Actually no, the quote doesn't ring any bells. Maybe that's because I just downloaded the book today. But already the editor's foreward contradicts you: Hofstadter "delivered the first version of 'The Paranoid Style in American Politics' as a Herbert Spencer lecture at Oxford University in November 1963". I think what's confusing you is that he later studied Goldwater's campaign (1964) and wrote an essay about it which was included in the same compendium of essays as TPSAP. So poof goes the theory that Hofstadter wrote his seminal work just to attack Goldwater. Good thing you're such a stranger to the paranoid style.

I'm not stooping to trying to "win" on a technicality, though. But it's not clear why you'd be trying to deflect discussion with a red herring about the statement having been written a half century ago. Thus my "huh?". Why does it matter? If anything, its observations should be even more compelling if I recognize, across time, today's rightwing extremists in Hofstadter's description from 50 years ago. That's genuine timeless truth right there.

I can tell you from what I've read so far that Hofstadter's thesis focuses on extremists (of a multitude of political persuasions), the rightwing flavor he pointedly labels "pseudo-conservatives" to distinguish them from the "reputable" variety.

Which is why I have to admit that it's gratifyingly amusing that you're exhibiting that very narcissistic paranoia he ascribes to the extremists, when you assume that Hofstadter is talking about You. I blame Ayn Rand for that character flaw.

Or are you humbly copping to being an extremist?