Posted on 09/01/2015 7:30:11 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
It’s presidential campaign season again, which means the name Reagan is going to be bandied about, embraced—and taken in vain.
From Rick Santorum (who was a back-bench congressman during the Reagan years) practically claiming credit for the Reagan Revolution, to Mike Huckabee repeating “As Ronald Reagan said, ‘Trust but verify’” at the drop of every hat, to 437,986,989 misuses of “Reagan’s 11th Commandment” (it wasn’t Reagan’s but he brought it up when it benefitted him), the legacy of the man biographer H.W. Brands calls “one of the two most consequential presidents of the 20th century” pervades the Republican nomination process.
But Reagan’s name has never been sullied the way it is now.
The Supreme Court has recognized there is such a thing as “fighting words,” but has necessarily left the definition vague.
I’d like to propose that “Well, Ronald Reagan used to be a Democrat, too” be up on the slappable offense list with “Your momma____ ”—if that retort is being used to defend Donald Trump.
I’m sure this is something that would have irritated the hell out of me, even before I read Brands’ extremely readable and engaging new biography, Reagan: The Life. I’ve never understood the appeal of Donald Trump’s preening peacock act—but up until now, it was easy to ignore. And now that Trump is ubiquitous, emergency measures must be taken.
However, since I can’t reach out and slap everyone, here are just a few reminders of things you probably already know, but have buried in your brain under the sludge of the Trump-publicity avalanche—and the muddiness of enablers like Greta and Sean Hannity.
Reagan’s encounters with the Left made him a conservative. Trump’s encounters with the Left made him get out his checkbook.
As Brands reminds us, Ronald Reagan was a Democrat in his early years as an actor. He was also a freedom-loving, all-American, patriotic liberal (yes, those once existed).
Reagan’s first real encounter with the hard Left was during his term as the president of the Screen Actors Guild. His revulsion at not only the ideology, but the bully tactics of the communists who tried to take over Hollywood, led him to examine all of his political premises.
Over the next decades, Reagan read up and formed the intellectual basis for his conservatism. He became a popular radio commentator similar to Paul Harvey, writing his own scripts and becoming a missionary for conservative thought—at a time when smiley-faced liberalism was still the ascendant philosophy in American politics.
Trump, in contrast, spent the last decade funding the anti-American, defeatist hard Left. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have a lot in common with the thugs who turned Reagan to the Right, but Trump was happy to hand them money.
Trump’s newfound “conservatism” is also awfully easy. He harps on a few issues he knows can rile up the Right, and plays to people tired of political correctness (even when what he says is factually incorrect).
Comparing this “conversion” to that of Reagan is Political Transformations for Dummies.
Reagan talked about the greatness of America; Trump talks about the greatness of Trump—and how great America could be, if only he were in charge.
Even in the midst of the Carter malaise, Reagan talked about America in the glowing terms of the Founders’ ambitions—and he quoted them. Trump quotes… Trump.
But there is an even bigger difference. Reagan considered government a roadblock to the inherent greatness of America, Trump thinks government will be how we get to greatness—as long as he’s running it.
While Reagan said the world’s biggest lie was “I’m from the government and I’m here to help,” Trump promises that when he is running things the government will be here to help.
He will “take care of the women,” because he “cherishes them.” We are going to exploit foreign governments with trade deals because he will hire mean negotiators.
Reagan channeled de Tocqueville and what in the American character makes America great. Trump channels Huey Long. America just needs a good boss.
Reagan handled Sam Donaldson, Dan Rather and the reporters who defined TV news with grace and aplomb; Donald Trump has been whining about Megyn Kelly for a month.
Trump supporters point to Trump’s willingness to “say it like it is” and be “politically incorrect” as his main virtue. Many of them head-scratchingingly compare this to Reagan.
Go ahead. Google all you want. I’m pretty sure Reagan ran against Ford without mocking him as stupid, low-energy, or in somebody’s pocket. He did point out some policy differences and differences in approach.
But whatever insults were directed his way, he handled with a smile and a non-personal retort. Like this classic:
Contrast that with how Donald Trump has handled the question from Megyn Kelly—which, in a campaign basically based on the candidate bragging about his personal qualities, is a fair one.
Reagan was not only a gentleman, he was a MAN. In the aftermath of the Megyn Kelly question, I would characterize Donald Trump as, well, a “wherever…”
In fact, re-reading Brands’ account of the assassination attempt, I would say Reagan was less bothered by John Hinckley Jr. than Trump was by Megyn.
Reagan understood free enterprise; Trump thinks as president he should be in charge of business.
