All for show, he didn’t believe it. Reagan at least “believed” in Goldwater in 1964 when he heartily endorsed him, but the reverse was not true of Goldwater in 1980, or 1976 (when he endorsed a damaged Jerry Ford).
He was always married to “liberal” women. His first wife was a huge mover and shaker for Planned Parenthood going back to the 1940s and was a friend and disciple of Margaret Sanger. He was always pro-abortion and sadly lied to the people of Arizona about it, especially in 1980 when his Democrat opponent was to his right.
He was effectively a Democrat in his last decade or so of life, endorsing Democrats for office, railing against religious Conservatives and embracing the radical homosexual movement.
“...but the reverse was not true of Goldwater in 1980, or 1976 (when he endorsed a damaged Jerry Ford).”
From the Cambridge University Press:
“The Arizonan’s endorsement of Ford provoked a complete break between the two erstwhile friends. Reagan did not correspond with Goldwater again for fifteen months. When he finally did so, Goldwater responded, “It was a pleasure hearing from you and I hope someday the hatchet, if there is a hatchet, can be buried.” They made amends. Goldwater endorsed Reagan in 1980 and continued to support him during Reagan’s two terms in office. For his part, Reagan never invited his former mentor to the White House.”
Other than that, I remember thinking Goldwater jumped off the rails in later life.
In one of his books, when he ended his career, he was the first senator that I know of who warned about the One Worlders, the globalists - New World Order crowd.