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Reagan Mania

Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 11:40 am
by Zute
Ugh... 100 years since his birth and now we get to listen to all the polish and spin they've fancied him up with. Let's here some of the other side:

Five myths about Ronald Reagan's legacy

1. Reagan was one of our most popular presidents.
2. Reagan was a tax-cutter.
3. Reagan was a hawk.
4. Reagan shrank the federal government.
5. Reagan was a conservative culture warrior.

Anyone remember that office of chastity he set up? It was about promoting abstinence. Hee hee!

Re: Reagan Mania

Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 4:16 pm
by Tudamorf
They have to lie about and rewrite his record, because he was the last president who called himself a Republican and was also popular.

In fact he is probably the only popular Republican president whom most Americans can still remember.

His actual politics were, of course, quite different from those of the current crop of extremist right-wing Christian nutjobs, although one can blame him for starting the whole mess and transition from Republicans to what we have now.

Re: Reagan Mania

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 8:02 am
by Fyyr
Reagan was regarded poorly during his administrations.
James Watt.
Ed Meese.
Held prayer meetings with Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell.

So social conservatives today revere him today, and imparting virtues to him that were not really there.
I suppose we can blame Christian nutjobs for that era, But they were already on the rise prior to Reagan.
Women want their children safe, and anyone who will make them feel safe is always a good bet. Re, McMartin, Candy Lightner, Satanic sacrifices, Repressed memory, etc.
"Do it for the children" started at this time.

Economically, he was successful in bringing the end to the Carter Recession.
At least for those who wanted to work.

And gaining the the release of the Iranian hostages, and other hostages held in the Middle East.

Politically, he brought the downfall of the Soviet Union, and ended the Cold War.
The fake out Star Wars gambit, was very effective.
His administration was also effective in removing the Philippine dictatorship at the time.

Socially, he started the implementation of universal healthcare for everyone in the US, including non citizens.

And contrary to Tudamorf's assertion, iirc, he was NEVER popular at the time.
He was treated very rudely by the press, and journalists. That I remember.

Not at all like the virtual journalistic blow jobs that Obama gets now.

Re: Reagan Mania

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 12:48 pm
by Tudamorf
Fyyr wrote:And contrary to Tudamorf's assertion, iirc, he was NEVER popular at the time.
He is popular NOW, which is the point.

Nixon wasn't unpopular in his first term either.

Re: Reagan Mania

Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 11:29 am
by Fyyr
That's the way all Presidents are.
The all become much better Presidents after they are no longer presiding.

They do the same thing with Carter and Kennedy as well.

Compare Nixon with Johnson or Kennedy. You would think that Nixon started the Vietnam War the way history is interpreted today. Instead of ending it.

Re: Reagan Mania

Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 12:48 pm
by Tudamorf
Fyyr wrote:That's the way all Presidents are.
The all become much better Presidents after they are no longer presiding.
Don't hold your breath for the day W. is considered a good president in hindsight

It has been quite a while since H.W.'s failed presidency and no one looks up to him either.

Yet Clinton was popular during his last term, and remains popular to this day.

Re: Reagan Mania

Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 1:27 pm
by Palarran
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... ey_results
Nixon's reputation has improved considerably with time, from near the bottom to middle of the pack.
Ford's has remained relatively unchanged.
Carter's ranking has varied too much to say there's a clear trend.
Reagan's reputation improved significantly.
H.W. Bush's has been more or less unchanged.
Clinton's improved slightly.

Re: Reagan Mania

Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 2:55 pm
by Tudamorf
Palarran wrote:Nixon's reputation has improved considerably with time, from near the bottom to middle of the pack.
But compare that to his approval ratings during his first term.

Or H.W.'s, post Gulf war.

Some presidents age well, others don't.

Re: Reagan Mania

Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 5:35 am
by Fyyr
Tudamorf wrote:Don't hold your breath for the day W. is considered a good president in hindsight
Really? He brought down evil Hussein and the evil Taliban. Remember the heads and hands in the stadium. History will reveal itself different than your prediction.
It has been quite a while since H.W.'s failed presidency and no one looks up to him either.
He won a 100 hour war. And he is going to be remembered as a bad Prez? Don't think so.
Yet Clinton was popular during his last term, and remains popular to this day.
What did he do?
He presided over and was complicit with the Balkans(genocide) and Rwanda(genocide). Black Hawk Down perhaps.
I'm pretty sure that history will be revised to make him out to be a great President too, one day.
But we all know better, don't we. His worst offenses remembered will be a pussy saturated cigar and cum stained blue dress, I suppose.
Not the millions of people he let die.

Re: Reagan Mania

Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 1:42 pm
by Tudamorf
Fyyr wrote:He won a 100 hour war. And he is going to be remembered as a bad Prez? Don't think so.
He came right after Reagan. Why isn't he remembered fondly, like Reagan is?

Read my lips, he was a failure and will be remembered as such for all time.
Fyyr wrote:
Yet Clinton was popular during his last term, and remains popular to this day.
What did he do?
He presided over and was complicit with the Balkans(genocide) and Rwanda(genocide).
So? Everyone was. As they should've been. No one really cares about it anyway.