My political interests and small time political career (which dead -ended in my late 30’s) began in the early spring of 1964. I was in the 10th grade. There was a small strip mall in North Miami on NE 6th Ave. and 123rd St. A small suite had been rented with a big elephant poster in the window and Barry Goldwater posters were hung too. I drove by on my bike for a whole week before I mustered the courage.
I walked in and confronted half a dozen startled people and said “I want to be in politics.” This attractive late 40ish blond lady stood right up and said “My name is Alyse O’Neill and my husband is running for the congress of the United States.” “I want to work for Goldwater.” I replied. “So do we and you have come to the right place!” she smiled.
I learned the mundane to the sophisticated. The basics included hand addressing over 20,000 envelopes, verifying at least several thousand phone numbers, studying maps to walk precincts, and passing out literature door to door and in front of the big grocery store. I soon had a key and was office manager. I was given this great responsibility because the adults had “jobs” (which I later found out meant mistresses for the men and vodka martinis and little pills for the women).
One of the very sophisticated things I got to do was to go to parties with lots of rich people. They were called fund raisers. Leaving off the letter “d” on fund would be a more accurate characterization. The people always seemed to drink a whole lot too much of beverages that left them so incapacitated that they could not even crawl to a voting booth, let alone pull a lever. I was very indignant about all this until I went to college. I learned all about politics very young. From sex to booze to money to the handshaking and precinct walking, I learned it all that year.
Now if you go to the library you can ask that nice lady in the gray dress, that has worked there since Coolidge was president, to help you find out about the election of 1964. We lost. I mean BIG TIME lost.
In June, 1965 the Republicans held a big strategy building convention on Miami Beach. They rented out the 3 most lavish hotels for a week. I went to all the activities and sat with Nixon, saw Jacob Javits, Winthrop Rockefeller, and a big time congressman from Kentucky, I think, named Thurston Morton. Some people called him “Mr. Jack Daniels,” however. I assumed that was his “with close friends” nickname.
The main event was on June 16th. The defeated Senator Barry Goldwater was to speak at the Miami Beach Convention Center(soon became the Jackie Gleason thing). There were over 6,000 people in the great room. They announced he would be at the platform in a few minutes . And then it started. The cheering of 6,000 of the standing faithful. For 15 minutes before he even arrived! I was so overwhelmed inhaling the energy of the event.
He made his entrance. Ramrod straight, squared jawed, sure of stride, dignity took to the podium. Another 20 minutes of cheering followed before he could speak. People had tears rolling down their cheeks and it was all so loud. It seemed they broke the cadence of his address at every word not at the end of a sentence or phrase. “sixty-eight, sixty-eight, sixty-eight,” they chanted. It was glorious.
I was not able to get backstage to get an autograph. That was one of my most disappointing times in my life. All I had was my ticket stub. I saved it.
In 1997, I heard he was very ill. I wrote John McCain(who now held Goldwater’s senate seat) for an address. The reply came quite promptly and I sent Barry Goldwater my ticket to sign. He did! I got it back in March of 1997. He passed away 13 months later. And that my friends is how I got Barry Goldwater’s autograph 32 years after I saw him that day on Miami Beach.
31 responses to “How I Got Barry Goldwater’s Autograph by Carl D’Agostino”
thelonecactus1370
May 17th, 2018 at 09:40
Incredible story, Carl! I never met the man, but certainly knew of his greatness (and have passed by his former house here in Phoenix several times!). Great post!!!
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Bruce Thiesen
February 16th, 2016 at 09:30
Excellent story. You had something going there. It seems like 1968 was just waiting for you. Did you have a favorite candidate going into that election year? If so, was there any connection to your 1964 experience?
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Carl D'Agostino
February 28th, 2016 at 13:24
Well I went Nixon in 1968 but 19 year olds still could not vote then but then made a dramatic change in 1972 and worked in McGovern campaign a little.
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Bruce Thiesen
February 28th, 2016 at 17:09
four years can do that to a person
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duckofindeed
September 1st, 2012 at 17:32
Great story! I could’ve gotten Spock’s autograph at a comic convention, but I chickened out. (Well, ducked out, I guess?) Darn me!
Anyway, I nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award.
I also emailed you the stuff for the next guest post.
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Carl D'Agostino
September 1st, 2012 at 18:39
I have the guest post stuff. 2 days after his speech I got to attend a very exclusive luncheon for about 100 people for a Nixon speech. I got his autograph(long ago lost). He wrote with a purple felt tip pen.
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totsymae1011
August 30th, 2012 at 16:48
Now, that’s pretty cool.
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Carl D'Agostino
August 30th, 2012 at 16:49
One of my fav stories.
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vbholmes
August 30th, 2012 at 10:35
You must have been an amazing office manager to have garnered political cred at such a young age–and a wise one for enthusiastically embracing a life-altering experience.
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Carl D'Agostino
August 30th, 2012 at 12:18
I had key, set schedules for adults, office memos, canvassing events, phone inquiries – it was great experience. 2 days after G’s speech I sat in exclusive 100 people luncheon with Nixon.
