Newt Gingrich — campaigning with Ronald Reagan’s son Michael — has, as many recent Republican candidates have before him, tried to tie himself closely to the legacy of the “Gipper.” Yet if the mirage of Ronald Reagan as a fiscal conservative, manufactured in the late 1990s by Republican operatives to bludgeon then-President Bill Clinton, is … Continue reading “Ronald Reagan Certainly Was
No Newt Gingrich”
Tag: ronald reagan
Ronald Reagan Certainly Was
What Michele Bachmann’s Mount Rushmore Picks Reveal
The cult and power of the American presidency has become so great that the election campaign has become a full-fledged circus that focuses on everything — for example, memory lapses, gaffes, or alleged past sexual harassment — except the potential policies that the candidates would actually promulgate if they ever got elected. True, there are … Continue reading “What Michele Bachmann’s Mount Rushmore Picks Reveal”
Obama vs. Reagan on AIPAC
Politico reports that President Barack Obama may attend the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) gathering in Washington, D.C. According to documents released last week by the National Archives, President Ronald Reagan had a more appropriate answer to invitations [.pdf] and party pressure to attend AIPAC’s gathering on May 15, 1988—”No, thanks” [.pdf]. Until … Continue reading “Obama vs. Reagan on AIPAC”
Did Reagan Win the Cold War?
My visit to the Reagan Ranch in the mountains near Santa Barbara, Calif., on the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s birth on Feb. 6, 1911, and today’s revolutions sweeping the Arab world got me thinking about how much Reagan actually had to do with his alleged signature achievement – winning the Cold War. Conservatives would … Continue reading “Did Reagan Win the Cold War?”
Tear Down This Wall (of Fame): Reagan’s Overrated Foreign Policy
A visit to the remote Reagan ranch in the mountains near Santa Barbara, Calif., on the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s birth set me thinking about Reagan’s foreign policy record. Conservatives have venerated Reagan for limiting government and winning the Cold War – alleged accomplishments that were either untrue or vastly exaggerated, respectively. Although various … Continue reading “Tear Down This Wall (of Fame): Reagan’s Overrated Foreign Policy”
Tea Party Should Emulate Clinton, Not Reagan
As the Tea Party migrates from the grass roots to the brier patch of the nation’s capital, sadly it will probably meet the same fate as other movements from “real America” who tried to plow new ground in Washington – in the ash heap of history. The governmental juggernaut always seems to take minor hits … Continue reading “Tea Party Should Emulate Clinton, Not Reagan”