WAS BARRY GOLDWATER MISREPRESENTED BY THE MEDIA - Research Paper Example

Media uses this phenomenon and controls us in many ways, as to how we remember events and people, thus effectively shaping our opinions. The power of media to shape opinions has always been lucrative to politicians. Consequently what the media shows us may not be the reality as portrayals and images sometimes lie in the category of paid-content, which is of course unreliable. Great leaders and politicians have always been a target for the media’s strident and harsh remarks. Barry Goldwater, “a five-term U.S. senator from Arizona and a champion of conservatism whose 1964 presidential candidacy who launched a revolution within the Republican Party” (Barnes, “Barry Goldwater”), is one victim herein.

During that era he was also known as Mr. Conservative for his articulate, blunt and charismatic approach in political dealings. Politicians and leaders all over the globe still admire him for his values and have set him as a benchmark for themselves. This research paper aims to briefly show how and why the media misinterpreted Barry Goldwater. Liberals during the 60’s had left no stone unturned to term Barry Goldwater as a racist and to tarnish his image in public but Goldwater stood as a man of principle and courage.

He fought back to each and every allegation that was pointed towards him. It might be not be an overstatement to suggest that he had more enemies than friends but despite this fact, his political career had always been applauded. And even at this present day, it remains as interesting as it was back in the 60’s. To begin with, the first thing that needs discussion is his presidential elections in 1964 in which he had to face a crushing defeat by 16 million votes from Lyndon B. Johnson. Many factors contributed towards this but the most important of all was the misrepresentation of Barry Goldwater’s persona by the liberals.

Moreover, the assassination of John F. Kennedy also contributed to his defeat, as it was discovered that he has been shot dead by someone with a Goldwater sticker on his forehead. So heartbroken was Goldwater at that time that he gave out a blunt statement, which further added to his criticism, i.e. “This is a great country, where anybody can grow up to be president.except me” (“Barry Goldwater”). Liberals were the actual culprits who misinterpreted him through media but in actuality, he was a staunch conservative with strong and practical thoughts, which if implemented, could have out casted the liberals.

In the presidential elections of 1964 he was stereotyped as a nuclear war monger by the media. This was reinforced again and again by airing a television ad where a child was shown picking daisies counting down each petal till it reached one and then an atomic bomb exploding into a mushroom cloud with an announcer announcing in the background that these are the stakes so better vote for Johnson. By using tactics such as these, Goldwater was highly misrepresented. Initially the liberals termed him as a racist because they said that he was a segregationist who would not allow equality and would not give an equal standing to every individual in the country.

It all began when he insisted that he would vote for the approval of 1964 civil rights act if and only if section 2 on equal employment opportunity was removed. From then onwards, started a battle of allegations and misperceptions. People started calling him racist. They were aware