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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#114651: Mar 6th 2016 at 9:09:36 AM

And with Reagan, he made a lot of bad choices as president, but I don't think most, or any, of the people here hate him as a person. His wife...anyone under a certain age probably wouldn't care either way.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#114652: Mar 6th 2016 at 9:19:53 AM

I just find it amusing how Reagan would be considered a RINO in today's GOP.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#114654: Mar 6th 2016 at 9:33:07 AM

He considered talking to opponents, like the Soviets, a good thing, and took back his words, like calling the Soviet Union an evil empire, when peaceful deals were being reached. As opposed to Tea Party never surrender never deal with the enemy mentality.

Can you imagine Ted Cruz in this scenario?

The meeting was confined largely to generalities, but Reagan placed himself squarely on the side of those who wanted to improve relations with the Soviet Union. He told Gorbachev that he observed “one simple rule: you don’t get in trouble by talking to each other, and not just about each other.” Gorbachev complained that some people in America asked, “Why help the Soviet Union expand? Wouldn’t it be better for it to be weak?” Reagan replied that he did not feel that way at all. Let us keep on building trust with one another, he said.

After their talk, the two leaders strolled out of the Kremlin onto Red Square. They stopped to talk with small groups of people. Picking up a small boy in his arms, Gorbachev said, “Shake hands with Grandfather Reagan.” As the two men were walking back toward the Kremlin, Reagan was confronted with the same question he had been asked repeatedly over the past couple of years. A reporter brought up Reagan’s famous epithet about the Soviet Union five years earlier: “Do you still think you’re in an evil empire, Mr. President?”

Reagan didn’t hesitate. “No,” he answered. “I was talking about another time and another era.”

edited 6th Mar '16 9:41:51 AM by Parable

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#114655: Mar 6th 2016 at 9:41:29 AM

He was also relatively soft on immigration and was willing to be flexible on taxation.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Iaculus Pronounced YAK-you-luss from England Since: May, 2010
Pronounced YAK-you-luss
#114656: Mar 6th 2016 at 9:43:13 AM

To be fair, there are probably a few folks celebrating Nancy Reagan's death.

If you listen really, really hard, you can hear the tiny thudding noises as Ted Cruz does his evil little dance of joy at the idea of the publicity he'd get from speaking at her funeral.

What's precedent ever done for us?
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#114657: Mar 6th 2016 at 9:47:14 AM

I doubt he'll get to, there are three living Regan children, the adopted son from the first marriage (so not Nancy's son) is a right wing nut, the daughter seems to not be in politics and Nancy and Ronald's son? He's a Sanders supporting Atheist, so Cruz isn't going to be let near the thing, I suspect that the family will not let politics become apart of it.

edited 6th Mar '16 9:48:09 AM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#114658: Mar 6th 2016 at 9:57:11 AM

[up][up][up]

To this day, my father has a lot of respect for Reagan helping to make thousands of undocumented immigrants legal US citizens.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#114659: Mar 6th 2016 at 10:08:29 AM

Reagan would be drummed out of the party if he even whispered the kind of amnesty program he did in the 80s.

edited 6th Mar '16 10:08:43 AM by Rationalinsanity

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#114660: Mar 6th 2016 at 10:22:20 AM

[up][up] My teacher considers him to be a mass murderer for ignoring the AIDS epidemic.

Nancy was actually okay, and Just Say No wasn't terrible either

It kinda was because she thought it was that easy. Also she considered people that were trying to rehabilitate as lost causes.

FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#114662: Mar 6th 2016 at 10:28:19 AM

Reagan was kind of a mixed bag on certain things (Iran-Contra, anyone?), but I do think he was a pretty decent guy underneath that. He's not my favorite President, but he did try to do the right thing on several occasions.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
DrDougsh Since: Jan, 2001
#114663: Mar 6th 2016 at 10:42:12 AM

Having watched some of his speeches and his debate with Bush senior, I do find him an immensely more likeable and charismatic guy than any of the current GOP candidates. It's weird how the current Republican party uses the man as their ideological mascot, but none of them really seems to even be trying to emulate his approach to public speaking. If anything, his manner of conveying his message strikes me as way more similar to Obama's.

FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#114664: Mar 6th 2016 at 10:51:10 AM

Obama has occassionally made the point that most of his policies are Reaganesque. The GOP tends to get selective hearing when that is proven though.

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#114665: Mar 6th 2016 at 11:02:18 AM

Reagan was working with a largely Democratic congress, too, remember.

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#114666: Mar 6th 2016 at 11:07:00 AM

[up][up] Which is why I'd love Regan's son to run for office, sadly he believes that as an atheist he's got no chance.

edited 6th Mar '16 11:07:19 AM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#114667: Mar 6th 2016 at 11:12:50 AM

Its that he's militant about it that screws his chances.

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#114668: Mar 6th 2016 at 11:12:51 AM

Reagan made of point of embracing the media. The current GOP is convinced that the "mainstream media" is their archenemy and is out to get them.

tricksterson Never Trust from Behind you with an icepick Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Never Trust
#114669: Mar 6th 2016 at 11:32:47 AM

He was also willing to raise taxes even if he didn't call it that.

Trump delenda est
JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#114670: Mar 6th 2016 at 12:07:18 PM

Just what did Thatcher do the that Reagan didn't?

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
Iaculus Pronounced YAK-you-luss from England Since: May, 2010
Pronounced YAK-you-luss
#114671: Mar 6th 2016 at 12:16:33 PM

I think there were a couple of third-world dictators that one armed and the other didn't. Did Reagan ever back the Khmer Rouge?

What's precedent ever done for us?
theLibrarian Since: Jul, 2009
#114672: Mar 6th 2016 at 12:20:24 PM

Reagan was also responsible for ending the Iran hostage crisis pretty much as soon as he took office because he'd made it clear that we would invade Iran if they didn't let the hostages go.

AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#114673: Mar 6th 2016 at 12:22:51 PM

No, Carter did all the work to get the hostages returned. The Ayatollah waited until Reagan's inauguration because he wanted to spite Carter.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#114674: Mar 6th 2016 at 12:22:53 PM

I thought it was Jimmy Carter who ended that and Regan negotiated that they be released immediately after he was inaugurated so he'd get all the credit and good publicity.

edited 6th Mar '16 12:23:24 PM by LSBK

WaryHoglet Since: Feb, 2016
#114675: Mar 6th 2016 at 12:43:08 PM

Talking about Nancy Reagan and Margaret Thatcher as if they had the same level of power and influence is a really faulty comparison. Nancy wasn't even a political figure-she was a first lady. Thatcher was the PM of the UK for more than a decade. To say nothing of their respective personalities.

edited 6th Mar '16 12:43:18 PM by WaryHoglet


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