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Reagan Tough Talk
Townhall.com ^ | December 18, 2015 | D.W. Wilber

Posted on 12/18/2015 1:08:44 PM PST by Kaslin

During the last Republican debate I noticed an interesting parallel between New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and the Republican icon, former President Ronald Reagan. Now before you fall over backwards in your chair, just take a second to think about it and let me explain.

For much of the time the debate focused on Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas who engaged in a number of back-and-forth's over the minutiae of various pieces of legislation, to the point that Governor Christie made the memorable comment about the voter's "eyes glazing over".

But during a break in the Rubio-Cruz squabbles an exchange took place between Governor Christie and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul when I caught just a glimmer of something in a candidate for president that Americans haven't seen in decades.

Call me crazy but when Senator Paul implied that Governor Christie would be the "World War III candidate", after Christie had talked tough about enforcing a no fly zone in Syria, to the point of shooting down a Russian aircraft if it violated the space, I saw a look and heard a voice of determination, a glimpse of something that reminded me just a little bit of the Gipper himself.

I clearly remember when he was campaigning for president, and for all throughout his presidency really, Ronald Reagan was being called "crazy", a "war monger", and "dangerous" by most Democrats, the liberal news media, and the European elites. A "cowboy", he was accused of even threatening a nuclear war with Russia.

The interesting thing about candidate and later President Ronald Reagan was that he scared the living daylights out of the Soviet leadership in Moscow. It was that tough talk that was also heard loud and clear in Tehran and brought home the fifty-two Americans being held hostage by Iran the day Reagan was sworn in.

Tough talk that eventually brought the Soviet Union's Premiere Gorbachev to the negotiating table, and it eventually led to the collapse of Communist Russia and gave freedom to millions of Eastern Europeans who had lived under the iron fist of Soviet domination for decades. The Russians, and the Iranians for that matter were simply convinced that Reagan was crazy enough to do it!

All the while President Reagan just sat back and smiled to himself and thought about the next subtle, and none-too-subtle message he was going to send to the Soviets to 'get their attention'. Reagan knew that tough talk backed up by a strong military, and a willingness to use them in defense of freedom in the world would tame the Russian Bear.

And it worked, right up until Hillary hit a 're-set button' and Vladimir Putin got his first glimpse of Barack Obama. And Putin’s assessment of Obama was spot on. Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and frequent Fox News military analyst Ralph Peters summed it up perfectly just recently.

And while no one will mistake Christie from New Jersey for the Western ruggedness that Ronald Reagan exhibited, the language I heard during the debate was the same. Language which was unambiguous and which I certainly didn't doubt, nor do I believe anyone else watching including the Russians, doubted that Governor Christie meant exactly what he said. A message that has been lacking in our foreign policy for seven years now.

I don't know if it was his intention to sound 'Reaganesque', but Governor Christie's response to Senator Rand Paul's comment got Vladimir Putin's attention way over in the Kremlin, I guarantee it. And I sincerely doubt that Putin will be much inclined to dismiss Chris Christie the way that he does Barack Obama.

The New Jersey governor has a long way to go to win the Republican Party's nomination for president in 2016. And he has even further to go before he reaches the stature of a Ronald Reagan. But tough talk from someone who will back it up is what Americans are looking for. Americans want someone to undo the damage to the fiber of America that the Democrats and their standard bearer Barack Obama have caused to this country.

Starting with defeating the scourge of Islamic terrorism threatening the entire world, reigning in the ambitions of a once again belligerent Russia threatening its neighbors, the Communist Chinese expanding in the South China Sea, and here at home the racial unrest created, choreographed, and nurtured by the Obama Administration.

If Governor Christie can continue to tell the American people like it is in the plain language they understand and want, all the smooth-talking master-debaters in the world will not be able to hold a candle to the message the New Jersey Governor has to offer.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2016election; chrischristie; oped; ronaldreagan

1 posted on 12/18/2015 1:08:44 PM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

As Ann Coulter said in her latest column

It’s as if there’s a law of toughness conservation: The weaker a candidate is on protecting our borders, the more aggressively he talks about bombing foreign countries, a move known as “the Lindsey Graham”


2 posted on 12/18/2015 1:11:23 PM PST by MNJohnnie ( Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered)
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To: Kaslin

Yeahhhhhh,,, right. Reagan never said anything that nutty in a debate.
Even his “outlawing the ussr and we begin bombing in 5 minutes” was a joke when they were in a studio doing a soundcheck.

Reagan wasn’t a weakling trying to sound tough, like Chrisy.


3 posted on 12/18/2015 1:14:03 PM PST by DesertRhino ("I want those feeble minded asses overthrown,,,")
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To: Kaslin

He hugs Obama and want to kill Russian pilots bombing ISIS. He also wants our guns.


4 posted on 12/18/2015 1:15:30 PM PST by DesertRhino ("I want those feeble minded asses overthrown,,,")
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To: Kaslin

First off, I’ve never heard of this writer, D.W. Wilber.

Secondly, I do know a few facts about Chris Christie.

Thirdly, those few facts place Christie in the same RINO cellar with Jeb, Carley, Graham, etc.


5 posted on 12/18/2015 1:26:02 PM PST by onyx
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To: onyx
D.W. Wilber

Del W. Wilber brings over thirty years of experience in Security and Counterterrorism as a former Intelligence Officer serving with the Central Intelligence Agency and the Department of Defense in Eastern and Western Europe and the Middle East, and in law enforcement. His expertise took him to Iraq from 2004-2007 where he served as an advisor for counterterrorism and counter-IED operations to the Commanding General, U.S. Army Multi-National Corps - Iraq. Del also served as the Counterterrorism Advisor and Consultant to the State Investigative and Protection Agency (SIPA) for the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the autonomous Republik of Srpska, as well as the Counterterrorism SWAT unit for the Ministry of the Interior.

6 posted on 12/18/2015 1:38:33 PM PST by Robert DeLong (u)
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To: Kaslin

7 posted on 12/18/2015 1:48:52 PM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy" Yourself ala Louis Prima)
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To: Kaslin

8 posted on 12/18/2015 1:48:53 PM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy" Yourself ala Louis Prima)
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To: Vendome

Ooops!

Ooops!


9 posted on 12/18/2015 1:49:12 PM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy" Yourself ala Louis Prima)
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To: Robert DeLong

Thank you for the information.
I am still steadfast against his wonderful opinion of Christie.
Perhaps he’s from New Jersey?


10 posted on 12/18/2015 2:27:41 PM PST by onyx
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To: onyx

Don’t know, but like you I disagree with his assessment.


11 posted on 12/18/2015 2:37:45 PM PST by Robert DeLong (u)
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To: Robert DeLong

Thank you again for the information.
I had never heard of him.


12 posted on 12/18/2015 2:42:02 PM PST by onyx
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To: Kaslin

reagan OR HIS CO-STAR...... bonzo


13 posted on 12/18/2015 4:12:11 PM PST by zzwhale
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To: MNJohnnie

KRISPY KREME ......... master debater


14 posted on 12/18/2015 4:14:31 PM PST by zzwhale
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