WashPost: Five Reagan myths
First of all, I can’t imagine the Washington Post running an article on five myths about Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter, yet on Reagan’s 100th birthday, they have the gall to run an article entitled “Five myths about Ronald Reagan’s legacy“. Of course, none of those myths are about Democrat charges against Ronald Reagan – that would be too much to expect, I suppose. So, author Will Bunch begins;
1. Reagan was one of our most popular presidents.
It’s true that Reagan is popular more than two decades after leaving office. A CNN/Opinion Research poll last month gave him the third-highest approval rating among presidents of the past 50 years, behind John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton. But Reagan’s average approval rating during the eight years that he was in office was nothing spectacular – 52.8 percent, according to Gallup.
Yeah, we’ll just disregard the poll and go with the polls that were taken during his presidency. I was on Pennsylvania Avenue the day they brought Ronald Reagan’s mortal coil to lie in state at the Capitol building – along with about a million other people. The Metro ridership record was shattered that day – the record it shattered was Bill Clinton’s inauguration.
2. Reagan was a tax-cutter.
ad_iconCertainly, Reagan’s boldest move as president was his 1981 tax cut, a sweeping measure that slashed the marginal rate on the wealthiest Americans from 70 percent to 50 percent. The legislation also included smaller cuts in lower tax brackets, as well as big breaks for corporations and the oil industry. But the following year, as the economy was mired in recession and the federal deficit was spiraling out of control, even groups such as the Business Roundtable lobbied Reagan to raise taxes. And he did: The Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 was, at the time, the largest peacetime tax increase in U.S. history.
Yeah, Reagan signed the tax hikes because the Democrat Congress promised that they’d cut $3 of spending for every $1 of tax increases. Of course, they never did.
3. Reagan was a hawk.
Long before he was elected president, Reagan predicted that the Soviet Union would collapse because of communism’s inherent corruption and inefficiency. His forecast proved accurate, but it is not clear that his military buildup moved the process forward. Though Reagan expanded the U.S. military and launched new weapons programs, his real contributions to the end of the Cold War were his willingness to negotiate arms reductions with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and his encouragement of Gorbachev as a domestic reformer.
“It is not clear”, but apparently it’s clear enough to dispute it it an article, huh? When I first went to Germany, also the day of the Desert One fiasco, we were wearing clothes and cold-weather gear left over from the Korean War and equipment left over from fighting in the jungles of Vietnam. The Soviets, in the meantime, were two generations ahead of us in armor. When I left Germany the second time, on the day that the Soviets also left Afghanistan, we had surpassed the capabilities of the Soviets. If we had gone to Desert Storm with Jimmy Carter’s army, we’d have won, but just barely.
4. Reagan shrank the federal government.
The number of federal employees grew from 2.8 million to 3 million under Reagan, in large part because of his buildup at the Pentagon. (It took the Democratic administration of President Bill Clinton to trim the employee rolls back to 2.7 million.) Reagan also abandoned a campaign pledge to get rid of two Cabinet agencies – Energy and Education – and added a new one, Veterans Affairs.
Yeah, making the Department of Veterans’ Affairs a Department instead of an agency is what swelled federal government. Never mind that Defense is one of the things that government should be doing. Reagan increased the size of the Defense Department because Jimmy Carter allowed it to atrophy to a dangerous condition. Witness: Desert One. Bill Clinton reduced the ranks, not the civilians at the Pentagon, by buying out careerists, and then within a few years he was trying to bring them back on active duty when his meals-on-wheels programs were affecting morale.
5. Reagan was a conservative culture warrior.
Reagan’s contributions to the culture wars of the 1980s were largely rhetorical and symbolic.
Um, aren’t culture wars “largely rhetorical and symbolic”. I know Democrats are famous for legislating morality and behavior, but that doesn’t mean that Republicans should do the same just to prove their point.
Category: Liberals suck, Media
“Bill Clinton reduced the ranks, not the civilians at the Pentagon”. Sounds like a plan for Ears, I’ll bet he’ll think this is just a great idea./sarc Is this what the dead tree media means when they claim that Ears is channeling Reagan?
As for Billy Jeff’s “approval” numbers, just goes to show that when the media sets their collective minds to rehabbing someone’s image, it gets done. Along with selective questions, also known as push-polling.
Just more evidence that Reagan still lives inside their heads, rent free.
5 Myths about the obama:
1. He has ever held a real job
2. He really cares about the American People
3. He is qualified to be President
4. He is NOT a Socialist
5. He will be re-elected
Paul Ryan is looking better and better for 2012, IMO.
