Goldwater ran an honest campaign, LBJ a dishonest one based on making his opponent look like a dangerous Gen. Jack Ripper.
But the bottom line was that America wasn’t ready for three Presidents in less than a year. Johnson pretended to offer continuity to JFK’s New Frontier, and the voters responded.
The following year we were up to our @zz in Vietnam.
I was told voting for Goldwater meant we would have riots in the streets and get into a long un-winnable war. Well I voted for Goldwater, and darned if they weren't right.