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Help me understand this default Hero Worship of Ronald Reagan

strummingram

strummingram

HR Legend
Oct 1, 2010
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How exactly was Ronald Reagan "conservative" once he became president. I hear this love-fest from alleged Conservative ideologues and Republicans. The talking heads LOVE to bring his name up like Ronnie was their Martin Luther King or something. I see nothing conservative about his administration at all. Zero.

I know Ron Paul once told me that he was a fervent supporter of Reagan's in 1976 and even in 1980... until he became president and proceeded to display anything BUT conservatism and Paul left the GOP for a decade or so as a result.

So, besides rhetoric and getting chummy with Protestant leaders... what is conservative about Reagan. I'm guessing we'll see who is conservative and who is a NEO-conservative.

Please, convince me he was a conservative...
 
In 1980, there were doubts that any man could
handle the Presidency of the United States.
The office had destroyed Lyndon Johnson,
corrupted Richard Nixon, and overwhelmed
Jimmy Carter.

Ronald Reagan restored faith in America during
his 8 year term. He helped to end the cold war
with the Soviet Union. Reagan was an eternal
optimist and a man of endless hope. People
admired his courage and character.

He left office with a 63% approval rating from
the American people. He defies labels such as
conservative or liberal. Ronald Reagan was just
a guy from the Midwest with humble roots who
eventually was a California governor and an
American President.
 
Originally posted by LuteHawk:

In 1980, there were doubts that any man could
handle the Presidency of the United States.
The office had destroyed Lyndon Johnson,
corrupted Richard Nixon, and overwhelmed
Jimmy Carter.

Ronald Reagan restored faith in America during
his 8 year term. He helped to end the cold war
with the Soviet Union. Reagan was an eternal
optimist and a man of endless hope. People
admired his courage and character.

He left office with a 63% approval rating from
the American people. He defies labels such as
conservative or liberal. Ronald Reagan was just
a guy from the Midwest with humble roots who
eventually was a California governor and an
American President.
Click to expand...
Hope and change, I get it.
 
What is the first rule of Reagan club? We don't talk about Reagan club.
 
I think in the case of Reagan and even Clinton, it seemed like those guys could work with congress. They understood give and take and worked with the congress.
 
Originally posted by strummingram:
How exactly was Ronald Reagan "conservative" once he became president. I hear this love-fest from alleged Conservative ideologues and Republicans. The talking heads LOVE to bring his name up like Ronnie was their Martin Luther King or something. I see nothing conservative about his administration at all. Zero.

I know Ron Paul once told me that he was a fervent supporter of Reagan's in 1976 and even in 1980... until he became president and proceeded to display anything BUT conservatism and Paul left the GOP for a decade or so as a result.

So, besides rhetoric and getting chummy with Protestant leaders... what is conservative about Reagan. I'm guessing we'll see who is conservative and who is a NEO-conservative.

Please, convince me he was a conservative...
Click to expand...
He saved America and perhaps the world. That's a start.

He was the reverse of the usual politician. He was a promoter of the country, not his personal situation.

He was conservative, but not doctrinaire. He realized he couldn't get anything done by insisting on pure ideology -- something our current president still hasn't accepted.

He understood what made America great. He had all kinds of faults, but he had a firm belief in the greatness and goodness of this country and what it could and should be.
 
Originally posted by Lone Clone:

He saved America and perhaps the world. That's a start.

He was the reverse of the usual politician. He was a promoter of the country, not his personal situation.

He was conservative, but not doctrinaire. He realized he couldn't get anything done by insisting on pure ideology -- something our current president still hasn't accepted.

He understood what made America great. He had all kinds of faults, but he had a firm belief in the greatness and goodness of this country and what it could and should be.
Click to expand...
I'll give you your last point, but your first 3 are just amazingly entertaining on a variety of levels. Thanks for posting them.
 
Originally posted by naturalmwa:
Originally posted by Lone Clone:

He saved America and perhaps the world. That's a start.

He was the reverse of the usual politician. He was a promoter of the country, not his personal situation.

He was conservative, but not doctrinaire. He realized he couldn't get anything done by insisting on pure ideology -- something our current president still hasn't accepted.

He understood what made America great. He had all kinds of faults, but he had a firm belief in the greatness and goodness of this country and what it could and should be.
Click to expand...
I'll give you your last point, but your first 3 are just amazingly entertaining on a variety of levels. Thanks for posting them.
Click to expand...
The first is a matter of personal opinion, of course.

The others are demonstrably true. If you find them entertaining, you are either very easily entertained or very unfamiliar with Ronald Reagan.
 
Originally posted by Lone Clone:

Originally posted by naturalmwa:
Originally posted by Lone Clone:

He saved America and perhaps the world. That's a start.

