Has Obama Lost His Mind Over Reagan?

[KennedyGuy]

http://www.progressive.org/mag_wx011708

In an interview on January 14 with the Reno Gazette-Journal, Barack Obama went out of his way to praise Ronald Reagan.

“I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not,” Obama said. “He put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it. I think they felt like with all the excesses of the 1960s and 1970s and government had grown and grown but there wasn't much sense of accountability in terms of how it was operating. I think people, he just tapped into what people were already feeling, which was: We want clarity, we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing.”

Just what are those “excesses” of the 1960s and 1970s that he’s alluding to?

The civil rights movement?

The environmental movement?

The women’s liberation movement?

The gay rights movement?

And yes, the government did grow. But we got the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and a host of other federal agencies that protected us from the predations of private corporations.

For Obama to now laud Reagan for restoring “entrepreneurship,” the very buzzword you hear right before the sting of deregulation, is either shockingly naïve or reactionary—or it betrays a willingness of Obama to find common ground in ideological quicksand.

[Flabbergasted]

1. You know he used Kennedy within the same context?

[theredpen]

2. He's no Lee Mercer Jr. -- that's for sure! n/t

[sunonmars]

3. lost it and buried it along side reagan

You take a campaign that was doing ok and put a bullet right into the heart of it, beggars belief

[itsrobert]

4. Maybe he's been sniffing Reagan's hair dye?

n/t

[water]

5. He didn't praise Reagan's policies! He praised his ability as a politician.

[readmoreoften]

8. Wow, I'd hate to see what "praise" would look like then.

And if it's not praise it certainly is the perpetuation of right wing memes. But, hey, that seems to be the guy's big talent.

[VarnettaTuckpocket]

29. I think it'd have to involve knee-pads

[dajoki]

13. Lauding Reagan for restoring “entrepreneurship”...

Sounds like praising policies to me.

[Frances]

16. Reagan's policies were pro-corporations,

not pro-entrepreneurship. Reagan was pro-privatizing, which is what led to all those no-bid contracts to Halliburton and other Bush/Cheney cronies. The cronies then kicked back money in the form of campaign contributions.

Will someone please educate Obama about this fact?

After all, if Obama is the Dem nominee, I will vote for him in the general election.

[dajoki]

32. So will I...

vote for him in the general election. You are 100% correct on Raygun.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

31. As one of the posters below stated, there's nothing wrong with entrepreneurship

HypoToad, I believe, made a very intelligent comment further down in this thread. Entrepreneurship is an essential element of our economy. Individualism and new business ideas advance our culture. Do we want to all work for mega corporations or institutions and exist as drones or are there people willing to risk their money and time to open new businesses? I'd hate to live in a society without entrepreneurs. I tried to open my own office (and failed) and I know it's very difficult and it requires a lot of guts and especially confidence in the economy. Is Obama actually approving of Reagan's fiscal policies or is he simply commenting on Reagan's appeal to optimism in encouraging people to have confidence in the economy and the system to the point where they are willing to risk everything in opening new businesses?

I don't know the answer. Obama's remarks are very troubling. I hope he doesn't mean what it appears he means. I think he should explain himself and end this speculation.

[dajoki]

33. I also hope he...

doesn't mean what it appears he means.

[baby_mouse]

19. Well, what I suggest, is that you look up the word "policy" and "politician" in a dictionary...

And you will see that there's a reason that they sound so very much like each other, namely, that what a politician does is guide policy so, um, one's "ability as a politician" can really only be meaningful in terms of what his or her policies are.

[flyarm]

23. i hated reagans ability as a politician..he was a liar..a bold faced liar and murderer!! ..i hated

reagan as a politician ,as a man and as a person..he was the fucking devil!

fly

[Bicoastal]

6. Not so fast, Kenny G.

WE found a month-old press release by Hillary Clinton saying that Reagan and George H. W. Bush were among her FAVORITE Presidents of all time.

"No," you'll cry..."it's unfair! It's a direct misinterpretation of what she's saying! You're just putting the spin on Hillary!"

