Goldwater Backs Dole’s Bid for the White House

Former Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, who pioneered the modern Republican conservative movement, on Friday endorsed the presidential bid of Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.).

Goldwater, whose own Republican presidential run in 1964 ended in defeat at the hands of President Lyndon B. Johnson, gave his endorsement after a series of telephone conversations, Dole’s campaign office said.

“Bob Dole is a man whose courage and conviction have been tested again and again,” Goldwater said in a statement. “America needs a leader who is committed to reducing the size of the federal government and returning power where it belongs--with the people.”