Who was Senator Barry Goldwater?

Senator Barry Goldwater was a Republican from Arizona.  He
was one of the most famous conservative figures of the 1960s.  He ran against Pres.
Lyndon Johnson for the presidency in 1964, losing in one of the most lopsided elections
ever.

Goldwater is very famous for having been extremely
(for the time) conservative.  This came out most famously in his attitudes about foreign
policy.  For example, Goldwater discussed the idea of using nuclear weapons in the
Vietnam War.  He is also known for saying that "extremism in the defense of liberty is
no vice."  In other words, he was saying that he knew he was an extremist but that he
thought that was a good thing.

Because people saw him as an
extreme and scary figure (go to YouTube sometime and search for and watch the "Daisy
Girl" ad), Pres. Johnson was able to beat him quite easily.