WILL TODAY’S REPUBLICANS EVER LOOK AT PRESIDENT REAGAN FOR WHAT HE REALLY WAS?

…The idol of the GOP was never as conservative as today’s Republicans

Ronald Reagan could never be a Republican President today.

It has become so evident that the Republicans are totally unable to offer any real new ideas. Yes, there was a serious Red “wave” at this year’s mid-terms, and every negative issue was continually blamed on the current president.  But now, what are the conservatives going to do with all their new power?

As an example, the GOP leadership just cannot stop being totally enthralled with a previous Republican US President that today, would not even be allowed to belong in his own Republican party.

Just listen to what some of those politicians that are working at trying to be the GOP’s 2016 presidential nominee are saying:

·       “It took Jimmy Carter to give us Ronald Reagan,” argues Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), who clearly imagines a personal resemblance to President Reagan when he looks in the mirror each morning.  (Personally, I see more of a resemblance of Cruz to the fanatic past Wisconsin Senator, Joseph McCarthy.  That was the crazy senator who saw a communist behind every door in Washington.)

·       “I’m a great believer in Ronald Reagan,” claimed Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)  But at the same time, Senator Paul is totally against Reagan’s past foreign policy programs.

·       Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) mentioned Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is another individual looking to possibly run in 2016.  Graham said Rubio was like, “the son of Ronald Reagan when it comes to national security”.  Now that’s an interesting reference as Senator Rubio is young enough to be Reagan’s great-grandson.

As was stated in an essay by Henry Olsen and Peter Wehner, that they titled, “If Ronald Reagan Were Alive Today, He Would Be 103 Years Old.”  The authors Olsen and Wehner describe Reagan as the greatest Republican since Lincoln. But they also warn that, “…the constant invocation of Reagan’s name to bolster arguments for present-day politicians actually hinders our understanding of the substance of Reagan’s legacy.  It undermines the Republican Party’s ability to make a case for itself in today’s here-and-now.”

As the conservative Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson recently wrote, “For decades, Democratic policies and politicians grew pale and scrawny in the shadow of Franklin Roosevelt. It took Bill Clinton to modernize their Democratic appeal — providing government, at least in theory, with a catalytic, rather than supervisory, role. It is Republicans who now struggle in the shade of presidential greatness, even when they win congressional elections.  Olsen and Wehner point to two serious risks in seeking “a posthumous seal of approval” from Reagan. First, there is the consistent temptation of all idolatry — to craft a figure in your own image. Those who claim Reagan as the first and purest Tea Party leader find support not in history but in [total] mythology. “

But it is obvious that with all the staunch conservatives and Tea Party members that don’t believe in any government, how could they believe in President Reagan who once said, “We accept without reservation, our obligation to help the aged, disabled and those unfortunates who, through no fault of their own, must depend on their fellow man.”

There is no way a current, serious, GOP presidential candidate could be nominated by making statements such as this one that came from their 103 year old idol.

David Stockman, President Reagan’s former Director of Office of Management and Budget (1981–1985), wrote that, “[today’s Tea Party conservatives] have found that Reagan [was] “too kind, gentle and sentimental” and lacking a “blueprint for radical governance”

Reagan was a believer in areas that today would drive Tea Party conservative right up the walls or at least, out of the room.

If the political conservatives had any ideas besides being against President Obama while being for lower taxes and less government, the American public should be hearing those ideas.  But so far, it’s just a bunch of Republican yahoo’s wanting to repeal Obamacare and to impeach the president.  Nothing beyond that is even being offered.  Months ago, the apparent next majority leader, Mitch McConnell (R-KY), made it clear that since he could not make Obama a one term president, at least the GOP could ruin the president’s legacy.  That’s the only thing they seem to have on the agenda today.

 

…The Interstate that collapsed in Minnesota.  Nothing is being offered by the GOP to prevent more of these on America’s Interstates.

That’s right.  Nothing is being offered by the Republicans for helping the American people.  Nothing about raising the federal minimum wage.  Nothing about jobs to fix the nation’s infrastructure.  But instead, there’s just more comments about going after the president’s achievements and the Democrats in general.

They have no ideas or agenda for the average American, except to still say no and certainly not for trying to work with the Democrats for the benefit of the American people.

Mr. Gerson also wrote, “This is a lesson that is particularly urgent for newly elected Republicans and prospective presidential candidates. A party truly animated by the spirit of Reagan will [have to] address the problems of our time, not of his.”

I agree that this is what the Republicans should be doing. 

But there is nothing going on within the GOP that would suggest that they are planning to address the real problems that the American public is have to deal with today.

It will be interesting to see what positive ideas (if any) the Republicans come up with, or will it just be the same old goals of tearing down whatever the Democrats have achieved.

I guess, some things never change.

Copyright G.Ater  2014