Can We Beat the Reagan Odds?
Ronald Reagan was born 99 years ago today--and boy, is he missed! Americans are crying out for the common sense conservatism he embodied. We're gravitating toward those leaders who share those priciples while voting out those who do not.
Burt Folson wrote an article for Big Government called "Why Was Ronald Reagan the Greatest President of the 20th Century?" He stated:
Reagan had three parts to his genius. First, he was a visionary; he believed that people wanted freedom and would do well when more of it was given to them.
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Second, Reagan had character, and in the eyes of America’s Founders, character was a necessary ingredient for greatness. Reagan stood for a set of ideas, and when trouble came he looked not to polls, but instead he applied courage, kindness, and persistence to achieve his ends.
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Third, Reagan was teachable. That trait was essential. If one has vision and character, he must also be teachable to make his life flow in a constructive direction.
Publius, also of Big Government, chimed in with this:
Today, in 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in rural Illinois. He’s the kind of leader who ordinarily comes along only once in a life-time. We’re hoping we can beat those odds.
Now, we have all heard the President Reagan-Governor Palin comparisons. I've heard such things as "If Ronald Reagan is the mind of conservatism, Sarah Palin is the heart" and "Sarah Palin is Ronald Reagan in a skirt."
The governor surely exemplifies the characteristics Folson presents. It is her vision for the nation's purpose and potential that Americans have embraced. Her character rained down upon her the ire of the good old boys in the state of Alaska, while granting her the respect of those on the right side of ethics and reform. Her willingness and ability to continue learning and evolving have awarded her the reputation of being the quick study that she is. The similarities are obvious.
I'm currently reading Rendezvous with Destiny: Ronald Reagan and the Campaign That Changed America by Craig Shirley. Nothing has illustrated the Reaganesque Palin to me more than this book. I plan to provide an essay on this when I've completed it.
It may be too early to say for sure how it will all unfold, but I'm leaning toward telling Publius we've beaten the odds.
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7 comments:
When I started really studying the global financial system a couple of years ago, I came to realize that the situation we face today is not just a normal recession, but is truly the end of an era of credit-based inflated economies. We have spent and spent and put it all on our credit card of sovereign debt. Not just the US, but much of the world is facing a deflating credit bubble. Keynsian economics of spending our way out of the crisis will not work.
The US and other advanced countries in the West already faced trouble with unfunded liabilities already faced difficulties in paying for all the future promises like Social Security, Medicaid, and other benefit spending. Now the collapse of the credit markets has exacerbated the problem.
The only way out of the economic crisis is radical change towards smaller government, lower spending, and allowing individuals to plan and save for their own futures rather than trusting the government to somehow come up with the money through higher taxes. This will be a difficult and painful transition. We will need a positive and hopeful voice like Gov. Palin's to help us through the transition otherwise I fear America will experience anarchy and violent collapse. Palin's speech in Salina shows that she is ready and able to show Americans that there is an alternative to the collapsing social welfare state and lead us towards a productive and hopeful future.
When I started really studying the global financial system a couple of years ago, I came to realize that the situation we face today is not just a normal recession, but is truly the end of an era of credit-based inflated economies. We have spent and spent and put it all on our credit card of sovereign debt. Not just the US, but much of the world is facing a deflating credit bubble. Keynsian economics of spending our way out of the crisis will not work.
The US and other advanced countries in the West already faced difficulties paying for all the future promises like Social Security, Medicaid, and other benefit spending. Now the collapse of the credit markets has exacerbated the problem.
The only way out of the economic crisis is radical change towards smaller government, lower spending, and allowing individuals to plan and save for their own futures rather than trusting the government to somehow come up with the money through higher taxes. This will be a difficult and painful transition. We will need a positive and hopeful voice like Gov. Palin's to help us through the transition otherwise I fear America will experience anarchy and violent collapse. Palin's speech in Salina shows that she is ready and able to show Americans that there is an alternative to the collapsing social welfare state and lead us towards a productive and hopeful future.
No first-time losing VP candidate in the history of the 2 party system (154 years) has ever gone on in the next election cycle to get his/her party's Presidential nomination, let along become President.
The only first time losing VP candidate ever to become POTUS was FDR who lost in 1920 and became the CIC in 1932.
How about them odds?
Happy Birthday Ronnie, you are missed. R.I.P.
Thank you Adrienne great post.
"It may be too early to say for sure how it will all unfold, but I'm leaning toward telling Publius we've beaten the odds." -Adrienne,
Absolutely and without a doubt.
I recently finished watching my DVD box set of the SNL Fifth Season (Nov '79 to April 1980).
On every show, there is at least one skit or during the News segment in which Reagan is parodied by the writers/cast. As it gets closer to the end of the season, they really go after him because by then it's apparent, he will be the Republican nominee. Almost every political skit was the same old "Reagan is a senile old poop, but a scary old poop."
The same with Margaret Thatcher, she was parodied as dim in Monty Python, not to the same degree as Sarah, of course. Years later, they did a remake of the dead parrot sketch and it ended promptly a sign that they had recognized the new era she brought about
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