Posted on 06/13/2004 10:04:00 PM PDT by quidnunc
Since his death a great deal has been written about Ronald Reagan. About his vision and his ability to communicate with regular Americans. About the extraordinary economic growth his tax rate reductions created, and his belief that Soviet communism was an evil empire, not an alternative form of government that must be understood. About his foreign policy leadership that led Sen. Ted Kennedy to eulogize him as "the president who won the Cold War."
But Reagan was something more: a turning-point president who believed that the policy directions of the past were wrong, and that with different policies our future could be far better. We have had other such presidents, Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. Their elections were turning points in America's policies, as was Reagan's.
Could America be at another turning point in 2004? Another time like the '60s, and '80s when people decided it was time to change the direction in which our public policies were headed? That is the question political scholar Michael Barone indirectly poses in his new book, "Hard America, Soft America, Competition vs. Coddling and the Battle for the Nation's Future."
Following the postwar enthusiasm of the 1950s, America's policies softened. In the '60s and '70s government grew, regulation increased, welfare programs expanded, crime rose while prison populations dropped, schools lowered standards and limited testing, and the distribution of wealth became more important than its creation. As Lyndon B. Johnson said, we must accept "greater government activity in the affairs of the people."
Then came Ronald Reagan with the opposite view, and the '80s and 90's saw a hardening America, one in which liberty was more important than equality, so that expanding markets became more important than expanding government. Welfare was replaced with work, mandatory sentencing drove prison populations up and crime rates down, education began to return to testing and standards, and the creation of greater national and individual wealth became our economic focus.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
BTTT
What America needs to realize is we are so f-cking screwed if Effin Kerry wins in November.
Period.
I couldn't have said it better. We won't survive a JF*K presidency. The Islamists will know they've gained the momentum and become bolder!
DuPont forgets that America went soft in 90's when they elected Clinton over Bush due to the media hype of a non-existent bad econmomy. Then in 1996, the GOP cried "Uncle" and ran a Mondale like canidate in Bob Dole due to hammering they took due to government shut down in 1995.
I am afraid the events of 2001 did not shake the foundation of this country enough. True, some folks have awaken, but it appears a sizeable enough number of zombies, if you believe the polls, are willing to give John F'ing Kerry a chance at this countries foregin policy. Scarry, very scarry.
We should be very concerened about this. I've been very, very disapointed with the lack of response to all the stuff that has hit the fan against Bush, by Team Bush and it seems they are following in the same footsteps of Bush 41 in 1992 with the lack of response on the economy and Clinton's general lack of chracter, etc. They need to learn what we in fly over country have been posting on the interet sites like this and on talk radio. Team Bush needs to attack the media. Start calling lies, lies when they are reported as such. Throw the crap back in their face.
What turning point did JFK give us, other than cutting tax rates? He badmouthed Ike's handling of the Cold War then found out when he became pres, Ike had been doing a lot in secret. He bungled the Cuba invasion.
ping
JFK turned his point towards anything with two X chromosomes.
It is very hard to respond when Fox News is all you have. This is the most blatant media driven election I have ever seen. Kerry doesn't need a red cent since he has literally billions in free media every week. I don't know how the Bush team can counteract that.
Humongous truth bump!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go to the American people as Reagan did....sit in the Oval office with charts and pointers if you have to....this Admin. is about the worst i have ever seen and getting a point across....i honestly don't see much support from republican senators and congressmen...Where the hell does Frist stand on any of this? Who the hell knows?
Baloney. He cannot go "to the American people" on national TV if the networks ignore him. He tried that with his Iraq speech. He cannot preempt network time for campaigning. All Bush has is campaign ads and Fox news. Kerry has campaign ads plus guaranteed network bashing of Bush plus guaranteed network positive reporting of Kerry.
If we get Kerry we are headed down the Democrapper
Well let's just give up then...it's all over. Uncle Ronnie didn't have the internet, talk radio or Fox....I wonder how he got his message out?...it's a mystery to me i guess.
As the article stated, Reagan came at a time when America was ready to face realty, America today is doing all it can to escape reality.
Bush was warned before he signed CFR. Stupid is as stupid does.
Reagan came in when America thought the office of the president was completely ineffective....we were resigned to the fact that the Soviet Union was on the move and an ever growing menace...people were not really facing reality...they were indifferent after Nixon, Carter and Vietnam.
It seems Bush's spanish is better than english...the Mexicans sure have got the message..."come on in...the water's fine"
BS.
I see . Now I know where you are coming from.
I didn't come up from Mexico if that is what you mean...;)
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