He seems most like Reagan to me, at least so far … but he’s going to need a TEA Party controlled or influenced Senate to be effective in a RATIONAL and severe reduction in the bloated Fed government.
WE THE PEOPLE, need someone willing to take a battle axe to Washington and a Congress willing to go along. We have a lot of work to do.
“as the economy was mired in recession and the federal deficit was spiraling out of control” Yikes, the WaPo is talking about Ears?
“If we had gone to Desert Storm with Jimmy Carter’s army, we’d have won, but just barely”. And, that’s not good enough, Jonn. It should never, EVER, be that close a call.
I recall all the talk about being tread grease for the Soviet tanks when I was in Germany, unfortunately, at that time, it was true.
5. Reagan was a conservative culture warrior.
Reagan’s contributions to the culture wars of the 1980s were largely rhetorical and symbolic.
==========
Yeah, I’ll just give a big fat ‘fuck you’ to the Washington Post. This was one of the first pieces I read from Ronald Reagan and was what got me interested in learning much more about him. And I judge every supposed “pro-life” politician by this standard Reagan set with this article he wrote in his first term in office: Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation
It angers me to no end that not one motherfucking politician today has the moral strength and integrity to take the same stand today on the despicable evil that is abortion.
I reckon there IS a Reagan mythos in play. Not unlike a Lincoln mythos, a Kennedy mythos, et al.
Just as today when folks use a selective context to prove a point – folks will highlight select elements of history as well.
Calling these selective excerpts myths even when any interested party can re-establish the proper context like Jonn has done does seem to work though.
“A lie told often enough becomes the truth.” Lenin
OldSoldier54: Paul Ryan is looking better and better for 2012, IMO. I like what Paul Ryan has been doing the last couple years, but you don’t put someone in the highest executive office in the world when he has no prior executive experience. Would you make a military member who had led no previous army the Secretary of Defense? So why are we talking about politicians with no executive experience moving into the highest executive position in the world? Give Paul Ryan 1+ terms as Governor of WI and then we can see how he handles the executive responsibilities. Thunder 26: 5. He will be re-elected Yeah, I doubt that’s a myth. I see him being re-elected easily, especially since we have no one on our side with any balls to call him out on all his failings. Save for Sarah Palin, but half the Republicans/conservatives smear her as much as the Left does for whatever fucking reason, so. This is nothing like 1980 when we had Ronald Reagan waiting in the wings as a perfect contrast to Jimmy Carter. We have no one. And we have the MF-ing media all-in to re-elect Obama, Hollywood and the “entertainment” industry all-in, etc. AND, Obama has all the power of incumbency and his huge war chest of money to use. Not to mention ACORN and the unions all on his side. The GOP has… nothing. We have a bunch of pansies who are afraid to speak up for fear the media will smear them. Well, save for Sarah Palin. She speaks her mind and gives fuckall what the media will say. That’s the kind of leader we need. Not these ball-less, spineless turds that inhabit the GOP currently. Unfortunately, I am very pessimistic about the chances to vote Obama out of office in 2012. It might have a little to do with the fact he STILL has a 50% approval rating despite majorly fucking up this nation in every possible way… …or a little to do with the fact that I sit next to a guy at work who during a conversation… Read more »
>Save for Sarah Palin,
Yeah it is pretty bad these days that the people with the balls in the Republican party are it’s women!
melle1228: Yeah it is pretty bad these days that the people with the balls in the Republican party are it’s women! ========== Agreed. And I’m not even an advocate for Sarah Palin to be the GOP nominee in 2012. I like what she has done in her political career pre-VP nominee in 2008 and I like what she has done since then as well. I like her policy positions, I like how she attacks the Left and the media and is unapologetic about her positions and defends herself as well. We could use MUCH, MUCH more of that within the GOP. Instead, we get ball-less, cowardly wussies with a capital P, who tip-toe around what positions they take, how they express themselves and what they say. It is absolutely enraging. As Bill Whittle stated, we are at (political) war with the Left and we need someone who understands that and has the balls to fight that war. The only people whom I see understanding that, other than Mr. Whittle, are Palin and Rush Limbaugh. Sarah Palin has stated on numerous occasions that she has no intention to run for President in 2012. And I think she is correct in that decision, because I believe she needs more experience as either a Congressman or Senator or as a Cabinet member (or even as VP) within a GOP Administration. However, she has also stated that if the GOP does not put up a good conservative candidate, she will throw her hat in the ring to give the conservative electorate a true choice. I hope it does not come to that, but I see nothing so far that makes me believe the GOP has any intention of putting up a good conservative candidate. There are IN Governor Daniels and TX Governor Perry, but the former has already stepped in it RE: social issues and I don’t know much about the latter. Which is not good, because anyone with intentions of running SHOULD have their asses out there every last MF-ing day attacking the Left, the MF-ing media and Obama on all these bullshit… Read more »
@Michael,
I truly think that Sarah would have been great in the RNC chairman spot, but she likes to go her own way too much. She really is more of a kingmaker then a top politician.
