Goldwater was never against civil rights!
Goldwater had a reputation as a proponent of equal rights for all citizens. His stores in Arizona did not discriminate in its business practices. Where did you get that idea? He did vote against the 1964 Civil Rights because he felt it was a bad bill. In his mind the bill was unnecessary, all was needed was to enforce the laws that were already on the books in a colorblind manner. He commonsensically stated that no bill can undo the “wrongs” of the past, you solve the problem by not doing the “wrongs” any more. Goldwater said the bill would lead to quotas, reverse discrimination etc. Hubert Humphrey one of the bill’s sponsors approached Goldwater (Given his past reputation!) and asked him to be a sponsor, Goldwater said no for the reasons I stated. Humphrey in a famous exchange with Goldwater on the Senate swore that Goldwater’s concerns were impossible and that he would damage his reputation by being against this bill. Goldwater voted against it.
Both Humphrey & Goldwater were correct, Goldwater’s principled vote damaged his reputation as you aptly demonstrated by saying Goldwater was against civil rights. However Goldwater was proven right in the long run. The bill did lead to quotas etc. due to “creative spurious “ legal reasoning by both the courts and the EEOC.
Common sense is a beautiful thing.. You don’t need to pass a bill to stop racism.. You simply stop being racist. Love it.