Reply #8: Goldwater mellowed a lot in his later years

[onager]

He went around saying stuff like: "You don't have to be straight to fight for your country. You only have to shoot straight."

And: "If a woman needs an abortion, that's between her and her doctor."

The Repubs claimed he was either getting senile, or under the Evil Influence of a young liberal girlfriend.

Goldwater fired back by reminding them of his good advice from 1980, when he was still in the Senate and the Religious Right was taking over the GOP:

"Somebody needs to show Jerry Falwell to the door. And kick him right in the ass."