A related point, though, is that the opposition is almost always characterized as "crazy" at the time.
Goldwater was portrayed as a dangerous right-winger when he was around. The famous "daisy" campaign ad [1] was anti-Goldwater after all. This crazy man is going to kill kids in a nuclear war!
He did break from the Republicans later, and once he was no longer any sort of political threat, he magically became an icon of moderation or something.
It's worth keeping in mind that in the moment, the political opposition is always portrayed in the worst possible light. It's just how politics works.
Goldwater was portrayed as a dangerous right-winger when he was around. The famous "daisy" campaign ad [1] was anti-Goldwater after all. This crazy man is going to kill kids in a nuclear war!
He did break from the Republicans later, and once he was no longer any sort of political threat, he magically became an icon of moderation or something.
It's worth keeping in mind that in the moment, the political opposition is always portrayed in the worst possible light. It's just how politics works.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDTBnsqxZ3k