He was the reverse of the usual politician. He was a promoter of the country, not his personal situation.

He was conservative, but not doctrinaire. He realized he couldn't get anything done by insisting on pure ideology -- something our current president still hasn't accepted.

He understood what made America great. He had all kinds of faults, but he had a firm belief in the greatness and goodness of this country and what it could and should be.
Click to expand...
I'll give you your last point, but your first 3 are just amazingly entertaining on a variety of levels. Thanks for posting them.
Click to expand...
The first is a matter of personal opinion, of course.

The others are demonstrably true. If you find them entertaining, you are either very easily entertained or very unfamiliar with Ronald Reagan.
Click to expand...
So we agree on #1, The fact that he made a living for many years promoting policy that advantaged him personally makes #2 a real eye roller. On #3 the notion that BHO is captive to ideological doctrine significantly more than RR is negated by Obama's own reaganesque disdain for labor repeatedly. But what really puts it over the top is the notion that you would even value such a trait. We agree that I am easy to entertain, I'll find a silver lining in most any cloud.
 
Originally posted by jthawk:
It's obvious from your thread title you don't want to be convinced. Nice try
Posted from Rivals Mobile
Click to expand...
No, no. I desperately want to understand how Ronald Reagan is some beacon of conservative light that is such a benchmark. Aside from personal opinion, based on some arbitrary, unproven notion that he is/was conservative.

And, one guy claimed he "saved the world?" At least that opinion didn't include any details. I guess "saving the world" is incredibly subjective! I'm not sure what he "saved" exactly. The size of government grew exponentially. Just like every other administration.

I guess it begs the question: "What the hell is a conservative?" Liberal is another vague reference term, for that matter.

I simply see nothing but a lot of talk and no walk. He was a decent actor. Maybe he was a great "acting" president! He ACTED conservative. As far as "promoting America"... what is that? Standing up and yelling a bunch of phrases and scripted propaganda that amounts to "America is Great! America is the GREATEST COUNTRY in the WORLD!" That sounds like a guy pandering to people, to me. Sounds like every president before and after. Pandering from the minute they start talking to a crowd.

And, he ruined the GOP by courting the Protestant churches "Moral Majority." Religion took a black eye as well as GOP politics. Dumbest thing ever.
 
Your subject line is amusing. I bet you were in the crowd in Denver with BOH standing in front of the Roman columns helping fainting women over the security barrier and salivating at the mouth when he said "we are the ones we've been waiting for" and "I will stop the rise of the earth's oceans" and all the other crap he's spewed over the years.

So yeah, Reagan was a great president but we certainly didn't salivate and protect at ALL COSTS like the all the Obamabots wondering the face of the earth.
 
Reagan was a criminal, economic and foreign interventionist, drug warrior, deficit-spender, debt increaser, expander of government and government power. He only looks good when he is standing alongside of Republican presidents like George W. Bush. Each and every president leaves us longing for his predecessor.
 
Originally posted by IMCC965:
Your subject line is amusing. I bet you were in the crowd in Denver with BOH standing in front of the Roman columns helping fainting women over the security barrier and salivating at the mouth when he said "we are the ones we've been waiting for" and "I will stop the rise of the earth's oceans" and all the other crap he's spewed over the years.

So yeah, Reagan was a great president but we certainly didn't salivate and protect at ALL COSTS like the all the Obamabots wondering the face of the earth.
Click to expand...
So, besides your obsession with hating Obama (who is a terrible president), you have nothing to offer to defend or explain Reagan's conservatism in action?
 
I've seen his speech during the Goldwater campaign, which SOUNDED conservative (or what I always thought was conservative). I've just never seen the guy walk the walk.
 
He used libertarian rhetoric, but governed like a statist. Oddly enough, so called conservatives adored him for his talk. Neocons loved him for his actions, like the true Democrat that he was. Yet, despise true libertarians like Ron Paul.
 
Originally posted by IMCC965:
Your subject line is amusing. I bet you were in the crowd in Denver with BOH standing in front of the Roman columns helping fainting women over the security barrier and salivating at the mouth when he said "we are the ones we've been waiting for" and "I will stop the rise of the earth's oceans" and all the other crap he's spewed over the years.

So yeah, Reagan was a great president but we certainly didn't salivate and protect at ALL COSTS like the all the Obamabots wondering the face of the earth.
Click to expand...
Your words tell a different story here.
 
Originally posted by naturalmwa:

Originally posted by LuteHawk:

In 1980, there were doubts that any man could
handle the Presidency of the United States.
The office had destroyed Lyndon Johnson,
corrupted Richard Nixon, and overwhelmed
Jimmy Carter.

Ronald Reagan restored faith in America during
his 8 year term. He helped to end the cold war
with the Soviet Union. Reagan was an eternal
optimist and a man of endless hope. People
admired his courage and character.

