Quote:
Originally posted by vsp
Actually, I'll go back on my post and say one more nice thing about Ronnie -- unlike many of his spiritual successors in the modern conservative movement, he was occasionally capable of compromise and negotiation.
<a href="http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2003/0301.green.html">Reagan's Liberal Legacy</a>
If the "with-us-or-against-us" mentality of today's uberconservatives would go into the ground with him, I would throw open my bedroom window and bellow "NOW it's morning in America!"
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Thanks for the link. BTW, for those of you who read the linked article, here is a bonus
Quote:
Manˇiˇchaeˇan or Manˇiˇcheˇan ( P ) Pronunciation Key (mn-kn) also Manˇiˇchee (mn-k)
n.
A believer in Manichaeism.
adj.
Of or relating to Manichaeism; dualistic.
duˇalˇism ( P ) Pronunciation Key (d-lzm, dy-)
n.
The condition of being double; duality.
Philosophy. The view that the world consists of or is explicable as two fundamental entities, such as mind and matter.
Psychology. The view that the mind and body function separately, without interchange.
Theology.
The concept that the world is ruled by the antagonistic forces of good and evil.
The concept that humans have two basic natures, the physical and the spiritual
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So, my thoughts on Ronald Reagan.
First, by all accounts, Ronald Reagan was a nice guy. Sure, many of his policies as president were painful, but by all accounts on a personal level he was a thoughtful and kind person.
Second, Reagan was a great speaker. It might be due to innate talent, a personal sense of conviction, his training as an actor, or some combination, but Ronald Reagan could deliver a message. Clinton, who in my opinion had a lot of personal charisma, could not deliver a speech like Reagan, although he comes the closest. Bush number one never even tried, being more of an adminstrator than a speaker, and Bush number two is a pathetic, Texas Ebonics ridden, mockery of what Reagan could deliver. Whether his words were his own or scripted, or some combination, Reagan would use them like sheet music and bring his own timing and nuances to them. He was a speechwriters dream - someone who could be counted on not just to refrain from mangling words, but deliver them mixing force and subtlety.
Third, Reagan appeared to be a devoted husband. While it is true that Mr. "Family Values" was the only divorced president, it does appear that he was devoted to his wife. In some ways, the fact that he divorced and remained devoted to his wife until death reminds me a little of Johnny Cash and June Carter.
My criticism of Reagan stems from the fact that I consider him a weak president who was led by his advisors instead of commanding them. This might have been due to his Alzheimers, which, contrary to official accounts, I believe began it's onset while he was president.
The best thing that I can say about Reagan, was that even though I disagreed with a lot of his policies, he did acheive a balance and was able to compromise and unite Congress most of the time. In a way, he provided a blueprint which, if the current administration had followed it at all, would have prevented the current White House from becoming an international embarrassment.
While I do not believe that he was the greatest president of the 20th century, as most of these ass-kissing conservative revisionists would have us believe, he did leave behind a respectable legacy and did not screw up the country too badly domestically and, except for minor embarassments like 'Iran-Contra' and Panama, left office with the United States having the respect and goodwill of most of the world.
I disagreed with many of his policies, but, as the story in VSP's link demonstrated, he was able, through compassion or poltical practicality, to compromise on his agenda. And while I think he was led around by his wife and staff on some issues, he was still enough of a leader to get the job done. He was not my pick for president, and did not reflect my personal politics well, but he was suitable for the job, which is in itself a legacy of some kind. I cannot praise him, but I cannot condemn him either. He ran, he won, he left, he died.
requiescat in pace altus proeliator