Look, I am not talking about policy here, I am talking about leadership, someone who unites the country rather than divides it. Reagan had great approval ratings, as did Clinton...wouldn't you honestly trade in GW for either one right now? DD
Reagan used the politics of division as well or better than anybody. You ever here the phrase welfare queens? He was not a centrist or a consensus builder; your recollection of him is as flawed as your anectdote.
You can't please everyone Sam, I think RR was a great President and I also believe that Bill Clinton was too. If you don't like the man fine, but I like the way he led our nation. DD
well policy is as if not more important.. didn't bush at first seemed to be a uniter? but his policies were the ones which divided the nation
DD, I think you reflect how a lot of Americans feel... a nostalgia for past leadership, anything that passes as real leadership, driven by deep dissatisfaction with the man in the Oval Office. I won't make fun of you, although you have to admit you are offering a tempting target here. Who else would have the chutzpah to wax winsome over Reagan and Clinton in the same sentence? Anyway, I think I know where you're coming from. Keep D&D Civil.
Then what did you think of Reagan's response to the Hezbollah bombing of the US Marine Barracks in Lebanon in 1983? What do you think now?
KRAMER: I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Ross. One never knows how the gastrointestinal workings of the equine are going to function. MRS. ROSS: Thanks for nothing! Come on, George. Let's go upstairs. GEORGE: What the hell happened? KRAMER: The horse is gassy. Must have been the Beef-A-Reeno. GEORGE: Beef-A-Reeno? You fed the horse Beef-A-Reeno?! KRAMER: Well, I overbought!
The last great Republican president was Ike, not Reagan. Let me also add that Bush Sr. was underrated by most Americans. Bush Sr. had a lot more in common with Clinton than he ever did with his son, they were both 'good' presidents, although not great; they were both 'centrists' presidents for the most part (one leaned slightly left, the other slightly right).
I think you are just looking for a man with the kind of charisma that can unite and inspire a nation. There is a great illusion that the Republicans are conservative and the Democrats are liberal. Deficit budgets, internationalist markets and unilateral foreign adventures are activist agenda's not conservative. If Reagan (a former democrat) would have been truly conservative in anything but religion and drugs he would have promoted oil conservation and innovation to keep America from getting embroiled in foriegn affairs. Ross Perot knew it, and Jimmy the Demmy callled energy conservation "the moral equivalent of war".
Reagan did unite conservatives. He started the slide toward much greater inequality and meaness among Americans. He seemed like a nice old guy. Sort of friendly or at least a good enough actor to seem like he cared about people. He should have been impeached for Iran Contra. On the otherhand we now know why they let him off when he said he could not remember about it.
The original cut and run under Republican leadership that gave jihadists their victory over the forces of freedom.
Does anyone realize how cheap the dollar has become since Ronald Reagan was inaugurated in 1981? Trickle down=piss on your head
You should have seen what a dollar would buy in the '60's, and the beginning of the '70's, pre-oil crisis. It was amazing. In my case, it meant a 6 month trip, instead of a 3 month excursion into the wonderfulness of the Continent. I stayed in a private room, with a balcony overlooking the sea, on Mykonos for 50 cents a night. Could have a bottle of vino, or a liter carafe for 50 cents. Could have roast chicken, roast potatoes, and a Greek salad, with wine, for under a dollar. Babes all over the place, and topless beaches, and the chicks were travelers like myself, eager to meet new people, like traveling hippie Texans. I went to the island intending to stay for 2 days, and stayed 2 weeks, having to drag myself to the boat to continue my journey. Google what a vacation on Mykonos would cost today and you would freak out. It was groovy back then, for sure. There was a Japanese fashion shoot going on there, with a top photographer who had five assistants, which was a trip in itself! The guy barking commands at someone to change an F-stop while he was looking through the viewfinder, lol! Two make-up people and a drop-dead gorgeous model. The reason to come to the island, as I found out later? To shoot closeups of the model's face for make-up spreads in a magazine. They wanted the light! Keep D&D Civil.
with the benefits of hindsight, we now realize how smart his decision, not to invade and then occupy Bagdad, was. not only has 43 not taken heed to 41's wisdom, in the 9 Aug-06 White House briefing given by his mouth-piece Tony Snow, 43 actually blamed 41's decision as an open invitation to bin-Laden for the 911 Attack. This was yet another ploy to divert attention from his open invitation to the insurgency---lack of planning and under-sized military military in Iraq. W spent the last 6 years blaming the Demo/Clinton for 911, now he is back-stabbing his own father. Pathetic ! he is blaming everyone but himself.