He left office with a 63% approval rating from
the American people. He defies labels such as
conservative or liberal. Ronald Reagan was just
a guy from the Midwest with humble roots who
eventually was a California governor and an
American President.
Click to expand...
Hope and change, I get it.
Click to expand...
The difference is with Reagan he actually did restore hope in the American dream for millions of Americans. With BHO, hope proved elusive. In a couple words Reagan was successful in that, BHO not so much.
 
Originally posted by aflachawk:

The difference is with Reagan he actually did restore hope in the American dream for millions of Americans. With BHO, hope proved elusive. In a couple words Reagan was successful in that, BHO not so much.
Click to expand...
Now that's a pretty good retort, more posts like this please.
 
Originally posted by naturalmwa:
Originally posted by Lone Clone:

Originally posted by naturalmwa:
Originally posted by Lone Clone:

He saved America and perhaps the world. That's a start.

He was the reverse of the usual politician. He was a promoter of the country, not his personal situation.

He was conservative, but not doctrinaire. He realized he couldn't get anything done by insisting on pure ideology -- something our current president still hasn't accepted.

He understood what made America great. He had all kinds of faults, but he had a firm belief in the greatness and goodness of this country and what it could and should be.
Click to expand...
I'll give you your last point, but your first 3 are just amazingly entertaining on a variety of levels. Thanks for posting them.
Click to expand...
The first is a matter of personal opinion, of course.

The others are demonstrably true. If you find them entertaining, you are either very easily entertained or very unfamiliar with Ronald Reagan.
Click to expand...
So we agree on #1, The fact that he made a living for many years promoting policy that advantaged him personally makes #2 a real eye roller. On #3 the notion that BHO is captive to ideological doctrine significantly more than RR is negated by Obama's own reaganesque disdain for labor repeatedly. But what really puts it over the top is the notion that you would even value such a trait. We agree that I am easy to entertain, I'll find a silver lining in most any cloud.
Click to expand...
As I said, very unfamiliar with Ronald Reagan.
 
When Reagan pushed the limits of executive power it was because he loved America so much he would do anything to make it better. When Obama does this it's because he's a Kenyan born, socialist with visions of an imperial presidency.
 
Dear god there are some butt hurt libs in this thread...funny they will never get over it .

Reagan was and is the inspirational figure for a couple generations of Americans that people hoped obama could be... and never will be
Posted from Rivals Mobile
 
Originally posted by arrrrrghhhh!:
Dear god there are some butt hurt libs in this thread...funny they will never get over it .

Reagan was and is the inspirational figure for a couple generations of Americans that people hoped obama could be... and never will be
Posted from Rivals Mobile
Click to expand...
He was a great personality... big deal. He wasn't conservative anymore than Obama is Liberal. The point of this thread was to illustrate that you're being taken for a ride with this partisan crap. Even if you THINK you're "liberal" or "conservative", these parties are neither. They are looking out for themselves and the corporate ownership that buy them. The sooner the average voter realize they are not being represented, the sooner they MIGHT be inclined to stop supporting them.

Not one self-ascribed conservative on this board has given a single example of the so-called conservative cornerstone that Reagan is attached with. It also reveals that these labels of conservative, liberal, democrat, republican, are basically myths.
 
Originally posted by Arbitr8:
Brought the Soviet Union to it's knees.
Click to expand...
You need some Kleenex to mop-up?

The Soviet Union bankrupted itself. I guess Alzheimers was his kryptonite.
 
Originally posted by Arbitr8:
Brought the Soviet Union to it's knees.
Click to expand...
He loved the USSR so much, he and Congress sold them military equipment. You know...to make them a power.


On April 13, 1982, Senator William Armstrong highlighted this fact as he stood before the Senate and spoke these words: "America's budgetary woes would not be nearly so severe if our economy were not groaning under the strain of financing two military budgets: Our own, and a significant portion of the Soviet Union's…
The great irony for Americans who will be asked to tighten their belts in order to pay for our defense needs is that much of the additional money that must be spent on defense is required to offset Soviet weapons that probably could not have been built w/o our assistance….
In the last ten years alone, the U.S. and other Western nations have sold to the Soviet Union and its satellites more than $50 billion worth of sophisticated technical equipment the Communists could not produce themselves. This equipment has been used to produce nuclear missiles, tanks, armored cars, military command and control systems, spy satellites and air defense radars…It is difficult to overstate the extent to which the West has contributed to the military threat that now endangers our very existence."
 
Originally posted by arrrrrghhhh!:
Dear god there are some butt hurt libs in this thread...funny they will never get over it .

