Senator Goldwater's acceptance speech last night was more than just a bad speech. That it a long, disgusting--often meaningless--string of platitudes, empty words, and obscure philosophical meanderings is hardly worth mentioning. The tepid reaction he received from a hall-full of his most ardent supporters is eloquent testimony to this fact. But what is much more worrisome is what he was thinking last night while he was mouthing such nothings. Not one specific issue or controversy was mentioned in the Senator's speech. It was obvious, however, that his supporters were thinking of specifics when they gave the largest cheer of the evening to Goldwater's pronouncement that "extremism in the pursuit of freedom is not necessarily a vice."

We can only hope that this speech is not an indication of the pattern of Mr. Goldwater's coming campaign. The Senator has boomed his candidacy as an alternative for the American voter. If he really believes such a thing, he shouldn't try to hide his opinions as he did ast night.