Bush viewed as natural heir to Reagan's political legacy
Knight Ridder Newspapers
Posted on 06/06/2004 9:28:04 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
WASHINGTON - President Bush followed his father into the White House, but his political role model is another president - Ronald Reagan.
Bush rarely talks about his father's influence on his political views, but he has been outspoken in his praise of the 40th president. Reagan's death Saturday renewed talk that Bush is the natural heir to Reagan's political legacy.
Both pushed tax cuts while boosting defense spending - a combination that led to record deficits in both presidencies. Both set out to destroy an ideological enemy. In Reagan's case, it was communism. Now it's terrorism.
Both were able to unite conservative Christians and traditional economic conservatives in the Republican Party. Both cast themselves as westerners. Photos of Reagan on horseback at his California ranch were as common in the 1980s as photos today of Bush clearing brush in a cowboy hat or driving through his ranch in a pickup.
And, without mentioning Reagan by name, Bush seldom misses a chance to tell Americans that he shares the former president's optimism.
"I want to rededicate American policy to Ronald Reagan's vision of optimism, modesty and resolve," Bush said in March 2001, at a christening ceremony for the USS Ronald Reagan, an aircraft carrier. "The future, he proclaimed, belongs to the free."
(Excerpt) Read more at realcities.com ...
Can somene help the boy out?
You've probably already got this, but...
"Ping" is a way of notifying other people of a message you think might be of interest to them.
"Bump" moves a message to the top of the list. It is usually used to remind yourself of it.
Above all, Ronald Reagan was a gentleman. He was a kind and gracious person and had a non-confrontational personality. But Reagan was far from harmless. He was a strong campaigner and a deadly debater. Reagan defended conservatism in a debate with Robert Kennedy in 1968. After that encounter, RFK told his people, don't ever schedule another debate with Reagan again. The Gipper kicked Booby's butt.
Reagan was also a strong pro-lifer and wrote "Abortion and the Conscious of a Nation". I suggest you read it. Good stuff.
Reagan was a tough politician. That's why he was so successful, first as Governor of California and then as POTUS.
I don't think I'll see another President like Ronald Reagan; not in my lifetime at least. President Bush may have a vision, but he does his best not to share it. They didn't call President Reagan the Great Communicator for nothing.
It's honestly not fair to compare the two, as President Reagan, in my estimation, is far above most Presidents. Those are big shoes to fill.
I think you are a big stupid pain in the rear, Hank.
On domestic policy, Bush is a Nixon Republican. On foreign policy, he is more like Reagan.
I apologize for my comments in post 25. I was way out of line.
You guys are wearing me out with this stuff, but that doesn't give me the right to say things like that to you.
Tammy
So no, Bush doesn't carry forward the Reagan legacy.
Those who were looking for a suitable successor in Bush must be very disappointed. Reagan's appeal extended to Democrats, while Bush has managed to alienate many conservative Republicans.
Agree. W is like Reagan in his dedication to principle regardless of the consequences. This is a tremendous asset that we need in all our leaders. However, W is not a fiscal conservative. Not even close.
But I'd really like to know what you think Bush's vision is. "Compassionate conservative" means nothing, except maybe more government spending.
He's been reacting to events, not forcefully arguing for a master vision, as Reagan did. Face it, one of the very few legitimate roles of Big Stupid Government is to wage war - the war on terrorism would have to be, and would be, fought by any occupant of the White House after 9/11. Yes, even Aldork. In that regard, Bush is nothing special; it's his job.
And tax cuts are great, but without offsetting slashes of spending we're just piling on more and more debt and Big Stupid Government is getting bigger and dumber. The "free" pill scam alone is a looming disaster that Bush has inflicted on us and our descendents until someone gets smart enough to kill it off. Bush also cowardly signed off on the assault on the First Amendment instead of saying "Are you nuts? Hell no, I'm not signing this!" He hasn't had the guts to veto anything that's crossed his desk so far.
He supported steel subsidies and has said he'll reinstate the stupid Clinton AWB if it's laid before him. Where's the "vision" there?
No vision. No "vision thing". To me, Bush is just another caretaker president seeking to retain power, no matter what the Bushbot Koolaid Drinkers think.
If anything, his "vision" is Big Stupid Government power wielded by Republicans instead of DemocRats. Thoroughly unimpressive, especially compared to Reagan.
He did the right thing in Iraq. Not because it was popular, but because it was right.
I see many similarities between Bush and reagan. Bush can and will carry the conservative torch that was passed to him by Reagan and change this country and world for the better.
Hey zarf. Not trying to pick a fight here.
Paul Kengor was on Fox News today. He's the author of the recent book on Ronald Reagan called, "God and Reagan". I remembered your remarks from the other day about Reagan and religion and forgot to properly respond.
Kengor said that Reagan attended Sunday church on regular basis throughout his life and he was even a Sunday school teacher back in Illinois. However, after Reagan was shot on March.30,1981, it was decided that going to Sunday church was out of the question. This was based on one main reason. The President required extra heavy security and that would have caused excessive inconvenience for other worshipers. Long lines and metal detectors.
Throughout the years it was common knowledge, that following the shooting and until he left office, a minister would occasionally come to the White House to hold a private service for the Reagan's.
While not outwardly religious person, Reagan was a regular church goer and a very spiritual man.
That's what I liked about him.
His religion was intensely personal. He kept his public statements regarding religion generic....he called upon, like Lincoln, a virtually nondenominational Almighty.
It was the kind of religion I can appreciate and respect. So much of religion today is an intolerant, public display of hypocritical self-righteousness.
I never got the sense that Reagan felt he had the "answer". Yet he knew some greater power than our own existed.
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