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Mark Petruska
August 29th, 2012 at 22:17
Great post, Carl. Flashes of Forrest Gump-like brushes with fame here…
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Carl D'Agostino
August 30th, 2012 at 09:15
It was one of the most memorable events of my life.
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Three Well Beings
August 29th, 2012 at 02:21
What a wonderful memory and experience. How lovely that he took the time to respond to you. Goldwater exemplifies the kind of stature in a politician we rarely see any more. Whether you liked his politics or not, you knew where he stood! That’s worth something! Debra
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Carl D'Agostino
August 29th, 2012 at 13:06
Yes, that’s who he was.
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Debbie
August 28th, 2012 at 11:01
History really comes alive when it’s told by someone who lived it, Carl. Well done, my friend, well done!
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Carl D'Agostinog
August 28th, 2012 at 11:20
Now about the time I used to edit Shakespeare’s screen plays……
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monicastangledweb
August 27th, 2012 at 22:49
What an amazing story! You were right up there, rubbing elbows with history. You should repost this story at least once a year around election time. I love how you finally got the autograph. Most of us wouldn’t have the moxie it takes to do what you did.
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Carl D'Agostinog
August 28th, 2012 at 08:11
I am so glad you took a moment to read. I think I will repost it right now. Thanks for encouragement. I have to write up how I supported John C Fremont(a much more honorable and qualified man than Lincoln) in 1856.
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monicastangledweb
August 28th, 2012 at 20:43
Too funny, Carl!
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Mountain Republic
April 20th, 2011 at 10:00
Another very well written piece, Carl. I really like your style of writing – I feel like I was there.
It’s quite incredible that Mr.Goldwater did that for you. Even though it wasn’t that long ago, times have sure changed. I don’t think that would happen today.
MR
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carldagostino
April 20th, 2011 at 15:03
This is one of my best and favorite pieces. Am disappointed so little review. Perhaps you would consider publishing it your blog?
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carldagostino
August 20th, 2010 at 20:36
Whoa! Quite a compliment from the English teacher! I am refining some of my 4 – 12 line funny e e cummings style poems. Have some Bob Dylanish anti war themed ones too that need some tune-up here and there that I wrote 40 years ago.
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Deborah
August 20th, 2010 at 17:51
The description of Goldwater is vivid. I also enjoyed the way you depicted the crowd and the cadence of those balloons falling. Great that you included the picture. Seems like you’re getting the hang of this.
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Everett
August 18th, 2010 at 21:44
Add a fictional element to the story, say you get an anonymous note back with your autographed ticket stub directing you through a maze of intrigue where you ultimately find out that you are actually the illegitimate son of Goldwater conceived that horrible night in 1964 during an enjoyably violent LSD induced bathroom tryst with a totally hot SDS spy later jailed for sacrificing small rodents at an alter decorated with pictures of the kidnapped and brainwashed Patty Hearst. We will employ a supernatural Dean Koontz/Stephen King like twist to deal with the fact that you were actually already alive and in fact manager of a Goldwater campaign office at the time.
Just kidding. I am not really sure from whence these thoughts came.
It actually is a very nice story. It has that sentimental feel to it especially for Baby Boomers even for Democrats but definitely for Republicans.
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carldagostino
August 18th, 2010 at 23:42
Seems like you may have talent as an editor and advisor for a novelist. So what you are telling me is to write non fiction embellished with fiction or fiction contaminated with non fiction. Hmmm. Maybe I should stick to cartoons! Invite your comments always.
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carldagostino
August 13th, 2010 at 01:53
I’ve still got about 30 buttons for him. LBJ “Light Bulb Johnson – Turn him out in November!”
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Luke The Drifter
August 13th, 2010 at 01:16
Great story Carl. Goldwater Goldwater hes our man, throw Johnson in the garbage can.
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blackwatertown
August 10th, 2010 at 01:49
Excellent story.
I like the way you slip in little follow-up lines like in this case:
“The people always seemed to drink a whole lot too much of beverages that left them so incapacitated that they could not even crawl to a voting booth, let alone pull a lever. I was very indignant about all this until I went to college.”
Very good.
http://www.blackwatertown.wordpress.com
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Carl D'Agostino
August 10th, 2010 at 08:17
Thanks . Sometimes you can pull it off – the dichotomy of being inside of the story as a participant and at the same time outside of the story as an observer. If I remember right, his opening line was “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” At the utterance of the first word of that sentence, the place went into complete bedlam again. Although knocked down, he showed us he still had plenty of punch! And then, the red, white, and blue balloons from the ceiling……Not too many people today still know what “pull a lever” means, eh?
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Carl D'Agostino
August 7th, 2010 at 16:27
Not only that, but two days later on the 18th, I had lunch with Nixon in a small room with about 75 Fat Cats and got his autograph and shook hands. I don’t think he remembered me though. When he became president seven years later I wrote him to be appointed as $ecretary of theTrea$ury and he never answered. So much for being “old friends” eh?
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Amy
August 7th, 2010 at 14:41
Wow. What an amazing story! Better late than never, I guess? I bet Barry hadn’t seen one of those ticket stubs in ages.
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