Goldwater: GOP not like it used to be

The dimly lit Five Crowns dining room in Corona del Mar with its low ceilings and brick fireplace became a shrine dedicated to old-fashioned conservative nostalgia as Barry Goldwater Jr. paid homage to his late father, who championed a conservative philosophy that his son rarely sees in today’s political discourse.

The former senator from Arizona and unsuccessful presidential candidate stood for a conservatism marked by less government involvement, lower taxes, and fewer rules and regulations, his son reminisced at a Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club breakfast Tuesday, ideals the present Republican leadership has all but abandoned, he said.

Now, the party attempts to legislate morality and advocates for bigger government and entitlements, which the American people grew tired of in the 2006 election, when the Republican Party lost control of Congress, he said.

“This country was founded on the freedom of the individual,” Goldwater said. “The party needs to start with the basic philosophy of smaller government.”

A couple of Rotarians remarked how similar he looked to his father with the craggy face, pronounced chin and prominent brow.

In response to an audience question, Goldwater delved into one of his father’s most difficult decisions: voting no on the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Although his father had long been instrumental in advocating for equality, he said, he believed a person had the right to choose whom they associated with, Goldwater said.

“I believe, in hindsight, he probably thought he made the wrong vote,” Goldwater said.

Goldwater’s speech was to promote his new book, a condensation of his father’s journal entries that he titled “Pure Goldwater,” but he has other connections to Newport Beach.

While in town, he’s staying with his sister, Peggy, who lives in Eastbluff and is herself a Rotarian.

Many in the audience told Goldwater that his father inspired them in their younger years and shared their frustration with the direction they see the Republican Party heading.

David Bahnsen, one of the organizers of the Newport Beach-based Lincoln Club of Orange County, told Goldwater that while growing up he admired politicians like Ronald Reagan, who shared the same commitment to small government that Goldwater’s father had.

“The party has lost its way, and there are a lot of us working tirelessly to bring it back,” Bahnsen said.

Tom Egan, who describes himself as one of the three Democrats who are part of the Sunrise Rotary Club, was also a Goldwater Sr. fan, but has since become very disillusioned with the way the Republican Party changed.

“They don’t conserve anymore….Hearing Barry Jr. speak of his father reminded me of the excitement I used to feel about the party,” Egan said.

Goldwater sympathized with these sentiments, which he heard from many of the guests as he signed books after his speech.

“They have every right to be disillusioned because we had a president that really hasn’t measured up to our expectations,” Goldwater said.

No political speech in an election year is complete without predicting who will win the presidential election, and Goldwater did just that. Although the Democrats will win more congressional seats, he said, John McCain will win the general election.

ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.