Politics is always entertaining political theatre. One drama we can always count on in Republican circles when a race tightens is a passionate argument over who is more like Ronald Reagan. As Mike Huckabee gains on Mitt Romney in Iowa, it was inevitable that an “I’m like Reagan, you’re not!” shouting match would ensue.
The problem with these arguments is they always cite the Reagan myth rather than the Reagan record. In the latest exchange, Governor Romney (unsurprisingly) came up with biggest whoppers that were long on rhetoric but short on fact.
For example……
Romney quote: "And I'll tell you, Ronald Reagan would have never raised taxes like Mike Huckabee did.”
Fact: President Reagan raised taxes eleven times during his presidency, for a total of $137 billion in tax increases. President Reagan, to his credit, was not nearly the ideologue his disciples are. He had the wisdom and the humility to change course when the facts indicated it was required – as he did when it became clear that his 1981 tax cuts were going to bankrupt the country.
Romney quote: "Ronald Reagan would have never said let's give tuition breaks to illegals like Mike Huckabee did.”
Fact: Ronald Reagan was the author of the mid-eighties illegal immigrant amnesty that added that word (amnesty) to the short lexicon that Republicans draw from to avoid honest discussion of the issues and use to demonize their opponents. (Other examples include “liberal”, “tax-and-spend” and “elitist”). Given this, it seems clear President Reagan would have supported giving in-state college tuition to children of undocumented immigrants who have lived their whole lives in the local community.
Maybe Mike Huckabee really is like Reagan.
Nah. Let me settle the argument. None of these guys are like Ronald Reagan – a conclusion borne out by numerous polls of Republican voters who express extreme dissatisfaction when they are asked about their choice of presidential candidates.
4 comments:
“None of these guys are like Ronald Reagan – a conclusion borne out by numerous polls of Republican voters who express extreme dissatisfaction when they are asked about their choice of presidential candidates.”
Steve,
As usual your writing fails to make point.
There will never be another Ronald Regan…..Yet republican voters will vote for another republican before they vote a democrat.
Anonymous,
I think your point is erroneous.
Not all Republicans favor the brand over the values, and quite a few of them have already come out and said they are not going to stick with the party in the upcoming election.
Perhaps "Republican voters" have a perception of Pres. Reagan that doesn't quite fit reality, and the Republican hopefuls are trying to fit the perception rather than the reality.
what Cameron wrote. Some of us were there to see Reagan in all his splendor and blunder. Republicans who fixate on the myth are doing so because they don't have a message of their own that resonates and must try to get illumination from a past star. It illustrates the weakness of the Republican field that your best pitch is that you are more like someone else.
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