Top 10 Days More Deserving as National Holidays Than Labor Day

4. January 20: Barry Goldwater Announces Bid for Republican Nomination

On this day in 1964, Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater began his presidential bid. As many remember, it was a losing effort. However, no one can deny the path he set for the Republican Party. Goldwater delivered the famous line, “extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” As many point out, Goldwater set the stage for the Reagan revolution almost 20 years later.

Certainly, there have been more libertarian figures than Goldwater or Reagan. However, their brand of conservatism was a vast departure from the business-as-usual Republicans. Without Goldwater, it’s hard to imagine how much worse the GOP would be today. Despite his ultimate loss, his bid is worth commemorating.