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So, suppose that through a combination of different circumstances surrounding JFK's death, LBJ's campaign, possible Soviet aggression in 1963/64, etc, Barry Goldwater (somehow) manages to defeat Lyndon Johnson in 1964. The details of how Goldwater wins aren't really important; I'm more interested in what a Goldwater presidency would mean for various aspects of American life. The concept of an ardent conservative winning the presidency a decade and a half before the conservative movement really became mainstream is fascinating, and opens up some interesting possibilities.
How would Goldwater deal with (or not deal with) the poverty crisis?
What about earlier New Deal reforms like Social Security? Would Goldwater try to dismantle them?
How friendly would he be with a Democratic or Republican Congress?
How would the civil rights movement change? Goldwater was fairly supportive of civil rights, even if his own libertarian ideological leanings prevented him from supporting business desegregation.
How would the conservative movement be affected?
What about the space race?
Goldwater was a noted hawk. How would he deal with the Vietnam War, the Second Indo-Pakistani War, the Six Day War, the Prague Spring or any other possible Cold War flareups?
How would the Soviets react to such an aggressively hawkish American president? What about China? Beijing detonated its first nuclear bombs during the period.
How would Democrats respond to such a staunch conservative winning the presidency? Who would try to run against him in 1968?
If Goldwater has an unsuccessful presidency, would a moderate try to primary him? Who?
Would a segregationist Southerner try to run an independent campaign, if Goldwater dissapoints them? If not, would the South still go his direction?