The Road to Iraq: Part 8

The Straussians were still relatively young and inexperienced, and, as such, had little traction in the early 1960's. They did, however, recognize Barry Goldwater as having the potential to become a public figurehead for their behind-the-scenes agenda. He proved, however, to be hugely unelectable as President of the United States for a variety of reasons, none perhaps more so than the acceptance speech he delivered following his nomination for President in 1964.

Goldwater's chief speechwriter was Harry V. Jaffa, one of the most influential of the early Straussians and now a fellow of the Claremont Institute founded by four of his students in 1979. Much of Leo Strauss's political theory originated with Plato and other classical philosophers. So it was that Jaffa had Goldwater quote Cicero directly in that speech:

"Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, and moderation in the pursuit of justice is not a virtue."

It was, of course, one thing for the "philosophers" to think that among themselves but quite another to have your "public face" say that to the masses. Goldwater lost to Johnson in one of the largest landslides ever and the Staussians learned a lesson from this failure to use a proper "double speak" as taught by Stauss that they would not repeat in future elections.

They should have known as Strauss himself quoted Cicero to them:

"The Republic does not bring to light the best possible regime but rather the nature of political things – the nature of the city."

Better to have the "public face" feed the masses of the republic "noble lies" with which they can be comfortable than the more alarming "dangerous truths" understandable only to the "philosophers".