The WaPo revising the Reagan Legacy? Color me shocked, shocked I tell you! Mot.
The WaPo, like the NYT, should just change their names to Pravda and get on with it. We all know they are bloviating socialist gas-bags, lying and spinning it as “truth”.
Melle: I am voting for Sarah Palin for president, or staying home if she isn’t on the ballot.
My vote is too precious to me to waste it voting for someone I can’t support just to keep someone worse out of the White House.
If the American people are too frikkin’ stupid to NOT nominate her and elect her president, then they deserve whatever the hell happens.
Right now, there isn’t a single damned Conservative interested in running for the office that I would give a bucket of warm spit for.
Michael, I like everything you said before except the first paragraph addressed to Old Soldier. If you can find somone with less experience than O name him or her please. The only yhing he had for experience was as a neighborhood agitator.
Sorry, that should be “only THING.
Mike in M:
SarahCuda has been my first choice for about three years now, for exactly the reasons you stated. Alas, that well has been very effectively poisoned by the MSM’s Agit/Prop and too many GOP blue-bloods who like to think they are untouchable.
And way too many Americans bought into it.
Also, as Joseph stated, Paul Ryan is at least as prepared for POTUS as Obama was and I like what he’s trying to accomplish with his proposed $500B FIRST round of cuts in the Fed budget.
If SarahCuda doesn’t throw her hat in the ring, I’ll vote for him, just for that. Ie, the Fed government is completely out of control.
If she does, I’ll volunteer for her campaign here in Vegas.
>: I am voting for Sarah Palin for president, or staying home if she isn’t on the ballot.
Tim, I know how you feel. I respect McCain, but the only reason I went out in 08′ was because of her. You are right about the American people, but the MSM has written a false narrative that most of the population believes. She has to overcome that before she can be an effective politician and get elected, but she is probably the only conservative right now that has any standing as a three-legged conservative(hawk, fiscal, & social).
I like Paul Ryan, and I would love to see him clean Obama’s clock in a debate.
I understand everyone’s frustration over ‘if my choice of candidate isn’t on the ballet” my not voting. This mind set just tears me up. We owe too much to so many, not to vote (ourselves included)that “I” feel we are obligated to do so. Just my opinnion and no disrespect intended. I always tell my kids and family,”if you don’t vote, don’t bitch.” Now on the other hand, it was a bitter pill having to vote for a RINO just because he was the lesser of two evils. God, I hope for a real leader to step up in the GOP/TEA party. Frankly I’ve got a “Man Crush” for LCOL West but unfortunitley he could use some more experience. I do know he has the stones for the job though.
1. Reagan was one of our most popular presidents.
If you want to know how people felt about him, look at the only poll that actually counts. He won a 44 state landslide to take office to begin with and then after people had 4 years to get to know him the only state he didn’t win when he was re-elected was his opponent’s home state. Clinton – who CNN now says people like more than Reagan – never even won a majority of the popular vote.
Wapo: Pravda-on-Potomac
NYT: Pravda-on-Hudson
The View: Pravda-on-harpies
Thank you, Dirty Al. I was wondering when someone would throw his name out there.
Col West is my first and only choice. As far as experience goes, he served as a BC in-theater and will have more time in service in Congress by 2012 that O ever had. Add to that the fact that he is pulling NO punches when it comes to radical Islam and its proponents (CAIR), and I’m head-over-3″ heels for the man.(It doesn’t hurt in my mind that he’s also a dive master and jumpmaster. 😀 )
His stance on relations with Israel are what I find most reassuring:
http://allenwestforcongress.com/issues
“the only state he didn’t win when he was re-elected was his opponent’s home state”. And that would be the same fine minds that sent Stuart Smalley to DC. And, by the way, DC also voted for Mondull.
I remember once being told Reagan was the anti-christ. I thought it was a joke, but the person (a black person of the opinion that Regan hated in his words “niggas”) apparently this view is widely held.
