Barry Goldwater: Losing the Battle, Winning the War

This episode of ‘When Character Counted’ shines a spotlight on the man who lost the 1964 presidential race but transformed American politics.

President Lyndon B. Johnson with U.S. Senator Goldwater on Jan.16, 1964. LBJ Library. Public Domain

“AuH2O in ‘64” was a clever campaign bumper sticker for Republican Sen. Barry Goldwater (1909-1998). The Au and H20 are the chemical symbols for gold and water.

The slogan was catchy but made little difference in Goldwater’s presidential run. Lyndon B. Johnson and the Democrats buried the Republican Party’s bid for the White House in one of the most lopsided wins in American history.