Arizona-s Presidential Legacy

By U.S. Senator Jon Kyl The national political party conventions have wrapped up, and the presidential tickets for the November elections are set. For the fourth time since 1964 an Arizonan has run for President and for the second time a Republican is the nominee of his party. John McCain, obviously, would like to break the string of defeats so, as he says, Arizonas mothers can honestly tell their children they could grow up to be President. Forty-four years ago, Senator Barry Goldwater emerged from his partys convention in San Francisco as the Republican presidential nominee. In those days, party conventions didnt have the certainty that todays do; they were filled with genuine intrigue and infighting as candidates vied for the top spot. At the 1964 convention, Goldwater, although the favorite, had to beat out a number of candidates, notably Nelson Rockefeller and George Romney, the father of this years primary candidate Mitt Romney. Goldwater, of course, eventually lost the general election to President Lyndon Johnson. But, the principles he espoused during his campaign have animated the Republican party ever since. Goldwaters real philosophical victory came years after his presidential run. More important, of course, than any electoral success is the task of safeguarding the nation. As John McCain has said during his campaign, Id much rather lose a campaign than lose a war. And, Goldwaters 1964 campaign has much to teach us about defending the country. Its interesting to look back to Goldwaters concerns about communism in light of the threat today of Islamist terrorism. When Goldwater accepted the nomination in 1964, he charted a path for defeating our enemies that holds true no matter who threatens our nation. He told those assembled at the Cow Palace, It is our cause to dispel the foggy thinking which avoids hard decisions in the illusion that a world of conflict will somehow mysteriously resolve itself into a world of harmony, if we just dont rock the boat or irritate the forces of aggression - and this is hogwash. Today, our cause remains the same; the foggy thinking has not disappeared from the public discourse. In fact, it characterizes the approach that some suggest for the war against terrorists. The United States did not allow foggy thinking to prevail when it defeated communism, and it must not allow it to prevail in our current struggle. We cant negotiate with terrorists! This years presidential campaign will feature a debate about how best to confront our enemies. Arizonans have presented thoughtful advice in the past, and I believe john McCain will do so again. U.S. Senator Jon Kyl is the Assistant Republican Leader and serves on the Senate Finance and Judiciary committees. Visit his website at www.kyl.senate.gov.