Say, this might turn out to be a fun primary season after all...

[ronnykmarshall]

7. Uh no ..

DU has lost it's mind.

Every day it's a new shit fit.

[baby_mouse]

21. Interesting take. Care to support it?

In any way?

[ronnykmarshall]

22. Take a look around.

All you have to do is look at the various flame bait and shit fits that happen on a daily basis.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

9. It seems to me that he's talking about fiscal excesses during the 1960s and 1970s

as he immediately follows those words with a reference to the growth of government. The costly war in Vietnam certainly was one of those excesses in spending. But to suggest that Reagan was the answer to that is just wrong. We got James Watt as the Secretary of the Interior. He was an absolute nut and was an enemy of the environment. Maybe there was a need to address the issue of the growth of government. But Reagan's solution was to slash everything of value while increasing the size of the defense department. I wish Obama hadn't taken this very weird tack, as I was beginning to really like him. Now I have to go back to the point where I have no candidate to support among the major three.

[Frances]

17. I sympathize with you

I had almost decided to vote for Obama in the primary. I have my absentee ballot on my desk as I type this.

But I will vote Dem in the general, whoever the nominee is.

[Sal316]

10. Ugh!

The 1970's, especially by the end, were a mess. The Vietnam hangover, hostages, stagflation....

Reagan talked of hope and optimism.

That,IMO, is what Obama is talking about.

Even though Reagan was the devil, you have to see how he changed the 'trajectory' of American.

[Deja Q]

12. Oh, come now. Stop thinking and start emoting! Be the brainless sheep others demand you be!!

Never think for yourself or be allowed to.

:crazy:

[Deja Q]

11. Well, speculation aside, I agree - it's worthy of speculation.

The 1960s were an upheaval; the 1970s saw people wanting to lead a less worrysome life. Most of the media reflects that, what with shows about the 1950s, "The Waltons", "Little House on the Prairie", et al...

That is defined as excess?

Now the 1960s allowed people to the freedom of self-exploration and discovery.

It also allowed "free love". And the birth of not just many children out of wedlock, who in turn had their own problems, but "free clinics" to pay for the diseases all the happy hippies bestowed upon each other.

And if that's the reason why, I sure as hell agree with Mr. Obama 100%. People need to treat their bodies better. They need to treat others' bodies better.

So is respect and hearing one side of the story before lashing back with canned, parroted remarks like a militant trollop.

Deregulation was a mistake; China being the ultimate result as their lack of regulation has allowed numerous defective and deadly products to be bought by the world. Surely far greater than just the US alone, and in a "global market" and "globalization" everything, the market would do well to decide that some regulation isn't as evil or as costly as once claimed.

Entrepreneurship isn't a bad idea either; but not everybody can be their own business and big box stores, now doing local services, are pushing more people out of what used to be livelihoods that allowed them TO prosper as entrepreneurs. And what's left; most people will say they can do their own work. So it's no longer "free trade" or "fair trade", but "no trade, so now what?" If we take that hyperbole to its most grandiose conclusion.

But, yeah, his admiration raises an eyebrow, but I think there are other perspectives. I wonder if Obama wants people to look for meanings other than the flat-nosed inferences (e.g. "he quoted Reagan therefore he wears a swaztika along with the rest of them" and other bullshit remarks like that), or to be knee-jerk reactionary (a trait I am trying to ditch and it isn't easy at times...)

After all: "We want clarity, we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing.” I dunno about you, but I sure as hell miss the freedom to use my skills to generate a healthy buck and live for myself, rather than finding an employer who may or may not give a shit about me or any other worker...

[DJ13]

14. Obama? No

But he's driven the Hillery supporters bat shit crazy.

Its funny watching you people continuing on with this childish bash.

[baby_mouse]

20. Hm.

Hillary?

Looks over shoulder. Looks under chair.

I thought we were discussing Obama's delight in Reagan. What's it got to do with Hillary?

[dajoki]

15. I don't know why...

ANY Democrat would praise Raygun for ANYTHING, period!!

[mtnsnake]

18. This is one of the most sickening things ever to happen in a Democratic Primary

to hear a Democrat going so out of his way to praise one of the most overrated Republican pukes ever. :puke:

[Akoto]

24. If one unpopular comment means one has lost their mind ...

... Then I belong in a straight jacket.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

27. I think Obama needs to explain this

He need to explain just what excesses of the 60s and 70s he felt needed to be addressed and whether he felt it was just Reagan's style and language of optimism or the substance of his policies that the American people responded to. The OP doesn't know and in fact asks the question as to what Obama meant by "excesses". If Obama thinks that Reagan's policies were good for America then I really do think he's lost his mind. If Obama is just referring to Reagan's movie star style in using a language of optimism then that's another thing entirely.

Right now this is all just speculation, as the OP is speculating. Everyone is interjecting their own interpretation of what Obama is saying, probably depending on which candidate they support. Obama needs to explain this, in detail, or I fear that many of his followers will get turned off. There's nothing about Reagan's policies that could possibly appeal to me.

[flyarm]

25. Obama Panders to Right, Throws Democrats Under the Bus

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/01/17/obama-panders-to-right-throws-democrats-under-the-bus/#more-1332

Obama Panders to Right, Throws Democrats Under the Bus
By SusanUnPC on January 17, 2008 at 7:24 PM in Ronald Reagan, Obama, Current Affairs

Obama said what? That the GOP has been the party of ideas for the last ten to fifteen years? Are you kidding me?


snip:

It is further evidence that not only does Obama have no sense of the history of the last half of the 20th century — wait until you see the video below the fold — but also that he really is as conservative as his weak health care plan and far weaker economic stimulus plan have hinted. (Then there’s his use of GOP scare-tactic talking points on Social Security, and how he has been embraced by the right — including George Will who last year compared Obama to Ronald Reagan .)

Paul Krugman is clearly dumbfounded, as am I. Here is the entirety of Krugman’s New York Times blog post today at 3:41 pm:

Reagan and Obama

Read Rick Perlstein. Rick is our premier historian of the rise of modern movement conservatism, and knows whereof he speaks.

What does Perlstein say?


One of the Democratic candidates is getting a bit of abuse for lionizing Ronald Reagan. Here’s part of the relevant quote:

Perlstein quotes Obama:

he just tapped into what people were already feeling, which was we want clarity we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing.

Perlstein adds, “Matt Stoller criticizes Obama thus“:

if you think, as Obama does, that Reagan’s rise to power was premised on a sunny optimism in contrast to an out of control government and a society rife with liberal excess, then you don’t understand the conservative movement. Reagan tapped into greed and fear and tribalism, and those are powerful forces. Ignoring that isn’t going to make them go away.

“He’s right,” Perlstein observes, then goes on:

He’s also right that accepting the right’s successful fantasy-frame about what Reagan was all about surrenders to one of their most successful strategies: affecting innocence about the terrible consequences of their own ideology in the here and now—helping conservatism, as an ideology, survive to fight another day:

“Why would the conservative movement create such idolatry around Reagan? Is is because they just want to honor a great man? Perhaps that is some of it. Or are they trying to escape the legacy of the conservative movement so that it can be rebuilt in a few years, as they did after Nixon, Reagan, and Bush I?

“Liberals always talk as if only the conservatives of our own generation were scary, and the conservatives of a previous generation kind of cuddly,” notes Perlstein. (Read all.)

Here’s the second new YouTube video from the conservative newspaper interview with Obama:

[dpbrown]

26. Naïve - and that's why Obama should be considered a "lightweight" rather than a "contender"

Just because someone appeals to the messiah need of adolescents doesn't mean he or she would make a good President.

[Crunchy Frog]

28. Maybe he was just too heavily influenced by Hillary.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4108953

[oasis]

30. Reagan was a detached, shallow politician and a collosal S.O.B..

Obama goes out of his way to embrace this clown.