Obama Endorsed Ronald Reagan

[amborin]

for pete's sake

why didn't Obama praise the New Deal Democrats? Roosevelt?

why mention Reagan, the original author of Nafta? destroyer of unions? father of neo liberal economics?

hmmmmmmm?

New York Timess:

Edwards Attacks Obama for View of Reagan

Published: January 18, 2008

The legacy of Ronald Reagan was invoked in the Democratic nominating race on Thursday when John Edwards attacked Senator Barack Obama for remarks he made to a Nevada newspaper suggesting praise for Reagan.

Mr. Obama made the comments in an interview with the editorial board of the newspaper, The Reno Gazette-Journal. He said Reagan had ''changed the trajectory of America in a way that, you know, Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not.''


''He tapped into what people were already feeling, which was, 'We want clarity, we want optimism, we want, you know, a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing,'<0>'' Mr. Obama, of Illinois, said.

Speaking at an event on Thursday, Mr. Edwards told the crowd that Mr. Obama used Reagan ''as an example of change,'' a description with which Mr. Edwards strongly disagreed.
''When you think about what Ronald Reagan did to the American people, to the middle class, to the working people,'' Mr. Edwards said, adding that Reagan was intolerant of unions and the labor movement, he ''created a tax structure that favored the very wealthiest Americans and caused the middle class and working people to struggle every single day.''
''This president will never use Ronald Reagan as an example for change,'' Mr. Edwards added, referring to himself. The remarks were made as Mr. Edwards tried to be heard in a race that has increasingly focused on the winners of the two Democratic contests so far, Mr. Obama in Iowa and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in New Hampshire.

[angie_love]

1. this topic has been beaten to death already

We're onto the new topic of Hillarys endorsement of McCain.

[amborin]

7. no comparison

Hillary did not endorse McCAin

But Obama did EXPLICITLY praise the worst neo liberal thug in american history

outrageous

the double standard

the duplicity

the HORROR of saying ANYTHING POSITIVE about the worst American president in 20th century history

we are now still suffering from Reagan's policies

Nafta, neo liberal economics, etc........

why so many have no health care? all due to REAGAN

and Obama praised him for his ideas?????????????????

OUTRAGEOUS

[MoonRiver]

15. The hypocrisy is mind-boggling.

[anigbrowl]

47. Yeah - your hypocrisy.

DU rules prevent me from saying what I really think of your post.

[UALRBSofL]

48. Most of the republican candidates talking points were about Reagan

and Reaganomics and the Reagan Democrats during the month of January and of course Obama followed suit when he endorsed Reagan. :)

[MoonRiver]

61. Well, logically, free trader anti-protectionist Obama WOULD love Reagan.

[UALRBSofL]

73. MyPetRock Your right about that

And I'm concerned his supporters can't see that.

[damonm]

96. Your grasp of logic is even more tenuous than your grip on reality...

and THAT'S saying something...:eyes:

[miceelf]

62. Yep, your hypocrisy

1. reagan is dead. Praising him won't affect the general one way or the other.
2. Obama acknowledged that he changed the country. He did not endorse or support any of Reagan's policies.

that you don't get #1 suggests a lack of regard for current events. #2 suggests dishonesty.

[LSparkle]

20. His only "praise" had to do with Reagan's ability to connect w/the public mood

He did NOT praise or endorse any of Raygun's POLICIES, just "The Great Communicator"'s ability to gauge what the public was hungry for in terms of his public persona -- the ability to spin his DISASTROUS policies as something average Americans (and many Democrats) would want. That was the evil "genius" of Raygun -- he started getting average people to VOTE AGAINST THEIR ECONOMIC INTERESTS. It was an accomplishment (NOT a necessarily positive one, but one we as a party have been fighting ever since 1980).

[Tom Rinaldo]

76. Obama praised Reagan over something subjective

"controlling the agenda" and "generating ideas". Those things are not self evident to most voters today, and Reagan being more effective at accomplishing change is not immediately obvious to them either. Clinton noting that McCain can run on experience in a way that Obama can not is an objective statement of obvious undeniable fact. Everyone already knows this. Obama can attack McCain on judgment, not on experience. In that regard, for whatever it is worth, Clinton matches up better against McCain than Obama.

[cooolandrew]

88. The point is Reagan is not either of tehir opponents. Its doing the other sides work...

Kind regards cooolandrew.

[surfin]

106. Clinton to try Reagan way

I heard today on one of the tv shows and forget which one that Hillary will try like Regean to take it all the way. I wonder if anyone on here remembers what happen with Ford and Reagan. Might be interesting to review. Maybe she will and trash Obama so that he will not win and then go be a talk radio show host and run in 2012. Sounds to me like Hillary is more like Reagan than Obama.

I hope it is over today and Obama wins. Need change and hope he will not become just like all the rest who go to DC.

[angie_love]

21. Yeah she did endorse him and you are reading Obamas statement of Reagan all wrong

That is not surprising though. Obama wants to galvanize a working majority in the country in order to get shit done. Just like Reagon did. I don't get whats so hard to understand. He didn't praise his ideas, he said Reagan HAD ideas and was able to implement them b/c he was able to get democrats over to his side. That is why Obama wants to get rethugs on his side. What is so hard to understand about this? :shrug:

[blm]

26. If reading comprehension was a strong suit you would easily notice that Obama's view was ACADEMIC

and stating a FACT - that Reagan's presidency DID have a lasting effect on this nation's GOVERNANCE.

In fact, Bill Clinton LED the acknowledgement of that reality when he got in front of the entire country and declared that "The era of big government is over' a statement that told Americans to ACCEPT that Reagan's dream was their new reality - as he, a Dem president, did.

So, Obama wants to EMULATE that success but do it by persuading Republicans to accept a trajectory to the left and its policies into the next decade.

That is the HONEST assessment of what occurred. Try it on.

[Spider Jerusalem]

45. um...

Obama didn't praise his ideas. You apparently have no idea what he actually said.

And you might care to look at history; the worst presidents of the 20th century were Warren Harding, Richard Nixon and Herbert Hoover.

And who was it who pushed NAFTA through and signed it into law? Oh, that's right, Bill Clinton. Who was it who adopted a neoliberal, 'third way' economic platform? Oh. Bill Clinton again.

[McCamy Taylor]

117. Actually, this is a good comparison. He wanted to bash Bill Clinton, so he said Reagan was better.

And in the process, he revealed his own political immaturity.

[XemaSab]

2. Too bad the old man's not on the ballot in November

:eyes:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Ronald Reagan's dead.

And therefore technically not running for president.

Big difference.

[doublethink]

4. Reagan's Dead.

He's not running in 2008, haven't you heard?

[Seeker30]

8. No but Obama is, and he thought Reagan was a God

[UALRBSofL]

16. Ewwww I had forgotten about Obama's endorsement of Reagan

How could I forget that little detail. :rofl:

[doublethink]

38. Obama addressed that issue and clarified his statement on Reagan .....

google it ..... you obviously haven't been paying attention, or have a bad case of selective attention. And your post is one of spin, nice try, have a great day. Peace. :)

[Seeker30]

51. I don't need to google shit

And I don't give a damn if he 'clarified' it after the fact, I heard wtf he said and there is nothing he can say after the fact to change it.

[doublethink]

60. Fine stay ignorant. Ain't no skin off my back.

maybe anger management classes will help? :shrug:

[jeffrey_X]

101. Really? Do you have link?

What is the exact quote that he used?

Thanks.

[snappyturtle]

103. Link please. I'd like to see the quote of Senator Obama saying

Raygun was a "God". Thank you.

[amborin]

12. Reagan's not dead

his ideas, policies, legacies live on

in Nafta

no healthcare

neo lib economics

loss of american jobs

growing inequality in us

decline of middle class

Reagan is very much alive in the suffering of americans

[doublethink]

41. Check out post #37 down bellow ...... n.t.

:hi:

[Alamom]

19. Bill's not. BO said a (dead) repuke did better than WJC..... 2 term Dem Prez &

how many of those have we had since FDR?

[UALRBSofL]

25. Obama would have been tombstoned on DU

If he had said that here. :)

[blm]

34. He said Reagan had a lasting effect - one that Bill DECLARED a reality in his SOTU speech

when he forcefully laid it out "the era of big government is over' to the entire country. A Dem president was declaring that he ACCEPTED Reagan's governing philosophy.

Now Obama wants to accomplish the same level of INFLUENCE on the country that Reagan had, except by persuading the Republicans to accept a more leftist approach to governance.

It would be great if 15 years from now a GOP president declared that "The GOPs traditional way of governing is over" and THEN it would be a transformational presidency - just like Reagan did in the 80s.

[Mags]

5. Yes He Did

[scheming daemons]

6. If Reagan were on the battle in the GE this fall, it would be relevant...

...he's not... so it's not.


Praising Reagan is no different than praising Teddy Roosevelt, Abe Lincoln, or Dwight Eisenhower. They are all irrelevant to this year's election.


Praising John McCain, however, who is the GOP nominee this year... it unforgivable.

[amborin]

17. incredible

have you never read ANY history?

is this what a typical obama supporter looks like?

totally ignorant of american history????????????

SCARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Seeker30]

30. Give them a break, most Obamaniacs werent even alive during the Reagan era

[DJ13]

9. zzzzzzzz

:nopity:
:boring:

[HeraldSquare212]

10. Like a Japanese soldier left behind in the Pacific....

that was January's swarm attack.

[aquarius dawning]

11. It only matters if Hillary does it. Otherwise it's all good. For instance, BO can disenfranchise

voters and it's a matter of "DNC rules" but if Hillary managed to pull ahead by not counting millions of votes for BO, I think we know excatly how that would have panned out.

[cali]

13. I heard a fascinating interview on NPR with the author of a new bio

on FDR. He spent some time comparing Reagan to FDR re how he campaigned and rallied people behind him. It's called analysis, dear. Not the same thing as praise. And JE made more flattering comments than Obama about Reagan's actual policies in a not so long ago piece he wrote for "Foreign Policy". Try again, and this time put some effort into it. This is just lame.

[burythehatchet]

14. about a month behind on the outrage calendar, no? n/t

[amborin]

24. some obama supporters' hypocrisy is unreal

and some obama supporters' ignorance is shocking

where was the appropriate OUTRAGE from you concerning your candidate?

how could you embarrass yourselves like that?

how could you call yourselves democrats?????????????

[alphafemale]

18. Ronald Reagan's not up for election. nt

[baldguy]

22. He acknowledged Reagan's impact & influence on American politics.

Simply stating that fact isn't equal to an endorsement.

[redqueen]

23. I was offended by the Reagan stuff when Obama said it.

I'm more offended by the McCain stuff, as he's going to be our opponent in the GE.

[amborin]

27. Reagan was second worst Prez in american history

the damage he did is staggering

Reagan was the beginning of the end for us labor unions

workers' rights

the middle class

Reagan crafted Nafta

Reagan busted Patco and other unions

Reagan set in motions policies that are harming americans today

to EVEN THINK OF ENDORSING REAGAN's IDEAS is HEREtical

[redqueen]

33. He wasn't endorsing the ideas.

Her comment, actually saying the republican was better than her dem opponent... sorry, but IMO that is much, much worse.

[amborin]

28. anyone praising reagan ideas should be thrown off the dem ticket

[Greyskye]

114. whoops! Sorry Hillary, amborin says you have to drop out now.

:shrug:

[ProSense]

29. No, he didn't. That was the spin. Hillary was the one who endorsed Reagan

Hillary on Reagan: He played the balance and the music beautifully.

[bunnies]

35. Looks like to OP is too busy responding to his own thread to adress this.

Go figure.

[amborin]

31. shocking to praise the source of such evil and inequality

[amborin]

32. Obama's terrible words:

The Reno Gazette-Journal. He said Reagan had ''changed the trajectory of America in a way that, you know, Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not.''


''He tapped into what people were already feeling, which was, 'We want clarity, we want optimism, we want, you know, a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing,'<0>'' Mr. Obama, of Illinois, said.

[amborin]

36. entrepreneurs===capitalists

who squeeze workers

deny them health care

etc.......

[Greyskye]

37. Context and reading comprehension are everything

Source: http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/clinton-obama_s...

Obama's Reagan Remarks to Reno Gazette-Journal,
Jan. 14, 2008
Obama: I don’t want to present myself as some sort of singular figure. I think part of what’s different are the times. I do think that, for example, the 1980 election was different. I mean, I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that, you know, Richard Nixon did not, and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. He put us on a fundamentally different path, because the country was ready for it. I think they felt like, you know, with all the excesses of the '60s and the '70s, you know government had grown and grown, but there wasn’t much sense of accountability in terms of how it was operating, and I think people just tapped into – he tapped into what people were already feeling, which is we want clarity, we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism, and, and, you know, entrepreneurship that had been missing.

I think Kennedy, 20 years earlier, moved the country in a fundamentally different direction. So I think a lot of it just has to do with the times. I think we’re in one of those times right now, where people feels like things as they are going right now aren’t working, that we’re bogged down in the same arguments that we’ve been having, and they’re not useful. And the Republican approach, I think, has played itself out. I think it’s fair to say that the Republicans were the party of ideas for a pretty long chunk of time there over the last 10, 15 years, in the sense that they were challenging conventional wisdom.

Now, you’ve heard it all before. You look at the economic policies when they’re being debated among the presidential candidates, it’s all tax cuts. Well, we know, we’ve done that; we’ve tried it. That’s not really going to solve our energy problems, for example.

And if you think Obama's quotes are terrible things, what do you think of these?

Obama also has been taking heat for praising Ronald Reagan in that same interview. See the text box to the left for his exact words. Clinton tried to avoid mentioning that, for good reason, but Obama turned it against her anyway:

Obama: The irony of this is that you provided much more fulsome praise of Ronald Reagan in a book by Tom Brokaw that's being published right now, as did – as did Bill Clinton in the past. So these are the kinds of political games that we are accustomed to.

Obama is correct: Both Bill and Hillary Clinton have lauded Reagan’s political skills. Tom Brokaw’s "Boom! Voices of the Sixties" quotes Clinton as saying that Reagan was "a child of the Depression" who understood pressures on the working and middle class:

Hillary Clinton (in Brokaw book): When he had those big tax cuts and they went too far, he oversaw the largest tax increase. He could call the Soviet Union the Evil Empire and then negotiate arms-control agreements. He played the balance and the music beautifully.

And here’s Bill Clinton in 1998 at the dedication of the Reagan Building in Washington, D.C.:

Bill Clinton (May 5, 1998): The only thing that could make this day more special is if President Reagan could be here himself. But if you look at this atrium, I think we feel the essence of his presence: his unflagging optimism, his proud patriotism, his unabashed faith in the American people. I think every American who walks through this incredible space and lifts his or her eyes to the sky will feel that.

We’ll leave it to others to decide who's praising Reagan more. The fact is that Bill and Hillary have done it, not just Obama.

[amborin]

39. Obama is on the side of corporations

you said it again:

this is some of what Obama said about Reagan:

"he tapped into what people were already feeling, which is we want clarity, we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism, and, and, you know, entrepreneurship that had been missing."

what people were feeling....

you mean what corporations were feeling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

time to BUST THOSE UNIONS

LOWER THOSE WAGES.....THAT'S WHAT I'M FEELING

[Greyskye]

52. Hillary on Reagan: " He played the balance and the music beautifully."

Why is this any different from what Obama said?

[Greyskye]

79. crickets

[noac7]

58. Is there a smiley

with fingers in its ears, unwilling to listen? :)

[Greyskye]

66. This is what I usually use:

:hi:

[LulaMay]

40. AND he slammed the 60's and 70's, saying he didn't come of age then and wasn't 'vested' in the cause

causes of the day.

I will NEVER forget that.

I stopped giving him money after that.

[amborin]

43. Obama's views are bad news

[dysfunctional press]

42. no, he didn't. but then, you probably don't actually know the meaning of "endorse"

look it up.

[amborin]

49. Obama loves Reagan's ideas

what people were feeling back them......code for: "what corporations were feeling"

like....these damn unions are too powerful

let's bust them

Obama ENDORSED REAGAN's Ideology

which we are now still suffering from

[dysfunctional press]

86. you're mistaken...i don't think that you actually paid attention to what he actually said...

can you provide a quote where obama actually "endorsed" reagan's "ideology"?...:shrug:

[berni_mccoy]

44. BREAKING: Hillbots confuse Obama's Respect for a Republican with Clinton's TREASON.

[JVS]

46. Reagan cannot be endorsed because he isn't running for anything.

He's dead.

[oviedodem]

50. First he did not praise him, second he did not COMPARE Hil to Reagan

[zulchzulu]

53. I assume you couldn't cut it in college..but maybe you like how Bill and Hill loved Ronnie

Obama said we need a leader in the Democratic Party LIKE Reagan to be able to pass progressive legislation. I know that might be difficult for dumbass Hillary supporters to figure out. But since we're talking about the love of Ronnie, here ya go:


1. Bill Clinton as paraphrased by the Washington Post on 10/17/91 Washington Post:

The Democratic presidential candidate (Clinton) who has tried to differentiate (himself) by tacking to the center on some key issues, said yesterday that former president Ronald Reagan’s defense buildup had hastened the collapse of Soviet communism. Breaking with the widespread position of liberals that Reagan’s military program had little to do with the Soviet system’s collapse, the candidate also praised Reagan’s "rhetoric in defense of freedom" and his role in "advancing the idea that communism could be rolled back." (Clinton) was careful to add that the Reagan military program included "a lot of wasted money and unnecessary expenditure." Still, (the candidate) said, Reagan deserved credit for "the idea that he wanted to stand up to (Communism)"

2. Bill Clinton Dedication of Reagan Library, 5/5/98]:

(I feel Reagan’s) unflagging optimism, his proud patriotism, his unabashed faith in the American people…. I am confident that we will again make the right choices for America, that we will take up where President Reagan left off — to lead freedom’s march boldly into the 21st century.

3. Hillary Clinton, quoted in Tom Brokaw’s book "Boom," page 404:

(Reagan was) a child of the Depression, so he understood (economic pressures on the working and middle class). When he had those big tax cuts and they went too far, he oversaw the largest tax increase. He could call the Soviet Union the Evil Empire and then negotiate arms-control agreements. He played the balance and the music beautifully.

[amborin]

54. Obama wants to tap into what corporations are feeling

like.....

that damned Patco

that damned UAW

that damned IAM

bust them all

[amborin]

55. Obama committed treason to democratic and progressive principles

by praising the reagan era ideas

[meow mix]

56. Reagan is running? wow!

stupid post

[amborin]

57. Reagan's legacy is alive now

in the growing inequality in the us

lack of healthcare, etc.....

[WVRevy]

59. A mind is a terrible thing to waste

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/clinton-obama_slugfest.html

[amborin]

63. Reagan ideas are a terrible thing to praise

[WVRevy]

70. Did you bother to read what he actually said?

Of course not. Why bother, when you might lose a perfectly good attack line, right? After all...if it's good enough for your candidate....

[amborin]

64. praising the reagan era is treason

[Greyskye]

105. You do realize, don't you, that you are calling out for the death of a Presidential candidate?

You aren't really that stupid, are you? :shrug:

http://www.lectlaw.com/def2/t103.htm
The Constitution of the United States, Art. III, defines treason against the United States to consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid or comfort. This offense is punished with death. By the same article of the Constitution, no person shall be convicted of treason, unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.

[Crunchy Frog]

65. Reagan wasn't running for anything when it happened. eom

[amborin]

67. obama heresy: praising anything associated with reagan

[Greyskye]

68. What's it called when the Clinton's do the same thing?

:shrug:

[amborin]

69. Reagan and Bush==worst pres in american history

and obama praises reagan ideas

incredible

[amborin]

71. Obama is disloyal to progressive ideals

[mattclearing]

74. Replying to yourself now?

What would you know about progressive ideals, anyway?

[Greyskye]

81. So by your definition, the Clinton's are disloyal to progressive ideals as well?

My, however will you force yourself to vote for Hillary now? :shrug:

[mattclearing]

72. You're a month and a half late.

And he did it because he knew it would piss the Clintons off and force them to go nasty, and it totally worked.

[amborin]

75. Obama is the nasty one, you said so yourself just now: baiting

[mattclearing]

77. All he said was the truth, and the Clintons went into full attack mode over it.

The truth hurts...Reagan was a more consequential president than Bill Clinton. So was George W. Bush. They were both terrible, but more consequential.

[UALRBSofL]

80. I'm glad you favor Bush and Reagan

Over Bill Clinton. Obviously your an Obama supporter agreeing with his endorsement of Reagan as evidenced by your post.

[mattclearing]

115. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of.

I didn't say I favored them. I said they were more consequential. When did Clinton threaten World War III, suspend the Constitution, de-fund student loans, put the American people into trillions of dollars of debt, bum-rush the middle east for oil, or any of the other horrible, but consequential, things that Reagan and Bush did?

I didn't say I like it, but you can't deny that all of the bad done by Reagan and Bush II outweighs all the good Bill Clinton did. Because clearly it does.

[Obamaniac]

78. Did he endorse him for president of Heaven?

Because Reagan is dead.

[amborin]

82. Reagan's policies live on in current American suffering

and inequality

and busted unions

[cooolandrew]

83. Barack isn't potentially being elected to run against Reagan. Please...

I think on here we can say Arnie was great for the environment but that is of no consequence the issue here is that the nominee wil run against McCain. The job of the nominee surely isn't to kiss his feet. If Barack had run such a dishonest campaign I would so be for HRC right now, I wouldn't want to sell my soul for a vote, he'd be outta here.

[amborin]

84. Obama showed his true allegiances...to Reaganomics

[cooolandrew]

85. It wasn't about Reaganism it was about saying that his mass appeal could be replicated and he is.

As I said earlier he isn't runnign against Ronald Reagan but you can ressurect him if you wish . Important to note Hillary has praised Reagan also. The difference here Reagan isn't either of their opponents McCain is.

[jmg257]

87. Because he knows real change won't come about if it is ALWAYS about "Us vs. Them".

A civil war in this country is NOT what we are hoping for.

[amborin]

89. Obama ==capitulation to rethuglican ideas

you have to fight for justice in this country

read US history to learn more

you are for appeasement

[amborin]

90. Obama will switch parties in 2016

[eridani]

91. Reagan is dead. He isn't running for president in 2008 n/t

[amborin]

92. the Reagan legacy is alive and well, alas....ruining the US

[Greyskye]

93. HIT AND RUN TROLL

I see you are completely incapable of having a substantive discussion, as you ignore any posts which would cause you to actually think, as opposed to regurgitating the :puke: of others.

[amborin]

94. another obama supporter who refuses to acknowledge the truth

about their candidate

[damonm]

95. We know the truth about Obama...

You choose to remain ignorant.

