — Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater quotes and sayings on politics
💠 “I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size.” — Barry Goldwater
“The income tax created more criminals than any other single act of government.” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “Conservatism, we are told, is out-of-date. This charge is preposterous and we ought to boldly say so. The laws of God, and of nature, have no dateline. […] These principles are derived from the nature of man, and from the truths that God has revealed about His creation. […] To suggest that the Conservative philosophy is out of date is akin to saying that the Golden Rule, or the Ten Commandments or Aristotle’s Politics are out of date.” —Barry Goldwater
💠 “I fear Washington and centralized government more than I do Moscow.” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “History has to judge every man who served. I don’t know how they’re going to treat me. I may be the worst S.O.B. that ever came down the pike. But I won’t lose any sleep over it. I just like to be remembered as an honest person who tried.” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “Sex and politics are a lot alike. You don’t have to be good at them to enjoy them.” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “Unlimited campaign spending eats at the heart of the democratic process.” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “It’s political Daddyism and it’s as old as demagogues and despotism.” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “The conservative movement is founded on the simple tenet that people have the right to live life as they please as long as they don’t hurt anyone else in the process.” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “Where is the politician who has not promised to fight to the death for lower taxes- and who has not proceeded to vote for the very spending projects that make tax cuts impossible?” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “The oldest philosophy in the world is conservatism, and I go clear back to the first Greeks. … When you say ‘radical right’ today, I think of these moneymaking ventures by fellows like Pat Robertson and others who are trying to take the Republican Party away from the Republican Party and make a religious organization out of it. If that ever happens, kiss politics goodbye.” — Bary Goldwater
💠 “The president, who finds so much to complain about in other areas of the world, apparently saw nothing wrong in recognizing a Communist regime that has killed more people in its short history of control over the teeming millions of that great country than any other collection of dictators or tyrants in the history of the world.” — Barry Goldwater
“When I’m not a politician, I’ll be dead.” — Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater quotes on government
💠 “I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is “needed” before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible.” — Barry Goldwater
💠 “Most Americans have no real understanding of the operation of the international money lenders. The accounts of the Federal Reserve System have never been audited. It operates outside the control of Congress and manipulates the credit of the United States.” — Barry Goldwater
Conclusion
Barry Goldwater’s quotes are a great reminder of the importance of hard work, individual liberty, and personal responsibility. His words help to inspire us to strive for the best in all that we do. His legacy will continue to impact the lives of many for generations to come.