The myth of Ronald Reagan

[Bob Of Burleson]

Senate candidate glosses over reality

By David Lightman
McClatchy Washington Bureau

PEARL, Miss. — “I am a Reaganite,” Chris McDaniel proclaimed with pride.

He hushed the crowd at the community center Wednesday evening in Pearl, Miss., with his tale of how, when he was a 13-year-old, “my dad called me into a room” to watch a Ronald Reagan speech. McDaniel was mesmerized. Reagan was “talking about things that intuitively made sense to my Mississippi soul.”

Now vying for the Republican Senate nomination in Tuesday’s runoff election in Mississippi, McDaniel is typical of a new generation of conservatives whose gauzy memory of the 40th president blurs out the realities of a 1980s leader to make him the model for a new age.

McDaniel, for example, ticks off the agenda: a balanced budget, lower taxes, no amnesty for immigrants who are in the country illegally and no compromise with the Democrats.

“We’ve compromised too long,” he said. “We’ve got to find our conviction again.”

But President Reagan never balanced a budget. He presided over record federal deficits. He signed amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants. And he worked tirelessly with Democrats.

There’s particular irony in Mississippi: McDaniel’s opponent is six-term Sen. Thad Cochran, who served during Reagan’s presidency and was a loyal supporter.

Cochran rarely mentions Reagan on the campaign trail. McDaniel, who was 8 when Reagan took office in 1981, can’t get enough of the conservative icon.

“I cut my teeth and I believe strongly in the positions and principles of Ronald Reagan,” McDaniel explained. “He was for limited government, he was for balanced budgets, he was for liberty and freedom as it was traditionally understood. That’s who I am. That’s who I’ll always be.”

He closes his stump speech by quietly declaring, “Thank God for Ronald Reagan.”

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/06/19/2 ... rylink=cpy

[GFB]

Yes..in the age of Obama..the lowest of lows..it's time to tear down the greatest of greats.

[LibraryLady]

Now, you have done it BoB...........

A friend, who was a Republican, taught history at a local college.
She liked to challenge her students to explain the Reagan mystique.
Family values = 2nd marriage and Nancy pregnant ahead of the marriage and estranged from his children.
Budget = as you mentioned.

........I don't remember the rest of her challenges..

[John In Austin]

Reagan cut the top marginal tax rate from 70% to 28%, he had Democrat Congresses that increased spending but the economy roared. Amnesty was a mistake but that's what happens when you work with Democrats.

[GFB]

A friend, who was a Republican, taught history at a local college.

Oh yes..we believe that.

[GFB]

This is so pitiful.

Anyone that does not go through life with blinders on..realizes that we were fortunate enough..(some of us)..to live through a great time when we had a great President.

So this is what it has come to..to give Obama some klnd of "hail mary" cover?

Ronald Reagan's Presidency from the beginning..was redefining government as the PROBLEM..not the solution.

The bum we have now is the antithesis.

[GFB]

The democrats biggest claim to fame of the last 50 years?..the guy that got impeached and disbarred for perjury and Obstruction of Justice..engaged in 40 years of cheating on his wife with dozens of women..sexually harassing many of them..raping at least one..nice..that's YOUR guy.

The best they can do in return is.."yeah but..YOUR guy had deficits."

[BigTex]

This isn't that difficult. Conservatives idolize Reagan because he galvanized a party that was in disarray from the Nixon-Ford years. No one has come close to energizing the party the way he did.

Thus the legend.

[crackertoes]

Reagan was a capitalist.

Obama is a socialist.

Nuff said.

[planosteve]

People seem to think Reagan was a conservative because he played one in the White House.

[Red Oak]

We should learn from Reagan's mistakes which were generally "reaching across the aisle" and trusting the Democrats to keep their part of the bargain.

Reagan's "Family Values" hold up pretty well in comparison to the other President's in my life time.

A couple of Ronnie's Kids are @$&" up like a Soup Sandwich and a couple were OK.

[BillB]

Reagan stands out for being an ideologue in a world of mushy pragmatists.
Reagan had convictions. He knew exactly what he believed and wanted for the country. I can't think of another president I can say that about.
Reagan had to compromise a few times, but that is the nature of our government.

[Cowman52]

You know, I get really tired of some one, anyone, saying they are a Reagan conservative or what ever else they think will get them in good graces with the listeners.
Ronald Reagan was a one of a kind person, he connected with the people, he had a message, and he could convey it to the the listener. He didn't sound like it was rehearsed, it didn't sound like a line of crap, it gave the voter hope that better times were a coming, unlike this hope and change bull we were fed the past 7 years.
There ain't a pub on this earth that can hold a candle to Ronald Reagan. Try as they might, they don't have the core beliefs to do it. You can whine about amnesty, Nancy being pregnant, what ever, but you never could envision him in the oval office without a siut and tie, much less getting serviced in a closet off the side.
Any republican needs to grow a pair and be what he is, an honest sincere person and let the past be left the heck alone.

[Sangersteve]

I believe there may be one lawmakers that has the qualities that we saw in Reagan. Tell the truth, be a capitalist, have a clear message, and love our country.

Any guesses as to who I think this might be?

[Grassman]

The revision of history will never stop with these lib "journalist".

[planosteve]

I believe there may be one lawmakers that has the qualities that we saw in Reagan. Tell the truth, be a capitalist, have a clear message, and love our country.

Any guesses as to who I think this might be?

Only one I can think of. But, he's retired now.

[GFB]

I believe there may be one lawmakers that has the qualities that we saw in Reagan. Tell the truth, be a capitalist, have a clear message, and love our country.

Any guesses as to who I think this might be?

The three public people that in any way remind me of Ronald Reagan..(which does not mean they agree with him on everything or are as strong a leader)..are in this order..Scott Walker, Marco Rubio and Mitt Romney.

[Grassman]

I believe there may be one lawmakers that has the qualities that we saw in Reagan. Tell the truth, be a capitalist, have a clear message, and love our country.

Any guesses as to who I think this might be?

The three public people that in any way remind me of Ronald Reagan..(which does not mean they agree with him on everything or are as strong a leader)..are in this order..Scott Walker, Marco Rubio and Mitt Romney.

I guess Barack didn't make the cut......I kid, I kid...

[GRANDPA]

After voting for McGovern & Carter I learned my lesson & voted for Reagan.