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WHO IS JOHN GALT? 1957–1968
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course in Washington. Two better choices can hardly be imagined,” one
Georgetown student reported proudly to Rand. 36
Like most conservatives, Rand was energized and excited by Barry
Goldwater’s battle for the 1964 Republican nomination. 37 She saw his
leading opponent, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, as another
Eisenhower, a dangerous moderate who would dilute the differences
between the two parties. In a boxed note set off from the rest of the
October 1963 Objectivist Newsletter, Rand suggested that “all those who
are interested in political action and specifi cally all those who advocate
capitalism” should register as Republicans in order to vote for
Goldwater in the primary. She was initially cautious in her praise of
Goldwater, writing, “At present, he is the best candidate in the fi eld.” Six
months later she was more enthusiastic. In “How to Judge a Political
Candidate” she appeared to be convincing herself that Goldwater’s religion
was not signifi cant. She told her readers it was not necessary to
endorse a candidate’s total philosophy, only his political philosophy. On
this basis Goldwater was still the best candidate, “because freedom is his
major premise. . . . Some of his specifi c steps may be wrong; his direction
is right.” Even better, he was “singularly devoid of power lust.” As
far as his policies, Rand was most impressed by Goldwater’s aggressive
foreign-policy stance, his invocation of national honor, his assertion of
“America’s self interest and self-esteem.” Once Goldwater won the nomination
she actively sought a role in his presidential campaign through
their shared contacts, offering her help in any capacity. 38
Goldwater and Rand drew from the same wells of libertarian enthusiasm.
During Goldwater’s campaign, subscriptions to The Objectivist
Newsletter boomed, rising from fi ve thousand in 1963 to fi fteen thousand
by the end of the following year. 39 The Arizona senator hailed from
the libertarian sunbelt region where Rand’s books were favorites, and
both were popular among small business owners. In Washington State,
the Draft Goldwater Committee ordered two hundred copies of Atlas
Shrugged for potential supporters. Goldwater, like Rand, talked about
profi ts, production, and the burden of taxation and regulation. “Profi ts
are the surest sign of responsible behavior,” he said on the Senate fl oor,
almost echoing Rand’s ideas about money as the root of all good. 40
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