Okay, back to politics. Obama's raising of Ronald Reagan as role model is cowardly and pandering. He's obviously courting independents who have a misguided-rose-tinted memory of the late, disastrous President Reagan. Aside from bullshit, feel-good rhetoric, and too much credit for the demise of the Soviet Union and the ending the cold war --- which was really ended by a complex confluence of factors, but mostly by brave Russians, East Germans, Czechs, Poles and a disastrous war in Afghanistan (much like ours in Iraq -- not to mention the world may have been better off had the godless commies prevailed in Afghanistan, rather than the Muslim fundamentalists whom we supported) a vodka-emboldened Boris Yeltsin, and MTV -- we are still reeling from the Reagan legacy.
What's the Reagan legacy? Huge deficits and federal debts, disastrous deregulation of banking, finance, and transportation industries, pillaging the environment and a culture of greed that encouraged corporate pigs to feed freely at the trough while the working and middle classes suffered, a cynical and disastrous War on Drugs, forsaking public education and welfare. Oh, yeah, and all that empty, facile patriotism.
Reminds me again of why I liked Edwards in the first place. At least he has the guts to call bullshit on bullshit.
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There are 3 comments posted for this article.
Boy, are you on target on this. The public memory is short and fickle however,and will only remember Reagan's movie star persona and fame and forget the true history you point out in your blog..the general public often supports the next anyone who helps them to not have to think too hard and who promises them they can make anything and everything easy and better for them.
Sandy
Posted on January 18, 2008 5:35 AM by Anonymous
I warned you about Mr. Obama. Such a hubris-suffering opportunist.
Posted on January 22, 2008 6:08 PM by Chris
Be careful Joe - the elevation of Reagen to Republican Sainthood is the GOP strategy for beating the Democrats in November. They have dug up Reagen's body politic and would very much like to bury the incompetent Shrub's eight year run six feet under. By ignoring Bush and wrapping John McInsane in the "weathered skin" of Reagen they hope that the electorate will if they Squint really hard fall for the warrior-in-chief. Now, back to Obama.
I wouldn't call Obama a coward. Obama is being a smart, calculating, there is a word for it, oh yeah, Politician.
McCain's plan is to pull the Reagen Independents knowing that the GOP "evangelical" base will eventually swallow their hatred and cast a vote against whomever the Democrat might be. The Reverend of Hate Hagee has already seen the blazing light and is throwing his "end of days" support to McCain.
As in all modern elections without a billionaire third party candidate, Obama must have the support of the Independents to win. I wouldn't call him a coward for doing what it takes to bring them on board.
Posted on February 29, 2008 12:36 PM by todd