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.

[combat_boots]

Ah, yes.

Apologies to the forum.

[poconopundit]

Amazing perspective, Hostage!

If you have personal knowledge of the work of Pope John Paul II in taking down the Soviet Union, I’m sure many FReepers would love hearing more!

[Sicon]

And Peggy Noonan is no Ann Coulter. In fact, she’s not even a Cokie Roberts...

[TangibleDisgust]

the GOPe has organized a steady, daily drip-drip-drip of dinosaurs and RINO squishes to make derogatory comments about Trump. 1 per day (at minimum). a new dinosaur/squish every day. the drive-by media is more than happy to play along. this will go on until the republican convention. then the GOPe will try and launch their coup. they will fail. in the meantime, all of these steady drip-drip-drips will hurt Trump’s momentum.

it’s the stupid party being stupid again. circular firing squads are standard strategy for these morons. i hate them. once i switch to independent, i will loathe the GOP even more than the democRATS. i expect evil from democRATS, they are the enemy. i reserve my greater hatred for those on my side who act like traitors.

...and i wasn’t even a Trump supporter during the primaries.

[Fresh Wind]

Reagan had better hair than Trump.

That should settle it, right Peggy?

[Electric Graffiti]

We could have existed in perpetuity with a hostile USSR. We wont last long with the government we have. That is an existential crisis

Well said. Remember when we were worried about communists infiltrating the federal gubbermint?......The good ol' dayz. Now we have the muslim brotherhood running the executive branch with no opposition.

[laconic]

Yes, the “establishment” had to be kicking and screaming back then. I remember Michigan Governor Milliken, who was chairthing of the Michigan delegation and a GW Bush supporter at the 1980 convention that nominated Reagan, complaining about “people like truck drivers” who were the Reagan delegates (i.e., his appeal wasn’t focused on the “right people at the country club”. There were the same shivers among the party elites back then that Reagan would bring down the congressional ticket with him. When Reagan picked Bush as VP, these open complaints fell away a bit, so I guess to shut them up this time, Trump will have to take Jeb Bush as his VP (HA!).

[DesertRhino]

And I loved Reagan. But sometimes, this is exactly the mentality in the debate just invoking his name. It gets ridiculous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS0efFNShqo

[CapitalistCrusader]

In 1980, Ronald Reagan was not Reagan.

[mbrfl]

Great response.

[chris37]

Never said he was.

But some people sure tried to suggest that Ted Cruz was the second coming of Reagan. Mark Latrine, for instance.

[ichabod1]

Reagan didn’t do that single handedly. He did it with the Pope and Thatcher. But mainly he did it with the Polish Reagan, Lech Walesa. The trade unionist who rose to lead his land to freedom.

[tennmountainman]

I’m a big Trump supporter.
And I agree he is no Reagan.

He is also not Bush, Ryan or the other RINO’s either.

[CapitalistCrusader]

No Trump isn’t Reagan....so the hell what?!

Absolutely right. But like Reagan, Trump is the right man in the right place at the right time.

[RegulatorCountry]

Trump can be crude, Reagan never was. They do share some traits, however. An ability to break through the media gatekeepers, a gift for memorable turns of phrase, and a certain positivity about America and its people.

[Fungi]

Bingo to that baby. Michael is fine, it’s that other girly boy that bothers me.

[Vision Thing]

Both Reagan and Trump had tv shows to bolster their public images.

However, Reagan was merely a host, whereas Trump was the star of his own show.

And Trump’s show was more successful and longer running.

[HarleyLady27]

Donald Trump has never said, acted or portrayed anything about Ronald Reagan...

Donald Trump is, until he is elected to fill an elected office of any City, County, State, or Federal Office, is a Business man...

Donald Trump, for 20 some years has always said that if the Country got so bad, he would probably run for President...

Donald Trump, until he entered this campaign, has never been called a ‘racist’...

Donald Trump, has knocked out 16 candidates, ‘under budget and ahead of schedule’...

Donald Trump, has brought in more voters in both parties than in the history of either party...

Donald Trump, the only ‘self funding’ candidate to ever win the presumptive nominee position...

Donald Trump, the only one to come out with plans before he was ever elected at the convention of running for POTUS...

Donald Trump, the only one to hold 16 vetted debates as a candidate and won them all, even one where he was absent because he was raising money for the Vets and Wounded Warriors...

Now, Ms. Noonan, idiot that you are, you were saying about Ronald Reagan?????

[Popman]

Reagan didn’t do that single handedly

I didn't say that...

I used the word almost...Still doesn't change my point

When Trump almost single handed destroys a Soviet Union type entity without a single shoot fired.

[Popman]

RR did play an important part in bringing down the USSR but it was NOT single handed nor nowhere NEAR single handed.

I didn't say that... I used the word almost...Still doesn't change my point