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This was written as part of a larger post a while back. I think it bears repeating here. While there are instances of my using the word "you" here, this was not written to the person that I posted this to.

I have seen a number of folks trying to rip Reagan a new one, so their candidate will look better by comparison.

His take on Roosevelt seems to be a very popular topic, when the above tactic becomes necessary.

Here are a few things they leave out, when they talk about Reagan, his take on, and votes for Roosevelt.

1932:

01. Hoover(R) had been a dismal failure, leaving an almost catastropic economy for Roosevelt to take over
02. When Reagan voted for Roosevelt in 1932, he was part of 57% of the populace who did so. Roosevelt won all but six states.
03. Roosevelt was inaugurated March 4, 1933 (32 days after Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany). The U.S. was at the zenith of the worst depression in its history. Somewhere between 20.6 to 24.9% of the workforce was unemployed. Farm prices had fallen by 60%. Industrial production had fallen by more than half since 1929. On the evening of his inauguration day, 32 of the 48 states, as well as the District of Columbia had closed their banks. The New York Federal Reserve Bank was unable to open the next morning. (and here folks are trying to make hay off Reagan not casting a vote for the man who had left this mess / absolutely shameful)
04. Hoover himself had come up with at least one New Deal type program, and Roosevelt kept it, Hoover's major relief program for the unemployed under the new name, Federal Emergency Relief Administration.
05. By 1936 Unemployment had dropped to between 9.9 and 16.9%. (between 20.6 and 25.9% in 1932)

Some people make the case that Roosevelt prolonged the Great Depression. While his second term didn't redice unemployment significantly, productivity did go way up, and unemployment all but disappeared by 1940. Pay attention to the unemplyment and GNP figures as you read this.

1936:

06. When Reagan voted for Roosevelt in 1936, he was part of 60.8% of the populace who did so. Roosevelt won all but two states, Maine and Vermont.
07. Kansas Governor Alf Landon, who accepted much of the New Deal, ran against Roosevelt in '36. (You saw that right? LMAO)
08. Reagan's choices for President in 1936 included the New Deal author, and a man who didn't object to most of the New Deal. (OUCH!)
........What this means is, if Reagan had voted for Landon, you could have come here and revealed that truth too. Landon was for the most part, a New Dealer.
09. The Gross National Product grew by 34% from 1932 to 1936
10. By 1940 Unemployment had dropped to between 9.5 and 14.9%. (between 9.9 and 16.9% in 1936)

1940:

11. When Reagan voted for Roosevelt in 1940, he was part of 55% of the populace who did so. Roosevelt won 38 of 48 states.
12. Roosevelt's opponent Willkie centered his presidential campaign about three major themes: the alleged inefficiency and corruption of Roosevelt's New Deal programs, Roosevelt's attempt to win an unprecedented third term as President, and the government's alleged lack of military preparedness. Willkie claimed that he would keep most of FDR's New Deal welfare and regulatory programs, but that he would make them more efficient and effective. (Drat! You just can't catch a breat there partner.)
........What this means is, if Reagan had voted for Willkie, you could have come here and revealed that truth too. Willkie was for the most part, a New Dealer.
13. By 1940, the Gross National Product had grown by 58% since 1932.
14. By 1944 Unemployment had dropped to 1.2%. (between 9.5 and 14.9% in 1940)

1944:

15. Willkie dies of a heart attack on October 8th, 1944, months before his term would have ended.
16. When Reagan voted for Roosevelt in 1944, he was part of 53% of the populace who did so. Roosevelt won 36 of 48 states.
17. Thomas E. Dewey ran against Roosevelt in 1944 crusading against the alleged inefficiencies, corruption and Communist influences in incumbent Roosevelt's New Deal programs. ( FINALLY!... you catch a break here.)
18. Timeline of important dates related to the War with Japan. LINK It's imporant to remember, that we were still at war with Germany and Japan, with decisions being made, and important battles fought. Voters were naturally going to give this heavy consideration in the 1944 election.
19. By 1945, the Gross National Prodcut had grown another 56% since 1940.

20. April 12th, 1945 Roosevelt Dies

Summation:

Reagan voted for Roosevelt in 1932, because Hoover had cratered the nation.
Reagan voted for Roosevelt in 1936, because he approved of him, and Landon was essentially a New Dealer too.
Reagan voted for Roosevelt in 1940, because he approved of him, and Willkie was essentially a New Dealer too.
Reagan voted for Roosevelt in 1944, because he apporved of him, and we were still wrapping up Europe, and in the midst of fierce fighting in the Pacific.

That 1944 vote is probably the best bet to wedge people on. I still think folks will look like a bozo if they try to trash Reagon for not wanting to change CICs with our European and Pacific Theaters still active.

As for Roosevelt's policies, I agree that they have had lasting long term negative consequences. I must interject the following comments here on behalf of people who can no longer comment.

As for Reagan being a New Deal Democrat, so were the Republicans who ran against Roosevelt in 1936 and 1940. People who lived through the late 1920s and through the 1930s, saw and experienced things that wounded them for life. Folks might not like it, and I'm not that thrilled with it, but the public saw Roosevelt as the man who turned the nation around after the Great Depression. A majority of polls rank Roosevelt as the second or third greatest president. Roosevelt is the sixth most admired person from the 20th century by U.S. citizens, according to Gallup.

Was Roosevelt responsible for seriously screwing this nation up? I believe so. He was also responsible for seeing us through some of the darkest days in our nation's history.

We can get as worked up over Roosevelt as we want, but the bottom line is this. Roosevelt has been out of office for sixty-six years. How much of his agenda was rolled back from 2000 to 2006? Please, make a long list for me. While you're at it, perhaps you might like to address the fact that the Medical Part D provision, was nothing if not a New Deal type program. Perhaps you'd rather think of it as anther Great Society Program. Do you begin to see why I don't want a RINO in the White House staring January 2013.

If we actually get a Conserative in there and we have a Tea Party dominated Republican Party in the House, and a simple Republican majority Senate, we can for the first time make major inroads into elimination and replacing the programs Roosevelt created, that are plaging our nation today. At the same time, we can address some of Lyndon B. Johnson's crap.

So what I want to know is, are folks willing to fall in behind a real Conservative, or are they going to continue to try to place another guy in the White House who can't process his dirty laundry fast enough?

While I do not see Roosevelt to be as bad as others do because of what he faced and saw us through, there are other presidents since that I think look very favorable when compared to him. Reagan faced down the U. S. S. R., and peacefully set the planet on a course that wound up ending the Cold War. Why would someone favor Roosevelt over him, if they were truly a Conservative?

I'd love to see folks actually sign on for once to vote for a person that actually will rid us of those New Deal and Great Society programs. And please God, don't give us another fool that is willing to implement more Great Society type programs, or implement the Left's agenda for them.