# Candidate X — The Conscience of a Conservative character guide

> Candidate X in The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** X, candidate X, himself, for—he

**First appearance:** 0002-i-the-conscience-of-a-conservative

## Who they are

A hypothetical political candidate used to illustrate conservative principles in action.

## Relationships

### [Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters/narrator)

_professional_

Candidate X is a political figure the narrator analyzes and critiques as a flawed conservative standard-bearer.

### [The Kremlin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters/the_kremlin)

_rivalry_

Candidate X is shown as a political opponent of the Kremlin, though sometimes insufficiently firm.

### [Conservatives](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters/conservatives)

_professional_

Candidate X is a conservative political candidate whose actions are judged against conservative ideals.

### [Conservatives](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters/conservatives)

_professional_

Candidate X is a conservative political candidate whose actions are judged against conservative ideals.

### [The Kremlin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters/the_kremlin)

_rivalry_

Candidate X is shown as a political opponent of the Kremlin, though sometimes insufficiently firm.

## In the story

### [The Conscience of a Conservative](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/i-the-conscience-of-a-conservative)

Referenced indirectly through Vice President Nixon's statement about Republican candidates being 'economic conservatives, but conservatives with a heart.'

### [Freedom for Labor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/vi-freedom-for-labor)

Mentioned as a family man in Pennsylvania who lost his job for refusing to join a Communist-dominated union under a union shop agreement.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters/candidate_x
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters