You’ve all heard it before on how Ronald Reagan would fail to pass the conservative purity test required to be a card carrying member of today’s Republican Loony Party. There is little chance that Reagan’s brand of conservatism could win a primary against a teabagging opponent. And yet, conservatives, delusional as ever, still view Reagan as the consummate Republican.
As the Republican convention gets under way, it’s been estimated that Reagan’s name will be repeated no less than a gazillion times over the next few days…which is a good enough reason to revisit the Reagan record.
Ronald Reagan remains the modern Republican Party’s most durable hero. His memory will be hailed as The Great Uncompromiser by those who insist the GOP must never flag in its support for smaller government, lower taxes and conservative social values.
His record tells a different story.
During Reagan’s eight years in the White House, the federal payroll grew by more than 300,000 workers. Although he was a net tax cutter who slashed individual income-tax rates, Reagan raised taxes about a dozen times.
His rhetoric matched that of many of today’s most ardent Christian conservatives, yet he proved to be a reluctant warrior on abortion and other social issues. Perhaps most tellingly, he was willing to cut deals, working closely with Democratic leaders such as House Speaker Tip O’Neill of Massachusetts to overhaul Social Security and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dan Rostenkowski of Illinois to revamp the tax code.
Those are the indisputable facts but conservatives like Jim DeMint remain in denial over the Reagan record.
“That’s nonsense,” says the South Carolina Republican and hero of the Tea Party movement.
And for those who bow at the altar of Saint Ronny…well, their prayers have been answered.
“He reminds us of Ronald Reagan,” Nancy Milholland, co-organizer of the Tea Party chapter in Racine, Wisconsin, said of [Paul] Ryan. “He’s like the second coming of Reagan. It’s like he’s channeling Ronald Reagan. He even looks like Reagan.”
Okaaaaay…if you say so.
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(The Ronald Reagan source image is in the public domain.)
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You left out the fact that the federal deficit increased by 287% under St, Reagan.
Listening to the speeches at the RNC Convention is like hearing the history of another country, and the facts and numbers don’t match either! They’re all going to leave with really long noses…….geez.
A lot of present-day Republicans would be very upsed if Zombie Gipper rose from his grave and showed up at the convention to give them what-fer. Never in my most demented imagination would I ever have come up with a scenario that makes Reagan – and even Nixon – look good by comparison.
Love the nose ring!!! Really brings Ronnie Paul into the new century…
They’re unabashed (and unashamed) rewrites of history, science and Christian principles of all kinds leads me to question “Why not the immortal Reagan?” They count on all of us having amnesia.
When the Catholic Bishops feel compelled to write a scathing letter to Ryan, we know he’s up to something…something like WTF? Those are NOT Christian practices woven into your policies!
Doesn’t say much for our education system, that some fall for it again and again…or, agan, is it willful ignorance?
Raygun would win the GOP primary in a landslide. He’s more worshipped than God in the eyes of Republicans.
Don’t forget Reagan pushed through amnesty for immigrants and (my personal favorite) forced hospitals to care for the indigent (even illegal immigrants) even though they couldn’t pay for care & at taxpayer expense. Guess he felt letting them die on the streets wouldn’t look too good while he was Star Waring Russia.
They worship him because of a few words that he uttered that started the propaganda ball rolling and was amazingly successful in convincing millions of American to vote against their own best interests…..the gospel according to Reagan “Government is not the solution, government is the problem”
And with those words he convinced an entire generation to forget thAT….WE, THE PEOPLE, ARE THE GOVERNMENT.
Taxation without representation…
For Sam Houston an’ his comrades, fallen heroes of the Alamo…
A greater, more lasting compromise had Sumter not been taken…
Our Manifest Destiny their buried hearts, wounded knees and trails of tears…
Remember The Maine, bannerhead of the yellow sheets…
To make the world safe for Democracy…
12/06/41: A day that shall live in infamy
Sailors drowning in the Gulf of Tonkien…
Curveball and Weapons of Mass Destruction
Demoplicans, Republicrats, Amuhricans, Amerikans:
Cut yerself a piece before the body politic is too rotten for consumption…
Turn off the Florida carnival an’ put on those cartoons from Mars.