Here’s one thing you never hear in a Trump speech about the economy—”Unleashing the genius and creativity of the American people.” Here are the words you hear a lot—”in charge,” “management,” “I’m smart,” “tough negotiations,” etc.
All of them have one thing in common: Trump thinks the American economy is something to be managed, not something to be unleashed. That’s what uber-manager Herbert Hoover thought, too—not to mention that whole disastrous tariff idea…
How’d that work out?
Missing from the Trump discussion of the economy is anything about regulation, probably the number one problem keeping back the American economy. He is for “replacing Obamacare,” though, with “something terrific.” Well, okay then. You’re gonna love it.
Donald Trump thinks he could stop Ford from building a plant in Mexico with an authoritative phone call if he were president. He also thinks he could tell Nabisco not to build a factory overseas. In the Reagan era, only the UAW thought that was the president’s job.
Reagan talked of making America an attractive place to do business, while Trump talks old-style union protectionism. I’ve yet to hear him utter the letters E-P-A.
Worst of all, while talking of all the expensive things he is going to do, Trump doesn’t seem to know the difference between the deficit and the trade deficit, as he revealed in a question about raising the debt ceiling recently. Reagan may not have been a businessman, but he had a far better understanding of the economy and how free enterprise works.
I’m not sure which is scarier: if Trump actually believes the whole economy is a zero sum game and works like his business does– or if he doesn’t.
Which brings us to Trump’s trump card, and his only real appeal.
Reagan believed the key to America’s greatness lay within; Trump believes America is victim to foreigners.
Well, to be more precise, Trump preaches America is victim to foreigners—I can’t swear to the fact that the man with the born genius for telling an audience what they want to hear really believes it.
We have met the enemy, and it ain’t us.
Speaking of foreign enemies, let’s switch quickly from theoretical presidents who use Reagan to an actual one who has repeatedly expressed his envy of Reagan’s legacy of transforming American politics.
Reading Brands’ gripping account of Reagan going toe to toe with Gorbachev with minimal assistance from his staff of very, very capable people, and comparing it to the disaster of John Kerry negotiating (AKA surrendering) to the Iranians is enough to make you weep for your country.
So, I guess there has been an even more egregious comparison to Ronald Reagan than Trump.
Support Trump if you want to. That’s fine. Comparing him to Reagan is not. Ever hear of Ross Perot?
By H.W. Brands
Doubleday, 816 pages (though you will read it like it’s 300) $35.00 (and worth every penny)
The liberal media is saying that Trump is a big-government liberal who is posing as a faux-conservative populist? Really? OK.
(Pretty typical of a Trump supporter, by the way: ignore what I wrote and resort to personal insults)
“Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all problems men face,if we’d only look there.” - RONALD REAGAN
“We have the duty to protect the life of the unborn child.” - RONALD REAGAN
Pray that DONALD TRUMP will look to ALMIGHTY GOD for direction and wisdom... Pray that he will have a personal relationship with JESUS CHRIST.
These quotes sound like DONALD TRUMP "Every promise, every opportunity, is still golden in this land. And through that golden door our children can walk into tomorrow with the knowledge that no one can be denied the promise that is America." - RONALD REAGAN
"Can we solve the problems confronting us? Well, the answer is an unequivocal and emphatic 'yes.' - RONALD REAGAN
"We don't celebrate dependence day on the Fourth of July. We celebrate Independence Day." RONALD REAGAN
"As for the enemies of freedom, those who are potential adversaries, they will be reminded that peace is the highest aspiration of the American people. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it; we will not surrender for it, now or ever." - RONALD REAGAN “Government isn’t the solution to the problem;Government is the problem.” - RONALD REAGAN "Are you better off than you were four years ago? Is it easier for you to go and buy things from the store than it was four years ago? Is there more or less unemployment in the country than there was four years ago? Is America as respected throughout the world as it was?" RONALD REAGAN
“We cannot play innocents abroad in a world that is not innocent. Trust, but verify.” - RONALD REAGAN
"Our concern must be for a special interest group that has been too long neglected. It knows no sectional boundaries or ethnic and racial divisions, and it crosses political party lines. It is made up of men and women who raise our food, patrol our streets, man our mines and factories, teach our children, keep our homes, and heal us when we're sick—professionals, industrialists, shopkeepers, clerks, cabbies, and truck drivers. They are, in short, "We the people," this breed called Americans." - RONALD REAGAN "The West will not contain Communism; it will transcend Communism." - RONALD REAGAN "In an ironic sense Karl Marx was right. We are witnessing today a great revolutionary crisis, a crisis where the demands of the economic order are conflicting directly with those of the political order. But the crisis is happening not in the free, non-Marxist West but in the home of Marxism- Leninism, the Soviet Union. It is the Soviet Union that runs against the tide of history by denying human freedom and human dignity to its citizens." - RONALD REAGAN
I've lived in and around New York my entire life, and have seen Trump's career from the beginning. If you think that he stands for any of the things that this site stands for (or is supposed to stand for, at least), then, well, I've got a beautiful bridge to sell you...
