FDR was a great man. Reagan was his antithesis.

[Zynx]

Franklin Roosevelt looked upon a broken nation and said, "Let us work together." He remade America into a collective effort in which everyone participated, albeit with the very significant exception of African Americans in the South. However, he appealed to people's hopes and aspirations and our sense of collective good. The idea that as a nation we could transform society into a greater effort. In accomplishing this, he transformed the role of government from nothing into an instrument of attempting to insure equality of opportunity. We all shared in a common vision of a greater America with FDR.

Reagan looked upon the nation and said, "Everybody get your piece and to hell with everyone else." He made people look out for only themselves and their kind, dismissing those who were less fortunate or different. He cultivated hatred and greed. He wanted whites to fear blacks, rich to hate the poor, heterosexuals to hate homosexuals, etc. As a result of the Reagan years, the vast bulk of Americans were left behind, no better off than they were before while a small portion made off handsomely. In his wake he left not a hopeful and united nation, but rather a petty, greedy nation only looking out for themselves, dismissing anyone in need of help as a "free-loader".

That is the true legacy of Reagan. He is not the Republican FDR. He is FDR's antithesis.

[jgraz]

1. Exactly. If you crashed Reagan and FDR together they'd explode in a ball of photons

[Zynx]

3. The explosion would destroy the universe. They could not be more different.

[RuleOfNah]

30. Which Reagan? The Reagan that liked the New Deal or the one that disliked it after he liked it?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=uJDhS4oUm0M

[girl_interrupted]

2. Zynx beautifully said

and so very true, thank you.

[Zynx]

6. No problem. I've held this sentiment for years and I wanted to get it out.

[AX10]

4. True.

[Blue_In_AK]

5. That's the way I see it, too. Thank you. n/t

[Zynx]

26. I think all Democrats must see it this way to be Democrats.

[jlake]

7. True. True. True.

[Zynx]

8. You sure that's true enough? haha

[inthebrain]

9. FDR made enemies and was proud to do so

He was very different than what Democrats today make him out to be as they try to allign him with their current campaign strategies.

FDR was great at saying "FUCK YOU" to the right people. He had the backing of the nation in doing so. Elected to three straight terms and no doubt would have gone a fourth.

FDR had folks in his own party that wanted to string him up.

[Zynx]

10. He won his fourth term.

He just died only three months into it.

[inthebrain]

13. LOL

I keep thinking three terms.

You're correct.

[Zynx]

19. It happens.

In time in office it was only 12 years, 1 month, and I think 8 days. I'm doing that off the top of my head.

[Maccagirl]

11. I'll never understand the cult of Reagan

Except, like you stated so eloquently, he gave the powerful a pass, and started the culture of "blame the victim" all wrapped up as a sweet-voiced Grandfather.

[Zynx]

14. He made this a bitter and nasty country.

We see this in Bush's treatment of disabled veterans. "You got fucked up in my war? FUCK YOU! Get and MBA and become a CEO you bum!"

[ClassWarrior]

12. Satan is Hell's God.

So I guess you could say Raygun is the Rape-Publican FDR.

NGU.

[Zynx]

18. Great comparison! I love it!

[jackson_dem]

15. Why didn't Obama use FDR (a Dem!) as his example?

[Zynx]

16. Reagan is more contemporary.

I'll give him that. It was a shitty example though. Reagan didn't unite the country. He divided it and conquered it.

[Horse with no Name]

21. Because the GOP desperately wants a Reaganesque character

and nobody on their side fits the bill. Obama is just stepping up to the plate to try to pull some of the Neanderthals to vote for him as the new Reagan.
It doesn't portend well...AT ALL.

[Zynx]

22. I'm going to forgive Obama for this and for the "hands off presidency" thing

as gaffes, but I felt the need to make a stand with FDR against this monster that we called Reagan. We need to show what true greatness is.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

27. fucking great question. nt

[Zynx]

28. I have to admit it made me wonder. However, I think it has to do with time periods.

[midnight]

17. Yep....

[Horse with no Name]

20. Exactly. K&R. n/t

[Zynx]

23. Let's see if we can make it 20 recs.

:-)

[Barack_America]

24. But both were "great" Presidents in the sense that...

...they were effective at pushing their policies. FDR's were also great, while Reagan's were evil shit. But history deems them both "great" due to their influence. That's why history can be a tough thing to accept sometimes.

We may wish to rewrite history, but we can't.

[Zynx]

25. Was Stalin great for his 5-year plans?

I think it is a great mischaracterization to mistake "influential" with "great".

[Duncan Grant]

29. :kick: (nt)

:kick: