Obama on Reagan
To the editors in Reno:
“I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that 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. They felt like with all the excesses of the 60s and the 70s and government had grown and grown but there wasn’t much sense of accountability in terms of how it was operating. I think 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 entrepreneurship that had been missing.”
To Hillary in tonight’s debate:
“I didn’t say they were good ideas!”
Here’s the early fireworky part of the debate:
I suspect that reaction to Obama’s Reagan-love is going to break along age lines. If you were a child or just a gleam in somebody’s eye during the 80s, then it probably won’t bother you at all. Just some dead guy, yadeyadeyade, Obama was just talking about change agents, ancient history, no big whoop.
But if you were an adult, and you remember that Reagan was the precursor to Bush — a racist, sexist, classist, homophobic, imperialistic, corrupt, 100% nasty piece of work who did untold damage to this country and to the world and cost the lives of god knows how many — then you might have a little more trouble.
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(Reno quote and debate video both via Talking Points Memo.)
9 Responses to “Obama on Reagan”
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T.O. says:
When he said, “I didn’t say they were good ideas!”, he was responding to Clinton’s accusation that he supported Reagan’s economic policies, which he obviously didn’t. I really do think she was taking his comments out of context. Then again, I don’t have this reflexive Reagan-hate I apparently would have if I were a bit older.
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:47 am EST -
Tabby Lavalamp says:
I’m old enough to have been politically aware during the Reagan/Thatcher/Mulroney years. Whenever I get nostalgic about the Eighties, I just have to think back on what the politics of the day were like.
The pros to Reagan’s presidency will never even come close to the cons (think of the pros as my net worth, think of the cons as Bill Gates’ net worth), but I do enjoy the hypocrisy of conservatives who worship at Reagan’s feet talking about the “Hollywood elite” and screaming at left-leaning entertainers to shut up and sing/act/dance/whatever. -
therealUK says:
I suspect that reaction to Obama’s Reagan-love is going to break along age lines.
Not about Reagan as such, but there was a piece on the news here last night where the reporter briefly interviewed some of the voters in S. Carolina, and commented that the split between Hillary/Obama seemed to be on age (rather than colour). The older folks quoting “experience” and “she’ll get the job done” while the youngsters went for “change” and “hope”.
It’s interesting as well to see what fetches up in the British media – Hillary’s “scheming”, “crying” and “racist comments” repeatedly reported as fact, Obama as squeaky clean inspirational new leader.
Regarding the squabbles in general though – it is such a bloody circus really – “nya nya you did… you said nya nya” and these people are meant to be on the same side ??
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simply wondered says:
i have an idea: we should all stop breathing and wait for the rapture’.
i didn’t sasy it was a good idea.
what’s that about then?(vomit reflex on reagan – oh yeah and i’m not even american)
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Hazel Stone says:
Boy, Obama REALLY wants to lose my vote, and I was only around 10 in the 80s.
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blondie says:
Despite Obama’s protestations, I don’t think he gets to split this hair. He went too far in praising Reagan, and he should retract that.
Recent republicans have practically canonized Reagan, but as dearly-departed Dr. Socks explains, Reagan was horrible for America, six ways from Sunday. John Mellencamp’s song, Country Gentleman is about Reagan. Reagan propagandized his way into the White House and through a second term, but for the non-rich, the 80s were not a Gordon Gecko dream of the goodness of greed. They were a hard march through a sucking slough, and the Clinton 90s were a day at the beach, comparatively.
Reagan’s ideas — economic, imperialistic, and domestic — were simply awful.
Even if you lack first-hand knowledge and experience with the Reagan presidency, please consider that Reagan is adored by the current crop of conservatives. Or would you prefer to vote for a Democratic candidate who agrees with the likes of Romney, Thompson, McCain, etc. about who was the better predecessor President — Reagan or Clinton?
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Carrie says:
I’m just sad that I live in a country where praising Ronald Reagan is a good idea even from the triangulation point of view.
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anna says:
Hillary and Obama are equally progressive (or nonprogressive)if you look at their records. For example, Obama wasn’t in the senate during the Iraq war vote, and he did vote to fund it. But because he’s young, handsome and charismatic, he gets to be the new, shining liberal hope, while Hillary is yesterday’s news.
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Gayle says:
Obama is the shining Not-Hillary candidate so many have been waiting for these past months. Yes, he triangulates, sure he studies Bill Clinton’s old speeches for inspiration/ instructions. Hell, he may well be to the right of HRC when it comes to policy, but no matter!
He’s not Hillary!! Yay!
