Posted on 06/14/2009 12:56:05 PM PDT by reaganaut1
For a liberal Democrat, President Obama has offered generous praise for the most celebrated of his recent Republican predecessors.
Mr. Obama has credited Ronald Reagan with having “changed the trajectory of America” in ways Bill Clinton didn’t. “President Reagan helped as much as any president to restore a sense of optimism in our country, a spirit that transcended politics,” Mr. Obama said earlier this month while signing the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act in the presence of Nancy Reagan.
It’s not surprising that Mr. Obama has embraced Mr. Reagan’s achievement since it seems akin to his own aspirations and might also ingratiate him with conservatives. What is surprising is the increasingly ambiguous position Mr. Reagan holds on the right.
Some Republicans have begun reassessing whether Mr. Reagan today affords the best example as they seek a path back to power. The economic crisis, which Mr. Obama last fall declared a “final verdict” on the anti-government philosophy that George W. Bush and Mr. Reagan shared, has made Reaganism less politically marketable than at any time in a generation.
“I don’t use him publicly as a reference point,” said Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana, a Republican who lately has emerged as a potential national party leader. Mr. Daniels instead has urged fellow Republicans to “let go” of Mr. Reagan as a contemporary symbol.
As Mr. Reagan’s White House political director, Mr. Daniels brings credibility to the discussion. A year ago, when he first proposed that Republicans turn the page he drew sharp criticism from Rush Limbaugh, among others. Now, Mr. Daniels observes, “I think it’s spreading.”
That’s not to say Republicans disavow Mr. Reagan’s achievements, which include cutting tax rates, presiding over the successful conclusion of the cold war and, as Mr. Obama noted, boosting morale after a period of national self-doubt.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
They don't want to have to answer the questions Reaganism will ask in 2012, because the answers will be: depression era unemployment, hyper inflation, US business moving abroad, and third world standard of living moving to the US.
Worse yet, voters will have lots of time to think about these things, while standing in line at the DMV, for their doctor's appointment.
The former idiot chairman of the NH GOP said the same thing about a week ago. (On the 5th anniversary of Reagan’s death, no less.)
I think this is a coordinated effort, not a coincidence.
Odd words of praise coming from someone who is demonstrably the ‘anti-Reagan.’
“...akin to his own aspirations...?” Oh, please. Reagan was definitely NOT an America hating, racist, fascist thug and liar. Reagan hoped to re-introduce the American people to the greatness of this nation. Hussein’s ambition is to destroy and then rule it.
Give it a few more weeks NYSlimes...
when people are forced to drive their government made vehicle to see their government appointed doctor then stop off at their government owned bank to get some worthless $$$ so they get by some food at McDonalds from the government directed menu, even the most independent of folk will be clamoring for anyone reminiscent of Reagan's philosophy....
They redefine words and revise history constantly, there's probably the exact same situation Orwell described in some chithole like Detroit with gray people showing up every day to revise the history books and dictionaries. Their instructions come from Barney Frank and James Carville, complete with power struggles over who gets credit for successful reinterpretations and word thefts.
Regards
I don’t know much about the bible, but seems like I remember Moses coming down from the mount to find the folks in the hood dancing around a gold cow. Now I understand...
I hear the Sunday edition is "very thin" these days.
The MSM telling the GOP how they think about Reagan is really rich. Talk about gall. Wishful thinking on their part.
Well said.
might also ingratiate him with conservatives.
NO,
..and I reject Mitch Daniels also as he (has done some good), but isn’t really a RR Conservative when it comes down to it..!
Mr Obama, we knew Ronald Reagan, and you sir, are no Ronald Reagan. There I said it.
I love this. We should “move on” from the “Reagan” era with all it’s successes in leading the country out of an absolute mess from the 70’s but it’s OK for the Democrats to continue pursuing 1930’s style “New Deal” policies.
You forget that it is the Constitution which “Unites” us; and the LEFT through the the judicary are the one’s who started the “culture war” (politically as well as culturally), WE NEED to fight the social issues becuase WE need to get back to the constituton, and reign in the courts (this includes overturning such rulings as Roe v. Wade, and “marriage” activism on the part of gays/lesbians.
THEY ARE THE BIG GOV (Expansion of Gov. Power here) advocates, not Conservatives- Cultural Conservatism and Libertarian/Economic Conservativism ARE NOT in conflict!
It’s kind of inconsistent, the author, in once sense wants us (conservatives) to move away from Ronald Reagan, but in the same token-they want Obama to embrace Reagan and be “the next Reagan (Which he has failed to do both in his politics, and personality)”..idiot NY Times writers are really unsophisticated these days! They must be scraping the “bottom of the barrel”!
The problem with those who suggest we let Reagan go is that they don’t mean simply coming up with new ideas. This is so unnecessary. The Democrats never talk about letting go of FDR or JFK. Republicans prove themselves idiots when they obsess over such stupid ideas. It feeds their opposition and most of those complaining about Reagan are not real conservatives. They don’t believe in smaller government they instead have adopted the idea of of “efficient government”. They ignore the increasing costs of social liberalism while urging we distance ourselves from social conservatism. Down the line those who urge the getting beyond Reagan seem intent on making the GOP a clone of the Democrat party just a little more classy a clone but still a clone. One that is more comfortable pushing for nationalized health care, one that is comfortable feeding the Educracy, and one that is comfortable running on intentions and producing zero results.
You are exactly right. All this rethinking is stupid and for what? Do we want to attract empty headed females who see no problem having babies scraped from their wombs and think such a behavior is a right? Do we want the votes of the sexually peculiar who want to equate their private sexual behaviors with civil rights? I don’t want any part of that stupid party. Give me a civil war first. We then can destroy the disease of socialism outright and honestly.
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