nostalgic
Simply referred to by some Reagan fans as "The Speech", Reagan delivered it on behalf of Goldwater several times throughout the campaign. Many versions of the speech were given and it was altered over many weeks. Contrary to popular belief, the speech was not given at the 1964 Republican National Convention in San Francisco, California as a nomination speech for Goldwater. Richard Nixon gave that nomination speech. Reagan, though he campaigned for Goldwater, did not call the speech "A Time for Choosing" until October 27, 1964, when it was part of a the television program Rendezvous with Destiny. In his autobiography Reagan wrote that he went to bed that night "hoping I hadn't let Barry down."
Speaking on behalf of Goldwater, Reagan stressed his belief in the importance of smaller government. He said in the speech: "The Founding Fathers knew a government can't control the economy without controlling people. And they knew when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. So we have come to a time for choosing." He added, "You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man's age-old dream - the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order - or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism."
The speech raised $1 million for Goldwater's campaign and is considered the event that launched Reagan's political career. Soon afterward, Reagan was asked to run for governor of California. Nevertheless, Barry Goldwater lost the election by one of the largest margins in history, but the results of the election did not diminish Reagan's ability as a speaker, leading to his being called the "Great Communicator" in recognition of his ability.
The text of the speech can be found here and following is a YouTube Video containing an excerpt from it: