Project Questions

1. What do these sources suggest about the ways in which Goldwater tried to defend himself against charges of extremism during the election of 1964? Were his efforts doomed from the start, or do you think there could have been a different outcome had Goldwater handled things differently?
2. Do you find some of these sources more or less helpful for understanding these political events, and why?
3. Based on this evidence, do you think political rhetoric hurts or fosters political discourse in American democracy?
4. Central Question: How were accusations of extremism used in American politics during the 1964 presidential election and to what effect?