Republicans are all pining for a new Reagan and finding that the various candidates fall short of the great man’s conservatism. And yet, as Victor Davis Hanson points out, Reagan himself would not measure up to the purists’ Reaganite standards. He granted an actual amnesty to immigrants, raised some taxes, and cut and run in Lebanon. Reagan WAS a conservative, but he was also a principled pragmatist.
Was Reagan sufficiently conservative?
January 18th, 2008 | Politics
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[…] Political Hotwire - Political Forum - World Politics & Current Events wrote an interesting post today on Was Reagan sufficiently conservative?Here’s a quick excerptRepublicans are all pining for a new Reagan and finding that the various candidates fall short of the great man’s conservatism. […]
To answer the question - I would say yes. But the larger point is interesting too. I think there are two problems at play
1. Reagan is a slogan to many people. He stopped being president in 1988. Many people know only the legend not the man. It is like the left’s fascination with JFK and everyone’s fascination with FDR. JFK really did not accomplish anything (well except cutting marginal tax rates), yet he is an American hero. His death was tragic but facts are facts - he did not do anything. FDR’s fiscal policies are generally credited with ending the depression. Nothing could be farther from the truth. WWII ended the depression. If you actually look at pre-war FDR years his policies did not do any good and most likely hurt the economy. But he is still a saint to so many people.
2. Many conservatives expected more out of Bush. Reagan did not have control of both houses during his presidency. Bush did. He should have been able to do so much more. I think the current desire for the perfect is a reflect of our disappointment with the present.
Reagan was divorced. his wife dabbled deeply and publicly in astrology.
on the other hand he was a great orator and gave the public a clear sense that he stood for moving things in a certain direction. the fact that people took him sincerely that he WAS moving in a definite direction , meant in fact that he had room to compromise.
But he was no conservative by most measures. savings and loan scandal mirrors mortgage scandal of today. people enriched themselves, USING the government, under cover of proclaimed conservative economic ideals.
” Hey alot is coming up in the media now about the reconstructionist movement” does anyone here have the lowdown on what this is about? agreement or disagreement? they seem to be wanting to crucify Huckabee with this topic for some reason.
“Reagan” is a brand that a person slaps on his own ideas in order to claim the sheen of popularity associated with that brand — one’s ideas usually only need to be somewhat conservative/Republican/libertarian for the association to work.
Of course, what other President in recent memory do the Republicans have to lionize? I seriously doubt what fans George W. Bush has will last much beyond the end of his term, and his father is rarely mentioned these days (the scourge of the “one-termer”). The same goes for Ford (and it’s also hard to claim the mantle of the only President never elected to office). Nixon’s reputation as President is a bit tarnished, so I guess it’s back to Ike for the next best option. But that’s getting a bit back there for popular antecedent.
What’s funny is that Reagan’s approval numbers when he left office were slightly lower than Clinton’s (though still relatively high), though it seems to me that most people would say Reagan was much more popular than Clinton (this, of course, is somehow the fault of the liberal media).
Anyhow, it’s interesting to note that both Clinton and Reagan had actual political records that often failed to meet the demands of today’s partisan rhetoric, and yet conservatives/Republicans continue to laud the latter while excoriating the former, irrespective of all that.
And vice-versa, tODD.
To say that Reagan was not a conservative, as Frank did, is to seriously overstate the case. His record does not match his rhetoric, but as Joe pointed out, he operated in a hostile Congressional environment, with a Congress that had been in democrat hands for some thirty-five years. Given that reality, he accomplished quite a bit. He re-structured the tax system, following conservative ideals, re-built a military that had become somewhat of a hollow force under Carter, and left a lasting legacy in the judiciary, appointing a great many conservative judges who still serve with distinction today (I won’t talk about O’Connor).
However, his greatest accomplishments were: 1) restoring America’s sense of self-respect and self-confidence as the greatest country ever founded, and one blessed by God to advance ideals of freedom and liberty in the world, through his soaring and inspired oratory; and 2) actually giving voice to the goal that the Cold War need not last forever, and that the evil Soviet empire could be brought down by the free world. Prior to Reagan, it was all about accommodation and detente. Reagan was willing to say that evil cannot stand and we should set our sights higher — destruction of the evil in favor of the good.
Reagan was not all that popular during his second term. The media hated him, as they ultimately do all republicans, and Iran-Contra was a stain that harmed his effectiveness from 1986-88. However, he is remembered as a great president because of his oratory, his clarity of vision, and his ability to inspire. Would that such a candidate appear on the scene today.
#6 Don S
“However, he is remembered as a great president because of his (1) oratory, his (2)clarity of vision, and his (3) ability to inspire. Would that such a candidate appear on the scene today.”
His name is Barack Obama.
I hope the democrats are not stupid enough to go with Bill-ary. They have a golden opportunity in Barack.
do liberals and conservatives perhaps get upset about the wrong things? what does the constitution set our political process up to look like after all……. Indeed:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/01/quote-for-th-20.html
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