He was senile
He hated Blacks
He hated the environment
He didn’t really do anything
Reagan’s major contribution is ineffable. You can argue policies for a number of presidents, but there are few policies that readily come to mind with Reagan. Economic, Cultural, Military, there is no one thing that comes to mind, and yet in the list of presidents Reagan is NEVER far from the top. Why? Because Reagan took a country that was jaded, and didn’t believe in itself, with a culture that is suffering a malaise that had afflicted it, and derived from actions, and mistakes made almost 20 years previously. What Reagan did is make us BELIEVE IN OURSELVES AGAIN. He gave us a vision of this country that he had forgotten in the blood and gore of Vietnam. He stands up next to JFK in that respect, though I would argue JFK’s presidency was not as successful, it was his vision that took us to the Moon.
Reagan’s vision of us, was one that we still strive for. That we as a nation truly want to believe. That we are a force for goodness. The Left does not like this vision. For all the talk of elevating the oppressed, for all that talk the oppressed often become more so. Reagan’s common sense and fables did in five minuets what it would take millions of words to rail against, yet they always seemed to prove more true than all the words against them
Go ask the tens (? hundreds?) of thousands of dead Central Americans killed in unnecessary dirty wars what they think of Reagan. Oh yeah, you can’t ask them, they’re dead, thanks to Uncle Ronnie! Amazing hwo little details like that get swept under the rug when the pundits beatifying someone.
No, Joe, the Central Americans killed during Reagan’s time were not Reagan’s fault. They were the result of power struggles between war- and drug- lords. Were we down there? Yes. Advisors? Yes. CIA? Wouldn’t have been a party without them. Communists, Socialists, and fascists of various and sundry kinds? You betcha. The cast of characters is too long to list; but was it all our fault? No.
No, we just clandestinely supported some of the worst murderers, supported murderous regimes, and broke the law to illegally sell weapons to Iran (you guys love Iran, don’t you?) to fund Reagan’s unneccessary secret dirty wars. That’s all. You guys can rewrite history and live in your own little self-contained fantasy world if you want – I was alive and remember that shameful time.
We weren’t the only octopus stretching its tentacles across the ocean and around the world. We were in a power stuggle with the Soviet Union, and it was a fight to the death. Do you remember that, too?
Joe, I really pity you and your world view, it has got to be horrible to live in your head. The morbid need of people like yourself to live in guilt is sickening to me, it directly mirrors the attitudes and depressions of a good many 13 and 14 year olds I’ve met over the years that really and truly are unable to see anything good in the world around them. I’m fast coming to the conclusion that those 13 and 14 year olds don’t ever really mature, they simply spend the next 20 to 40 yrs convincing themselves that their warped 13 year old world view is correct.
I to was alive and remember that anything but shameful time Joe, I’m really sorry you live in such sadness.
So Jacobite, while you were living in your Golden Age of Saint Ronald, did you give a rat’s a** about the women and childern being raped killed by the contras? Did you even think about them? Collateral damage? Is that what constitutes your golden age? To borrow a line I read recently, not only have you guys have become adept of writing a parallel narrative, you’ve created a parallel universe you comfortably inhabit. The fact that you can competely ignore all those deaths is downright pathological.
Does it make you feel better, Joe, to live in this fabricated guilt-ridden world because it makes you feel as though you’re embracing the poor and down-trodden, even empathizing with them?
“I was alive and remember that shameful time.” And yet, you still live in the U.S.? Shouldn’t you have lived up to your principles and moved to Bolivia, Nicaragua or another of the people’s republics you’re so moved about?
“Fabricated, guilt-ridden world” indeed, must suck to be you, Joey. I’m sure that, given the chance, you’ll pack up and be off to mentor young kids in Managua, right Joey?
“did you give a rat’s a** about the women and childern being raped killed by the contras? Did you even think about them?”
Yep, I sure did, but here’s the thing Joe, I also gave a “rats ass” about the millions of Americans, and untold millions world wide, that would possibly have been “raped and killed”, as well as enslaved and impoverished, by the Red Menace, a menace Reagan successfully fought. Soviet style Socialism Joe, perhaps you’ve heard of it? IF you haven’t perhaps you should do some reading up on the Eastern Bloc nations during the Cold War. It was a real WAR you shmuck, and ya, real people died in gambits that may seem unimaginable to you living in your lofty moral tower as you do. Political attitudes such as yours have empowered and emboldened the enemies of mankind for decades and decades. While you comfortably think you’re fighting for the advancement of the species, you are in fact slowing it down and are part of the ‘machinery’ that causes untold suffering for millions throughout the world each and every year. I normally try to avoid rancid displays of overt emotionalism, but you know what Joe? Fuck You, fuck you very much.
Quibble: The failure of the Iran hostage rescue attempt shocked Jimmy Carter out of his pacifism, and he boosted defense spending in the final year of his presidency. I remember a liberal political cartoonist slamming him for doing so.