Ronald Reagan

[Admin]

R.I.P.


--------

Reagan during a presidential debate in the 1984 election year is told that he is the oldest sitting president of modern times. Standing across from Democratic hopeful. the less age afflicted Walter Mondale, the question setter asks Reagan how he will deal with his age during the campaign. Reagan responds,"I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience."

[Yil]

Mr said:

R.I.P.


--------

Reagan during a presidential debate in the 1984 election year is told that he is the oldest sitting president of modern times. Standing across from Democratic hopeful. the less age afflicted Walter Mondale, the question setter asks Reagan how he will deal with his age during the campaign. Reagan responds,"I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience."

While I am in sharp disagreement with him politically, I think his greatest legacy was to inspire a new self-confidence in America. He made America realise its own potential and greatness again. And he made some great speeches and one-liners, like the one you mention.

I will always think of him as America's Margaret Thatcher. Both left their indelible stamp on the world.

[Flamingo]

Its hard not to think of him as America's Margaret Thatcher after her eulogy at his funeral.

He changed the way the world ran for a while, like with the agreement he signed with Gorbachev.. and gave some people hope, and lets not forget his acting.

I'm relieved for his family, for whom his death is probably a little relief as Alzhiemers can be pretty terrible to live with. RIP

[baggers]

As I wrote at...

www.johntroutproductions.co.uk/bsn/reagan.php

the real legacy of Reagan was to prove that anyone could be President (see "even a C-grade student can be POTUS" - GW Bush), he contributed massively to the spread of new right conservatism across the world, and he made the Republican party electable again after Watergate...so what a legacy we owe him!

[DarkHoarse]

I echo the sentiments regarding his family. But the sycophantic tone of most news coverage I found very distasteful.

Great one-liners we don't need: "I've just signed a treaty that will outlaw Russia forever. Bombing begins in 5 minutes." Hil-ar-ious, for those of us of a certain age who were genuinely scared that the world would end before 19 changed into 20...

And a large part of the reason we were so scared was Mr. Reagan's 'nuclear war is winnable' strategy and the egregious SDI ('Star Wars') initiative that grew out of it. Until Gorbachev replaced Chernenko in 1985 there was absolutely no sign that this fear would come to an end. The way in which Reagan (and THAT woman) are now given some credit for drawing us back from the brink is revisionist history gone mad. It was pretty much all down to the fact that Gorbachev was (unlike Ronnie) not a hardline cold warrior and that he was willing to initiate the process of arms reduction.

Then there was his last illustrious year as a virtual lame-duck president following the Iran-Contra scandal, Ollie North, Poindexter and the amazing shredding machine.

The self-confidence, largely the result of 'Reaganomics', also came at a price similar to that paid by the UK in the 1980s (paid largely by those with least ability to pay it). And if you think the UK is too compliant with the US now, try the Reagan/Thatcher years on for size.

But luck stayed with him to the end, for he signed a couple of treaties that somehow mark him down as a peacenik. Fair play to him for having the nous to realise the world was changing and to maximise the opportunity, but a great President he was not. Still, better than his Republican successors, incredibly enough... To think, when Bush Snr was in charge we feared that he might hand over to a man with a pathetically inept grasp of the English language, V.P. Dan Quayle. But no, he saved his son for us instead!

[Hawkeye Pierce]

baggers said:

...he contributed massively to the spread of new right conservatism across the world, and he made the Republican party electable again after Watergate...so what a legacy we owe him!

Are you being ironic, or moronic?

[Hawkeye Pierce]

D'oh - I just clicked your link. Good writing, to paraphrase a certain TWW character!