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.

[SoFloFreeper]

No one is Reagan.

[fortheDeclaration]

They hated Reagan also.

[1Old Pro]

She’s right, Trump is not Ronald Reagan, Trump is Trump.

She should get some sort of medal for declaring the obvious.

[Genoa]

If Reagan were alive I’d vote for him.

[freedomjusticeruleoflaw]

No one said Reagan was Reagan until after his tenure.

[JBW1949]

Peggy, maybe you should just enjoy retirement and stay the hell out of the way....

[Popman]

LOL..
TRUMP COOTIES...

[poconopundit]

Ronald Reagan was certainly one of our greatest presidents.  Most conservatives highly respect his courage, leadership, and accomplishments. 

Yet I see nothing wrong with equating Trump with Reagan.  In fact, I believe there's a good chance the history books will one day put Trump on a higher pedestal than Reagan.  But we shall see.

Here are my rebuttal points to Ms. Noonan:

• Managing a Large Organization -- While serving as a California governor is a great testing ground for a future President, I rather prefer the experience of someone who owns, has built, and runs a $10 billion private enterprise employing thousands of people.  Politicians are good at spending the public's money, but business tycoons risk their own money and must constantly "reinvent" their businesses to stay ahead of rivals.  IMO, that kind of smarts/experience puts Trump in a higher league than a California Governor. 
  
  
• Trump is One Helluva "Novice" -- Remarkably, Trump has only been a politician for about a year.  But look at how successfully he captured 1,500 GOP delegates against a field of 16 opponents -- and spent the least amount of money of the major candidates.  Look at how he stirred up public awareness on the issues of immigration, jobs, and fighting terrorism.  It requires extraordinary political skills to get approvals and funding to build skyscrapers in New York or Chicago. -- not to mention the multi-year patience and due diligence required to get the foreign environmental sign-offs to expand and rebuild the Turnberry golf course in Scotland.
  
  
• Trump Already has Substantive People Behind Him -- No doubt there are many establishment GOP people who would like a role in a Trump administration.  But Trump is going to be choosy because he's committed to ending the massive corruption in Washington.  Nevertheless, smart, honest, and solid people such as Jeff Sessions and Paul Manafort are already on the team.  Many more great people will follow.
  
  
• Global Figure -- It took time for Reagan to gain traction on the world stage.  But Trump, though not yet elected, is already recognized as a major political force and prescient world leader.
  
  
• Presidential Speech-Making -- I heard that Ms. Noonan was the speech-writer behind Reagan's stirring Pointe du Hoc speech.  Now Reagan was an actor and radio announcer, so you'd expect him to superbly deliver a speech at an historic occasion like the anniversary of the Normandy invasion.  Nevertheless, in terms of a policy speech, it would be hard to find a comparable Presidential speech to Trump's recent foreign affairs speech -- an exceedingly clear, well-reasoned, and powerful address.  I suspect that his Senior Advisor, Stephen Miller, is now adding his own writing brilliance to Trump's major speeches. 
  
  

BRAVO to Mr. Trump and the TrumpTrain.  Stay the course.  You're well on your way to equalling -- even exceeding -- the legendary Ronald Reagan.

[stars & stripes forever]

[She’s right, Trump is not Ronald Reagan, Trump is Trump.]

TRUMP - for such a time as this.

[lilypad]

Trumps kids are 60 times better than Reagan’s.

[HombreSecreto]

Incoming Caddyshack reference...

Noonan...miss! Noonan...miss!

Sorry, Peggy, no gopher to save you.

[Rastus]

``The battle for the mind of Ronald Reagan was like the trench warfare of World War I: Never have so many fought so hard for such barren terrain.``
— Peggy Noonan

She also expressed great admiration for Obama. She might have even admitted to voting for him. So, step off, Peg.

[Col Freeper]

[cincinnati65]

Donald Trump is no Ronald Reagan, but he’s also not a Hillary Clinton or a Barack Obama, or even a Bush. And that’s a step in the right direction.

[Arm_Bears]

So, Peggy Noonan took the presidential member out of her mouth and got off her knees to write something against Trump.

Meh!

[headstamp 2]

And the establishment had to be dragged kicking and screaming all the way back then too.

[Paulie]

Nobody’s saying that, and I’m sure PN knows that.

But there are similarities in the circumstances that brought rise to Reagan and what appears to be leading to Mr. Trump becoming our next Chief Executive.

I don’t know who is more of a Republican Establishment mouthpiece - FOX or the WSJ.

[Harpotoo]

Trump is the”MODERN” incarnation of Reagan! He may not speak the same but he talks over the heads of the MSM and straight at the people who are willing to Listen! Both are Americans and for America. Both want to Make America Great. Both are put down as idiots and out of their league! Both have and WILL surprise the ruling class (and there rigged polls)!-)

[COUNTrecount]

Great post.