I heard Goldwater really went off the deep end by the end of his Senate career, and was likely influenced by his new liberal wife in the late 80s. Ironic, since the guy was pretty much a model conservative in the early 60s and was the uncompromising "A Choice, Not An Echo" GOP standbearer in 1964, after the GOP had nominated Democrat Lite for President for 30+ years.
I could imagine 1962 Barry Goldwater would have bitch slapped 1988 Barry Goldwater and said "What the HELL is wrong with you?"
If Bob Barr hadn't been taken out by Barry Loudermilk in the 2014 primary, I imagine his return to Congress would have been similar to Goldwater's return to the Senate.
Goldwater was really more libertarian than Conservative. An enormous black mark against him for the longest time was his and BOTH of his wives involvement in Planned Barrenhood. He didn’t consider abortion much more than the act of flushing the toilet.
He realized he was on the wrong side of the issue party-wise by the late ‘70s and grew thoroughly disgusted with the pro-lifers. He straight-up lied to the base that he would get more with the program to save his ass in 1980 when a pro-life Democrat, Bill Schulz, ran against him and almost defeated him (Goldwater only got 49.5% of the vote, his worst-ever showing, only won 3 counties - Maricopa, Mohave (by just over 100 votes) and Yavapai. Schulz carried the overwhelming geographical majority of the state).
Add to all that his anger and bitterness towards President Reagan, whom he thought stole what he should’ve won. He should’ve retired in 1980 and allowed a real Conservative like Rep. Eldon Rudd or Evan Mecham to have succeeded him. Either would’ve prevented McQueeg from running in 1986 (although he probably would’ve run in 1994 instead of Kyl, so’d we still have been stuck with his sorry ass).