It's amazing how many people don't get that.
So, you know him personally do you? I’ve followed him for years too and his life is an open book. Support who you will, just don’t start bashing those of us who support someone else. You aren’t going to change our minds. Now = shoo - off with you.
Which individual person is larger?
You have seen Trump the Business Man and now we are all seeing Trump the Republican Politician and he is kicking the other Reps, Dems and MSM asses! I like what I see and hear. What are you hearing from “his” lips now that have you concerned?
Boy, they are going to go after Trump with both barrels now.
A leader can convince people to believe in him. A real leader will convince people to believe in themselves.
When things were bad in the 80’s, and they were bad, Reagan convinced us we could be better if we wanted. Couldn’t buy a job back then, so we started our own business. (Find a need and fill it). No one’s doing that now. Look at the birth/death rates of business. We’re down 100,000 a year. Citizens are not stepping up to do the dirty work any more.
Richard LeFrak for one. Stephen Ross is another. I believe one of the people from Tishman Speyer (don't recall if it's a Tishman or a Speyer) has a net worth equal to or greater than Trump. And maybe one or two others (just in New York, that is).
Nobody is going to be "another Reagan."
Nobody is going to be "another Trump."
It's time for conservatives to move beyond Reagan and start looking ahead. We are not going to be able to exhume Reagan and put him back in the White House.
There's nothing wrong with being nostalgic and by the way, this is the 35th Anniversary of Reagan's Labor Day speech in 1980, if you care to click through to it and remember what was. Perhaps 35 years from now, there will be conservatives watching speeches from this election and reminiscing about what once was.
But Reagan is not coming back and any comparison of today's candidates to him are meaningless.
The politicians you worship are all owned by rich donors and China and Mexico.
Politicians are corrupt and you say we the American people are brainwashed because we prefer a businessman. Your damn corrupt weasel lying politicians couldn't even run a lemonade stand and have all of their lives never run even a small business but lived off of the government feeding through.
The politicians you worship have destroyed America now all voting for the Corker bill which will allow Iran and Obama to nuke us. You dare criticize me because i don't support bought and paid for politicians that take $15 million single donations from rich donors who are all for amnesty: go ahead tell my why i have to support a corrupt politician as all are
Trump is at 40% in spite of the thousands of articles in the media smearing him. Take that and stew on it.
What am I hearing from Trump that I don't like? His support for protectionist trade policies (tariffs), for one. His inability to commit to positions on things like tax policy, etc., is another. Heck, other than immigration and trade, what consistent policy positions has he taken?
Forsmark is a homosexual.
You keep repeating that, and it's still not true. Trump is a brilliant marketer, sure, and has a recognizable brand. So, his name is on buildings all over the place, even many that he had no involvement in developing (he licenses his name). But there are many bigger and more powerful real estate developers out there.
What should be a slap-able offense is yet another would-be pundit bleating about Trump’s already explained scorecard, and shameless “special pleading!”
Get this through your f***ing heads; Trump is putting his finger on the things we want fixed.
It’s not his f***ing hair!
It’s not his f***ing celebrity!
It’s not his f***ing history!
No amount of bad-mouthing Trump is going to change the fact the Guppies have ignored us since Reagan!
The USA can produce anything here in the USA as we have all the resources. etc. There is no dire need to even trade with all of these countries like China that are destroying the USA.
The stock markets are crashing even as you spew your dribble implanted by the liberal media and they are tumbling on China fears (Trump was right again).
go worship your bought and paid for politicians you deluded brainwashed paid bot
Nope, each of them are worth a little more than half of what Trump is...try again.
I’ve been after that troll Conscience of a Conservative from the git go. One of these days he’s going to get nailed!
What did I lie about? That Trump is not the biggest real estate developer in the world? That is an objective fact - he is not, no matter how many times you say otherwise.
How am I a "brainwashed paid bot" because I see right through the used car salesman that is Donald Trump? How does the fact that the markets are tumbling on China fears (because China's economy is collapsing) prove that Trump was right when he said that China is beating us? If China was really beating us, why would their economy be collapsing? They are not "destroying the USA"--they are destroying China.
Y'know what, nevermind. Facts just don't matter to TrumpBots like you, so why bother?
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