"I'm the most underdog underdog there is," said Barry Goldwater to a Las Vegas airport audience. Yet as far as audience reaction was concerned, Barry had perhaps the most momentous moments of his whole campaign.
In New York City's Madison Square Garden, 18,000 clamorous fans gave him a roaring ovation for 28 minutes, interrupted his 35-minute speech more than 100 times with applause. In Cleveland's Public Hall, a near-capacity crowd of 15,000 yelled, screamed, honked horns and rang bells for eleven minutes before Barry finally got them quiet by holding up a silver pocket watch. In Pittsburgh, 15,000 jammed the Civic Arena, raised the roof for 19 minutes before letting the candidate open his mouth.
On the Offensive. Still, even among the ovations, there were reminders that all is not well between Barry and a lot of leading Republicans. In New York, neither Governor Nelson Rockefeller nor Senator Kenneth Keating showed up to share the platform. In Cleveland, Ohio's Republican Governor James Rhodes and Senate Candidate Bob Taft were both absent. During a day-long tour of western Pennsylvania, Republican Senator Hugh Scott was nowhere in sight. In Illinois, Gubernatorial Candidate Chuck Percy thought it best to ignore Barry's visit to Belleville.
Reporters accompanying Barry said that a defeatist attitude pervaded the whole Goldwater entourage. But Barry certainly did not sound defeatist in his public utterances. If nothing else, he was on the offensive. Said he to the Madison Square Garden throng: "It is a fact that Lyndon Johnson and his curious crew seem to believe that progress in this country is best served simply and directly through the ever-expanding gift power of the everlastingly growing Federal Government. One thing we all know, and I assure you I do: that's a much easier way to get votes than my way. It always has been. It's political Daddyism, and it's as old as demagogues and despotism."