Reagan was and is the inspirational figure for a couple generations of Americans that people hoped obama could be... and never will be
Posted from Rivals Mobile
Click to expand...
I actually voted for Reagan...because I thought he was a conservative. The facts say otherwise, thus my contempt. He governed like a flaming liberal.
 
Originally posted by strummingram:
Originally posted by Arbitr8:
Brought the Soviet Union to it's knees.
Click to expand...
You need some Kleenex to mop-up?

The Soviet Union bankrupted itself. I guess Alzheimers was his kryptonite.
Click to expand...

Oh yes, I can see that you really want to be convinced. Everything Ronald Reagan accomplished as President is well documented and anything brought to this thread you just casually ascribe to a cause other than his policies.

Again, nice try.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
 
Originally posted by lucas80:
When Reagan pushed the limits of executive power it was because he loved America so much he would do anything to make it better. When Obama does this it's because he's a Kenyan born, socialist with visions of an imperial presidency.
Click to expand...
You are correct about Reagan.

You are too tough on Obama. He isn't Kenyan born, he isn't a socialist. He is an incredible egoist who doesn't like America very much.

Also, Reagan didn't routinely push -- or exceed -- the limits of his office. Iran-Contra is the only example that comes immediately to mind, and I think his biggest mistake in that case was not formally challenging the legality of the law. Obama, in contrast, doesn't let a day pass without exceeding the legal limits of his office.
 
I thought he made it possible via his personality to make Americans feel good about America again.

Unfortunately, it didn't last. Lot of Americans being made to feel guilty about being Americans nowadays...
 
Originally posted by strummingram:

Originally posted by Arbitr8:
Brought the Soviet Union to it's knees.
Click to expand...
You need some Kleenex to mop-up?

The Soviet Union bankrupted itself. I guess Alzheimers was his kryptonite.
Click to expand...
I voted for him twice so I was fooled by him along with millions of other voters. When he took office, the USA was a creditor nation when he left the USA was a debtor nation. When he was gov of Calif, he was all for Gay rights. When he was POTUS, he allowed 27,000 Americans to die before he would even utter the word aids in public.
He took away the tax deduction for insurance premiums, thus enabling ins cos to go on a spree of price increases. At the time it was taken away, they said-sure we took away that deduction but look what we gave you in return. Ins cos laughed all the way to the bank.
He sent troops to Lebanon but wouldn't allow the guards to have bullets in their guns so he is responsible for the 240 deaths of the brave unarmed American marines. After the bombing deaths, he got on tv and in his usual charming fashion said a few words and withdrew the troops and did nothing to avenge the deaths.
He was nothing but a pretty tv face and voice for the unseen powers that really control this country.
When he left office, the Japanese paid him 1M big ones just for a visit. Hmmmm.....
 
Reagan believed in:

Low taxes as possible- work hard and keep as much of your money that is possible

Strong defense

If you want to eat you need to work

Reasonable regulations

Walk away from a bad deal ( Obozo doesn't get it)

Debt and deficits are bad

States rights
 
Reaganomics: Reagan's mix of across-the-board tax cuts, deregulation, and domestic spending restraint helped fuel an economic boom that lasted two decades. Reagan inherited a misery index (the sum of the inflation and unemployment rates) of 19.99%, and when he left office it had dropped to 9.72%.

Tax reform: Not only did he cut tax rates, but the Tax Reform Act of 1986 simplified the income-tax code by eliminating many tax shelters, reducing the number of deductions and tax brackets. Reagan's dream of tax returns fitting on a postcard has been nullified as Congress has regressed and continued to make the tax code more complex, necessitating a new push for reform.
 
Originally posted by CraigsNews:
Reaganomics: Reagan's mix of across-the-board tax cuts, deregulation, and domestic spending restraint helped fuel an economic boom that lasted two decades. Reagan inherited a misery index (the sum of the inflation and unemployment rates) of 19.99%, and when he left office it had dropped to 9.72%.

Tax reform: Not only did he cut tax rates, but the Tax Reform Act of 1986 simplified the income-tax code by eliminating many tax shelters, reducing the number of deductions and tax brackets. Reagan's dream of tax returns fitting on a postcard has been nullified as Congress has regressed and continued to make the tax code more complex, necessitating a new push for reform.
Click to expand...
He also bit the bullet and took the heat required to resuscitate Social Security, which was broke when he took office. If not for the major changes under Reagan right after he took office, we wouldn't have SS today. And the Dems made sure he and the Republicans suffered at the polls for fixing it, don't kid yourself.

For those unfamiliar with the reforms, among other things, they included (1) raising the retirement age; (2) greatly expanding the number of mandatory participants -- to include members of Congress, among others; (3) raising the cap on contributions.
 
Conservatives love fairy tales. He was a c minus president. 2nd term, the alzheimer's had set in.
 
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