Dole Campaign Press Release - Statement of Support by Barry Goldwater

"Some pundits are comparing Pat Buchanan's 1996 campaign to my race for the White House in 1964. I, for one, see no similarity at all between what Pat Buchanan is trying to do today and what Barry Goldwater was fighting for in 1964.

"The conservatism of Barry Goldwater is hopeful and inclusive. The message of Pat Buchanan is fearful and divisive. It's not conservative to play to people's fears and anxieties, it's not conservative to spread seeds of division, and it is not conservative to flee from freedom's role in the world.

"Bob Dole is the true conservative choice. Bob Dole is the legitimate heir to the Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan legacy of conservatism. And I urge voters across Arizona and around the country to rally to Bob Dole's side and the side of true conservative Republican principles.

"I might also add that as the target of one of the first negative ads in presidential campaigns, I've watched the 1996 campaign with a growing sense of disgust for the distortions that are clogging the airwaves. One candidate, my friend Bob Dole, has been the victim of an unprecedented barrage of negative ads. Bankrolled by a personal fortune, Steve Forbes has smeared and distorted Bob Dole's record and views.

"In Delaware last night Steve Forbes' negative strategy paid off. I think it's time for Republicans in Arizona to reject that strategy and put a stop to it in our primary this Tuesday.

"Bob Dole is a true conservative and a genuine patriot who has served his country with distinction in war and peace. But, as Bob sometimes jokes, if all of Steve Forbes' negative ads were true, Bob Dole probably wouldn't even vote for himself. He deserves better than these distortions. And the voters deserve better than this in a presidential campaign.

"This unchecked flood of personally-financed negativity highlights the need for campaign finance reform. But even before reform begins, voters in Arizona, the Dakotas, South Carolina and the other early primary states can make a powerful statement by rejecting Mr. Forbes' negative strategy and standing by Bob Dole, by far the best candidate in the Republican field."