Donald Trump Is No Ronald Reagan

Wall Street Journal ^ | 6/28/2016 | Peggy Noonan

[poconopundit]

Peggy Noonan, ex-speech writer for Ronald Reagan, argues that you can't equate Donald Trump with Ronald Reagan.  Here are a few excerpts from the column followed by my commentary:

• Look, Mr. Trump is not Ronald Reagan.  Reagan served two full terms as the governor of a state so vast that if it were a country it would have been one of the important economies in the world.  He was a union president who served seven terms during the most fraught time in Hollywood’s history and emerged respected by all sides.  He was no novice.

• Trump supporters should be able to make an affirmative case for their candidate without diminishing Reagan or anyone else.  You shouldn’t cut down a man you know was great to make him fit your candidate’s size.  It is poor political etiquette.  It’s also historical parallelism gone mad.  Mr.  Trump isn’t Reagan, and he isn’t Andrew Jackson either.  He’s Mr.  Trump.

• Donald Trump needs serious, substantive people to help with his campaign and advise him in foreign and domestic policy.  But some will not join him because they don’t want to get Trump cooties.  They don’t want the stigma of working with him. 

• Maybe if Trump wants to be compared to Reagan he should act more like him.

[trisham]

That’s certainly true.

[alloysteel]

What is “obvious” is not always so to some of the #NeverTrump people. First and foremost, The Donald is the ONLY viable #NeverHillary on the horizon.

Ronald Reagan was the man for his times, but those years were before the foreign influx of Islam and their ideology, a mutual exclusive with existing law and custom in that territory once known as “the United States of America”.

A victory for Herself all but forecloses any other choice but abject surrender to Shari’ah law and abdication of all responsibility for retaining even a modicum of the foundations upon which the American ideal stood.

We are not yet ready for the trash heap of history. But allowing another flag to be planted on our territory is not part of our destiny.

[RetiredArmy]

There was only ONE Ronald Reagan. He is gone. So is the stupid RINO party.

[stratboy]

I would be willing to bet that this cocktail sipping Country Club Republican writer never voted for Reagan. It amazes me that these establishment writers like Kristol, Will, Noonan, et al. invoke Reagan, but never supported him.

[Hostage]

The communists in Warsaw wanted the media image and profile of the polish Pope to be minimized and kept out of sight as much as possible.

His historic return to Poland after becoming Pope was allowed because the communists thought they could not deny his visit or else the public would become even more restless. So they granted him a visit and allowed him to speak far outside the city in the famous Blonie Fields. The communists thought only a few hundred people, perhaps a thousand would show up to see the Pope.

Seven million people showed up.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4423905.stm

“In June 1979, shortly after becoming Pope, John Paul addressed the largest crowd in Polish history - up to three million people - here at the Blonie field.”

No, it was not three million, it was seven million. It was beyond extraordinary.

The communists had ordered a news blackout on the Pope. When those millions of Poles returned to their homes and turned on their televisions, they expected to see the miracle they had just witnessed, the most extraordinary gathering in Polish history. But there was nothing.

That started the entire march away from communism and spilled over in all of Eastern Europe leading to Glasnost and the movement towards restructuring.

Indeed Ronald Reagan was important and was viewed as a champion against the Evil Empire of the USSR. But it was JPII that instilled the spirit of truth and dignity to the people. Without those attributes, the movement would have faded out.

Ironically, it was Noonan herself that ascribed credit to JPII for the turning point:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2526637/posts

She should know as well as anyone the strong parallels of Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan. But I expect she is sipping from the same Potomac water as George Will.

[poconopundit]

Sorry, I posted my commentary 7 comments down the page...

[Popman]

Now you’re being a sassy smart mouth with me.

Yeah, that happens when you think my logic on my post was not real or even exists...

So, did you expect me to agree with you ? Silliness!

I would have liked to shake Reagans had as well, but that is pretty meaningless as a reason to think your position is more valuable than mine...

I voted for the man twice even without shaking his hand...

Now you get lost !!!

[MinuteGal]

What an EXCELLENT post, Poco!

5 STARS *****

Leni

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Someone should tell Ms. Noonan that Trump is not Barack Obama and is no Hillary Clinton.

[ExTexasRedhead]

The Enemy - please share with others:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcqx1CGex1A

[poconopundit]

Great commentary! Wow, 7 million people!

Incredible. And I get the feeling that John Paul II was respected as a man -- certainly he was a local hero for the Polish people -- but he also had a certain magnetism as a person that went beyond his earthly power.

He seems to be a truly pious and humble man.

Well, this is certainly an aspect of history that Americans do not appreciate. And you make the case that this was pivotal to the fall of the Soviet Union.

[The Continental Op]

Shut up Peggy.

[Macoozie]

" aging, dumb lisping C..t, you're a TRAITOR

HAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Practically POOPED my bloomers!!!!!

[JerseyDvl]

There will never be another Reagan and people have to stop pining for the past. Finding someone with similar traits and ideology is a great idea but cannot be a litmus test because everyone FAILS to live up to the total package.
It’s especially annoying when they try to pin the label on loser fake Conservatives like Rubio and Cruz.
The term “next Reagan” is so overused that it’s become a meaningless cliche.

[tinyowl]

Well reasoned, well written.

Also, somebody commented 'Reagan was Reagan, Trump is Trump' ... relates to the tagline from Ayn, that is the starting point and the returning point.

I bet if you met both of them in the afterlife 300 years down the road, each would say he would have liked to have had a little bit of what the other guy had in addition to what he already had. That does not reflect a lack in either one of them.

[sergeantdave]

And you can’t compare Peggy Noonan to Tokyo Rose, but it’s close.

[Pinkbell]

You guys! Captain Obvious has spoken!

[AlanGreenSpam]

Trump is great, but he is no Reagan. He’s different, not better. I was fortunate enough to spend 30 minutes chatting with Reagan in his office.

All you have to do is watch Reagan’s 1964 “Time for Choosing” speech WHICH HE WROTE and you’ll realize Trump could NEVER EVER write & deliver such a speech.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXBswFfh6AY

That said, these are different times. Reagan was a humble gentleman. People were more civilized then, so that approach worked.

Now we need a battering ram to destroy the PC regime and socioeconomic fascism. Trump is the man for that.

Different times, different presidents.

[Hostage]

This is written entirely by Donald Trump:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubgu1uOaP18

And it is moving in ways that Ronald could only dream of achieving.

When Donald sits down to write, he can be as profound as Ronald.

[Hostage]

Well, for sure Ronald Reagan set the course for the world to see the USSR as the evil empire that it was. But he could never confront them head-on militarily.

What was needed was a spiritual strengthening of the people on the ground everywhere the USSR ruled. Without that, there would have never been a breakup.

Ronald Reagan simply could not have done it without Pope John Paul II.