Goldwater lost badly and was widely ridiculed by pundits throughout the process. But in losing, he carved out a social space for the articulation of his brand of conservative thought. Goldwater gave the many people who also believed in what has become the modern mantra of the fundamentalist TEA Party types hope that there were others who shared their beliefs and a forum to openly express them, despite the ridicule. In fact the ridicule which came almost entirely from what was then the unchallenged 'New Deal' establishment burnished the far right's fraternalism.
The point is that there is no reason to vote for either the 'good cop' or the 'bad cop', they are both owned by the corporate duopoly. The only ways out of the situation, as Goldwater's non-pragmatism proved, is to either vote - if vote you must - for someone you actually believe in, then continue to live freely beyond the corporate empire's laws. Or to realize that voting is a waste of time, that the 'system' is rigged, that democracy is a lie, then continue to live freely beyond the corporate empire's laws.
For those many millions of my fellow Americans who aren't 'there' yet, who aren't ready to dropout and live beyond the immoral capitalist system, who don't yet fully understand that Gaia's only hope is an immediate global financial collapse, who still believe that there is hope for America, please listen to the voice of Jill Stein. She obviously still believes there is hope and that change can happen in time to make a difference.
"It is important for everyone concerned with the preservation of liberty in America to stand up now against the Obama administration's attempt to defend the indefinite detention provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)." - Jill Stein
