Posted on 02/08/2020 5:51:53 AM PST by Sir Napsalot
I didn’t see your post, but what you posted was what I was driving at. In this, he is as blind as the rest because of his own baggage and ignorance.
Baggage at having invested a large part of his life in the workings of Ronald Reagan.
Ignorance at NOT having invested a large part of his life in the workings of Donald Trump.
The presence and actions of Trump present a threat (in his eyes) to something he spent a great deal of time on (Reagan)
Reagan had his faults, just like Trump has his. Consider their vastly different backgrounds, it would be impossible to have anyone as a Reagan-clone. But to say Trump is anti-Reagan and not a gentleman like him shows that Kengor still pretty much lives in the past.
Both of them are unquestionably Pro-America, want to promote ALL Americans by giving them as much freedom as possible. If he had said McCain or Romney is the anti-Reagan, I would find no problem at all.
Crappy article, there really isn’t any balance. He deifies Reagan, rightfully so but comes off as a never Trumper. Trump can do no good in his eyes and everything that Trummp has done that is good has a horrible motive behind it.
True the two men are as different is temperament and background as can be but that doesn’t mean Trump is the political polar opposite of Reagan.
The author is clearly a never Trumper using his creds as a “conservative” to knock Trump.
Excellent post. Excellent.
In my opinion, this guy thinks like a Leftist with respect to the level of conservatism.
Leftists generally view things (wealth, power, fame, human rights, etc) as zero sum games. They believe that in so many things, that “thing” can only be increased in one person or entity by decreasing it in a commensurate way in another person or entity.
At some level, this person looks at conservatism and thinks the perception of an increase in Trump’s conservatism can only come from a decrease in the perception of conservatism in Reagan.
So, to maintain his world view, he has to tear down Trump in order to keep Reagan built up.
And like you said: Trump is the man we need now. These are different times. I watched old video of Trump talking about taxing the rich, and taking other Leftist stances. And personally, while I think it is great if a politician is a Christian, I don’t look to politicians as role models.
But people change over their lives. I am not the same person now I was as an adult forty years ago, and neither is President Trump.
Great article, thanks for posting it.
Caveat: My Mama taught me that “fair is a place where you ride the merry~go~round”. Fair is an illusion.
Comparisons like these are innately unfair and usually hide an agenda. This agenda is not so hidden - professor Kengor’s opinion of President Trump is minimal, especially when compared to Ronald Reagan and he wants to make sure you know it. Bully for him.
Any attempt to correct his misstatements is likely greeted with “Aha, so you hate RR!”. No, but I do hate shoddy workmanship. And what we have here is shoddy workmanship.
RR was the great compromiser. He had a knack for persuasion that is hard to equal. That said, he would be eaten alive in today’s political climate. The dhimmicrats, to a man, are evil and would roll right over him.
Trump is “The art of the deal” or the grand negotiator. He instinctively understands what is necessary when dealing with dishonorable people.
They are two different people, with two distinctly different personalities. Both great - each in their own way. Let it go at that.
They shared a love for America and a belief of American Exceptionalism. That’s enough for me.
As regards the military, Reagan reversed social engineering right out of the gate. He implemented the "we ask, don't join" policy and reversed many policies designed to put the gals into combat. Coed basic training in the Army was ended as an example. All talk of dropping standards was ended. Trump might have had problems with this if for no other reason than the fact most young men now are not man enough to serve in uniform. They're perfectly happy leaving it to the gals (who serve because of lower height, weight and physical fitness standards). These are the boys we all know from the GOP 'leaders'...Trump, Romney, Sununu, Burr, Kasich, Rubio, Ryan, Cruz, etc. Families who in many cases have not put a man in uniform since they got off the boat.
So four years after this is written we know that Trump is not exactly in the mode of Reagan, but is probably far more comparable in terms of goals if not style than most GOP leaders of the past fifty years. That's not too bad.
Trump is not the next Reagan. He has surpassed Reagan. Trump in now closing in on Teddy Roosevelt.
Trump is destined for his spot on Mt. Rushmore!
“When Kengor considers all the politicians listed above as “the best and brightest of the futures of the conservative movement and the Republican Party” we have a major disagreement.”
Not only that, but none of them would have survived the onslaught that Trump has been through. They would have either caved to the Rats demands or simply quit.
Someone with Trump’s personality is exactly what we needed and what we’ll continue to need after him.
We need bare knuckle warriors!
I just finished reading the article you linked, some delay in real life happening...
Good find, and great article. Thank you.
Or, as with many experts on 'how things have always been,' they may have all the answers...but don't know the questions.
Just for kicks, would love to read what Dr. Paul Kengor thinks now. Many of his years ago suppositions have proven wildly off target. Would he correct the record now?
I’ve heard Kengor on American Radio Journal. One more neocon who thinks Paul Ryan and John Boehner were ideal Republicans. The type that got behind Bob Dole, John McCain and Mitt Romney. The type that always expected conservatives to coalesce behind their RINO BS once the primary was over, but 3 years into the Trump presidency are still trying to take him down. So no, that bunch can go to hell.
American Thinker has been so supportive of Trump I am surprised they published this snarky article from this douche Paul Kengor. First suggestion I would give to Paul is if you want Trump supporters to take you seriously don’t actively insult them by saying they would support Trump no matter what he does.
In principle I would agree there are difference because of different times. Washington willingly gave up power and faded into private life. We needed a man like that at that time. Andrew Jackson on the other hand was a fighter and he fought to keep America free from the evil of the banking establishment and just the establishment in general. We needed a moody off the cuff jagged edged man like him at that time.
And Reagan was the one who cut and run in Lebanon. That was the worst possible decision at the time, and was America’s second blunder in regards to facing down radical Islam (Carter and Iran the first).
Cold war is gone? That’s what I also thought but the Democrats have somehow resurrected our old enemy Russia.
The deep state did not plot a coup to dispose of Reagan....they did for Trump. That tell’s you who the revolutionary figure is.
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