I found this to be an awesome video. While this has been around awhile, I think President Reagan related a very poignant and still pertinent message. I will be praying for our country and next President, no matter who is eventually elected. [video=youtube;OvN1jTkzXbY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvN1jTkzXbY[/video]
My pleasure. Our nation was founded upon Christian principles. Even if it weren't, though, I'd still pray for it....and its leaders.
Probably the biggest, and most misleading misconception ever about our country. http://www.nobeliefs.com/Tripoli.htm
I said Christian principles, not Christian religion. In fact, our forefathers came to this land to "escape" the tyranny of the Anglican religious oppression. They wanted to institute the freedoms to believe any way they saw fit. Anyway, I thought this was an interesting article... http://www.forbes.com/sites/billflax/2012/09/25/was-america-founded-as-a-christian-nation/ That all said, I will continue to pray for our nation, and its leaders. That won't change....ever. MARIS, hopefully, we can simply agree to disagree. It's probably all we'd be left with in the end anyway.
Absolutely. 'Sides, he's working diligently helping my gal and me find that perfect piece of retirement real estate in "beautiful" Central Oregon.
Regan was a bit before my political time. Why is he considered the GOP Jesus? Was he really that good of a president? The only legacy of his that I know is the fallacy of the war on drugs and "just say no" campaign.
He was a rare man that inspired people of both parties. Think of Obama's 2008 election and all the huge crowds and social networking and other technologies he used to get out his vote. Then think of Reagan getting 56% of the popular vote in his reelection bid, compared to Obama's 53% first time and 50% second. Reagan would have had 56% of the vote his first time, too, but there was a strong ex-republican 3rd party candidate in that race. And for all of Obama's reputation of being the great orator, Reagan repeatedly gave speeches that historians rank among the greatest in history. For example, Reagan scores 6 of the top 100 here: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/top100speechesall.html (FDR scores 5). Most people around during his day remember his "shining city on a hill" speech. I don't know of any Obama speech _that_ worthy of being remembered, do you? FDR, certainly - "Yesterday, December 7, was a day that will live in infamy." Or JFK, "Ask not what your country can do for you" (where did democrats go wrong and lose that attitude?). Reagan stands out from republicans who preceded him and who followed him. His rhetoric was Libertarian. From his first inaugural address, he said the following, "In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." He was oh so right. Recognize the Libertarian rhetoric: "Those who say that we’re in a time when there are no heroes -- they just don’t know where to look. You can see heroes every day going in and out of factory gates. Others, a handful in number, produce enough food to feed all of us and then the world beyond. You meet heroes across a counter -- and they’re on both sides of that counter. There are entrepreneurs with faith in themselves and faith in an idea who create new jobs, new wealth and opportunity. There are individuals and families whose taxes support the Government and whose voluntary gifts support church, charity, culture, art, and education. Their patriotism is quiet but deep. Their values sustain our national life. Now I have used the words “they” and “their” in speaking of these heroes. I could say “you” and “your” because I’m addressing the heroes of whom I speak -- you, the citizens of this blessed land. Your dreams, your hopes, your goals are going to be the dreams, the hopes, and the goals of this Administration, so help me God."
Reagan was an actor on a horse who started the whole trend of giant deficits. Instead of blaming Little Bush for this country's death, we should jointly blame Reagan, Big Bush, and Little Bush. But without Reagan establishing the paradigm, the other two couldn't have gotten away with it. When Chinese historians write about the end of America, he'll be the Top Dog.
Interesting, was he as great as he gets credit for today, or is there a lot of nostalgia related to golden years of the GOP? Do you think he would win if he ran today, and would he be considered more of a moderate candidate? I imagine that the political landscape of the time wasnt as polar as it is today.
There's both nostalgia and that he was the real deal. Democrats hated him because he was so successful and pretty much against all the progressive ideas. The Democrats in congress went on witch hunt after witch hunt trying to get him or guys who worked for him on some trumped up charge. He would have crushed Obama. Just like he crushed Carter and then Mondale. Having lived through Carter's 4 years and now Obama's first 4, the economic malaise was quite similar. Though Carter's ruining of the economy was a lot more evident.