Reagan, as abominable as his policies were, was damned effective at getting his agenda into action. If you can't acknowledge that, then you live in a different reality than the rest of the planet, and this conversation serves no further purpose.

[Greyskye]

97. and will you reply to any of my posts in this thread?

With anything substantive?

I thought not.

[snappyturtle]

98. Get a life....old story.....If Reagan was definitely an example of change...

change for the bad but change none-the-less. Isn't this story at least a month old?

[amborin]

100. Reaganomics live on and Obama praised them

[snappyturtle]

112. Once again...Senator Obama highlighted Raygun's ability to cause

change....(even though it was negative change). Senator Obama was not cheerleading the Raygun policies. I hope this explanation is clearer.

[Greyskye]

110. "Isn't this story at least a month old?"

Yes, approximately the same apparent age as the OP. :eyes:

[izzybeans]

99. I bet your favorite stadium is the Astrodome. They have wonderful turf there.

Don't they?

[midora]

102. This Is Old News

Obama wasn't praising or endorsing Reagan;he was merely praising Reagan's skills as a unifier and a communicator. That's a helluva lot different than praising the Presidential candidate of the Republican party, while trashing a Presidential candidate of your own party.

[amborin]

104. old news? tell that to the folks suffering

from his lasting legacy

[Greyskye]

107. Why don't you blame the Clintons for that then?

They have both praised Ronny Ray-Gun as much, if not more, then Obama has.

As quoted by many (and ignored by you) multiple times in this pathetic flogging of an expired equine.

[damonm]

108. try reading what Obama ACTUALLY SAID....

But that would require you to face reality.

Obama did not praise Reagan's policies, but spoke of how Reagan changed the course of American politics, and was thus a transformational figure. Liberalism had at that time overreached in the same way that Conservatism has now, and was, as the right is now, saying "this is how it is; accept it". Reagan then, on the right, and Obama now, on the left, are saying "This is AMERICA; we can do better than this".
Reagan's message then fell on receptive ears, as Obama's is now. If Obama can alter the political environment of the nation toward the progressive in the same way Reagan did toward the conservative, he'd go down among the greats in history.

[amborin]

109. plenty of good democratic role models

whose ideas have been transformative

[amborin]

111. why not praise the New Deal and Roosevelt?

why pick the second worst prez in us history? whose legacy still haunts us today!

[Greyskye]

113. All Hail President Reagan!

"... I think we feel the essence of his (Reagan's) presence: his unflagging optimism, his proud patriotism, his unabashed faith in the American people. I think every American who walks through this incredible space and lifts his or her eyes to the sky will feel that." - President William Jefferson Clinton


"When he (Reagan) had those big tax cuts and they went too far, he oversaw the largest tax increase. He could call the Soviet Union the Evil Empire and then negotiate arms-control agreements. He played the balance and the music beautifully." - Senator Hillary Clinton


How dare those Clinton's praise that nasty Ronny Ray-Gun!




Isn't silly season over with yet? :eyes:

[amborin]

116. yes, all hail Reagan

what Obama said was: (The Reno Gazette-Journal.) that Reagan had:

''changed the trajectory of America in a way that, you know, Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not.''


''He tapped into what people were already feeling, which was, 'We want clarity, we want optimism, we want, you know, a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing,'



Obama said this completely voluntarily-----to praise Reagan's changing the trajectory of America.....well Reagan sure did that, we're still suffering to this day

**************

Clinton was forced to say those nice things because it was at Reagan's funeral....and Clinton was not praising Reagan's actions as prez....but was merely praising Reagan's patriotism and personal energy

Obama was gratuitously praising Reagan's actions as president....and Reagan was a menace to society

[Skittles]

118. nice spin but no cigar

it left a very bad taste to me - very bad indeed - my guess is, he was pandering to the "Reagan Democrats" and repukes. Good strategy? Possibly. Honorable? FUCK NO.