FLASHBACK: Ronald Reagan Skipped Last Debate Before IA Caucus – Went on to Win in Landslide

Gateway Pundit ^ | FLASHBACK: Ronald Reagan Skipped Last Debate Before IA Caucus – Went on to Win in Landslide | Jm Hoft

[TaxPayer2000]

Trump isn't the first top-tier presidential candidate to skip a debate. Ronald Reagan did not attend a Republican debate ahead of the 1980 Iowa caucuses, which he lost to George H.W. Bush. Reagan went on to the win the nomination and the presidency.

[conservative98]

CNN's Jeffrey Lord Praises Trump Skipping Fox Debate Comparing Him To Reagan Leaving Negotiations With Soviets

JOHN BERMAN (HOST): Jeffrey, what about that? There are going to be these other people on stage, I guess seven other candidates on stage. Won't they just be taking pot shots for two hours at Donald Trump, and Donald Trump not giving any response?

JEFFREY LORD: They're, you know, pygmies here at this stage. You know I'll tell you, John, exactly what this reminds me of is when Ronald Reagan fired the air traffic controllers when everybody said he couldn't do it. And secondly, when he walked away from the negotiating table with Gorbachev at Reykjavik, and everybody said you can't do that, either. In other words, the message delivered in both cases was be bold, be strong, be unique, be different. That's Donald Trump's message, right there in a nutshell. So if he continues with this, this is his message and he's living up to it.

[CAluvdubya]

Reagan didn’t quit because he was afraid of a girl. Or because he thought the moderators would be mean to him.

Neither did Trump.

Be truthful.....Trump balked at Ailes mocking him on Twitter. If Ailes did that to Cruz, you all would be howling about it. The only reason you think it's ok for the owner of the sponsoring debate network to go after one of the debate candidates, is that they didn't do it to Cruz.

[pkajj]

Reagan skipped the debate and actually lost Iowa to GHW Bush. I recall he was stunned a bit. He was able to regroup in time for New Hampshire. At a subsequent New Hampshire debate, GHW Bush insisted that the next debate be limited to he and Reagan. Reagan objected and invited the other participants to join (Dole, Baker, etc.). While Reagan was attempting to explain his action, the moderator attempted to turn off Reagan’s microphone, leading to Reagan’s legendary statement “I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Breen!” GHW Bush never recovered as Reagan went on to bury the field.

[RavenLooneyToon]

Trump is the Kwisatz Haderach!
8-)

[mkjessup]

I think most people think if Trump wins in Iowa and New Hampshire he has this thing sewed up fairly quickly...

Not to mention South Carolina, the only way Trump loses that is if the entire electorate suddenly turns gay and emulates Linda Graham's endorsement of Jebuardo.

[ScottWalkerForPresident2016]

I bet all the other ankle-biter candidates said the same thing about Reagan skipping that debate as Cruz and Co. are about Trump today.

[PSUGOP]

Interesting tidbit on Reagan. These debates are not debates. You cannot legitimately have 10 folks or whatever on stage and think there is anything going on but sould bite chaos. Complete waste of time.

The amazing thing is, he won’t be there but all the talk will be about him....while he tweets away.

The country keeps sliding left as the Social Service Complex grows out of control. You need a powerful charismatic guy to stop the slide. A hard core conservative is the answer, but the public just doesn’t have the appetite for completely pulling the plug on things like Planned Parenthood etc. We have to win first.

[VanDeKoik]

The Gipper was a frigging coward!!!!!!!

Gutless sissy! Screw him! I want a one on one debate in my kitchen right now!!!!!!!!11!11

#StuffCruzSays

[Cboldt]

Reagan lost the Iowa primary though.

There have been other candidates who bailed on debates in pique - see Rand Paul.

[DesertRhino]

“I find it insulting that you would call a woman a girl!”

A common term. Do you feel microaggressed? LOL

[Boardwalk]

I’m a woman!

[Vic S]

Will the Fox Debate advertisers continue to advertise or will they want some of their money back since Trump will not be present?

And the advertisers would be smart to put that in writing in the next contract. It will keep Fox from trying to pick winners (and losers.)

[aMorePerfectUnion]

No Reagan wouldn’t be afraid of moderators! /s

If Reagan couldn’t face a simple debate, how would he face the Soviets?/s

[bigbob]

Neither did Trump

[DoodleDawg]

He skipped debate because of the immature press release Fox sent out.

He started this by saying that if Megyn Kelly was going to be a moderator then he might not attend. He only made it official after the snarky press release.

Why should he go on if he's not going to receive equal respect??

There are going to be half a dozen people on that stage that will not get the attention Cruz will or Trump would have. He's just afraid of being made to look the fool.

[Hoodat]

Be truthful.....Trump balked at Ailes mocking him on Twitter.

Nice. So if Trump is President, all Putin has to do is mock him on Twitter? Talk about thin-skinned narcissists. How is this any different from the current White House occupant?

[Bobalu]

[Enlightened1]

Muahahaha!!!

[Vigilanteman]

. . . the disparate states of Iowa and New Hampshire . . .

Theses states aren't really all that disparate. Both have similar demographics, an extraordinarily highly inflated opinion of themselves, a substantial college and college educated population who think they are smarter than the rest of the country, some history of being bellweather states in the past but both trending Democrat recently, were among the first to endorse queer marriage, etc.

The only real major difference is that New Hampshire is more urban and is probably the most conservative state in New England. Iowa is more rural and would rank only behind three of five states bordering the Great Lakes for being the most liberal in the Midwest.

[Sasparilla]

...So you’re saying Trump is the next Reagan...

Nope. Just that skipping an Iowa debate is not unprecedented.