William Jennings Bryan vs Barry Goldwater

[Maxwell]

Both sucked....which is why they lost

Bryan was a major improvement on the Democrat status quo back then - not saying much but still.

[SWE]

2) Foreign policy cannot be placed neatly on a left-right axis, no matter how much liberal doves and neoconservatives want it to be; there is too much of an ideological mess on the issue for all others.

It's weird that you would reply with this to someone who didn't argue that.

[Fight for Trump]

2) Foreign policy cannot be placed neatly on a left-right axis, no matter how much liberal doves and neoconservatives want it to be; there is too much of an ideological mess on the issue for all others.

It's weird that you would reply with this to someone who didn't argue that.

Insecurities.

[Kingpoleon]

Would it make any sense to say I generally like both's economic policies? Particularly Bryan's bimetallism and Goldwater's opposition to anti-discrimination federal statutes.

Goldwater fought corruption both against labor unions and against Presidents. I admire his opposition to the corruption of the Johnson-Nixon era.

I suppose you could semi-sensibly "like both," but that'd be a pretty classic example of (foolishly, IMO) prioritizing motives over method (the latter being clearly more informative of one's ideology, IMO).  Somewhat related is people who like Jefferson over Hamilton because he was more "small government," even though small government conservatives of the Twenty-First Century are arguably trying to achieve the same things as Hamilton was, even if their method might seem opposite.

By motives, do you mean actual "minor" policies?

[Rjjr77]

Bryan wasn't at all that conservative for his time and he even opposed eugenics. Plus I can't imagine Bryan ever uttering the phrase "I'd drop a low-yield atomic bomb on the Chinese supply line in North Vietnam" or stating nukes were "merely another weapon".

2) Foreign policy cannot be placed neatly on a left-right axis, no matter how much liberal doves and neoconservatives want it to be; there is too much of an ideological mess on the issue for all others.

EDIT: Also, duh: Goldwater.

I do agree with this, and normally I wouldn't add my digression but I'm in a weird mood.

At what point did neoconservative come to encompass a foreign policy, the term initially had nothing to do with interventionalist views? I know it's common place now but it's like I woke up one day in the mid to late 2000s and it was the term despite it never being before.

[Antonio the Sixth]

The one who was left-wing.

[RINO Tom]

2) Foreign policy cannot be placed neatly on a left-right axis, no matter how much liberal doves and neoconservatives want it to be; there is too much of an ideological mess on the issue for all others.

It's weird that you would reply with this to someone who didn't argue that.

Insecurities.

I seriously never know what the  you're going on about; guess I'm a moron, too!  For as much as you point out these morally defunct ideologies that you hate, you're just a total asshole.

Anyway, the poster I quoted - after listing a reason why Jennings Bryan wasn't that conservative in his/her opinion - said, "plus I can't ever imagine Bryan uttering *insert hawkish Goldwater quote*, seemingly adding to the list of reasons (and therefore implying that not saying that quote or saying it conveyed a conservative or liberal view one way or the other).  That's how I read it anyway.

[Kingpoleon]

Goldwater. I keep his autobiography on my bookshelf in my living room.

So you are a Goldwater 1964/Johnson 2012/Not Johnson 2016/Northam 2017 supporter... Interesting.

[TheSaint250]

Goldwater.

[DC Al Fine]

WJB (socon)

[AppleJackass]

Bryan

[Middle-aged Europe]

Reluctantly Bryan.

[RFayette 🇻🇦]

Probably WJB because of Goldwater's pro-choice stance, but if that weren't an issue, then Goldwater by a mile.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Probably WJB because of Goldwater's pro-choice stance, but if that weren't an issue, then Goldwater by a mile.

While Goldwater is pro choice he probably would be just as pro life as Bryan in practice , because abortion laws cant be changed by legislation anyway . The only thing they can do is defund funding for planned parenthood and knowing Goldwater that is likely do that anyway since he was a strict  fiscal conservative who I believe opposed giving tax payer money to any organizations .

[Kingpoleon]

Probably WJB because of Goldwater's pro-choice stance, but if that weren't an issue, then Goldwater by a mile.

While Goldwater is pro choice he probably would be just as pro life as Bryan in practice , because abortion laws cant be changed by legislation anyway . The only thing they can do is defund funding for planned parenthood and knowing Goldwater that is likely do that anyway since he was a strict  fiscal conservative who I believe opposed giving tax payer money to any organizations .

He supported giving "tax payer money" to governmental organizations. Tax payer money comes from the government, not the other way around.