March 14, 2007
Conservatives running for President have one thing in common: They all claim to be Reagan-style politicians.
The longing for a modern day Reagan is readily apparent throughout conservative circles. At CPAC, virtually every speaker referred to Reagan and his principles, hoping to convince attendees that he should be the chosen one. On news program after news program, conservative discuss Reagan principles.
Not surprisingly, each candidate has a flaw. To calm the fears of the voters, the candidates’ handlers have come up with a plan to assure us all will be fine: ____ is flawed, but so was Reagan. Several key examples:
Yes, ____ voted for liberal policies but Reagan was a former democrat who switched to the Republican Party.
Yes, ______ had extramarital affairs and/ or been divorced but Reagan was divorced.
Yes, _____ children have issues with him but Reagan had strained relationships with his children.
Yes, ____ is an actor and people may not take him seriously but Reagan was an actor. (Who could forget the Bedtime for Bonzo jokes?)
We need to be careful and ensure that these people not give mere lip-service to Reagan and all that he stood for in his efforts to protect and strengthen America.
Yes, Reagan was a registered democrat until the early 1960s. He was not a liberal like the democrats of the past several decades. Reagan was a man who always valued the working man and his contributions to building and maintaining a great society. His vision of a strong America required the empowerment of the individual. His common sense approach to getting government out of the way of We, the People reflected reason. As liberals and democrats either embraced or refused to denounce other forms of government like communism and socialism, his understanding of their threat to a free society led him to conservatism. His appreciation of common sense solutions to life’s problems led him to conservatism as the Democratic Party abandoned these principles. The Democratic Party left Ronald Reagan, and many others, behind as its leaders began to embrace big government solutions to all of life’s problems.
Yes, Reagan was divorced but his love of family was clear. It seems that he did not seek a divorce but agreed to it after his first wife, Jane Wyman, requested it. By the time he ran for President, he and Nancy Reagan had been married for a rock solid 27 years. This is not to say that a person must have been married for decades to be President, but is it is to note that Reagan was a loyal and loving husband who went out of his way to ensure his wife felt valued and loved. The book of compiled love letters written to Nancy over their 50 plus year relationship clearly demonstrates his appreciation of his wife.
Yes, at times, Reagan had strained relationships with his children. As most parents know, children have minds of their own. When children seek autonomy they often push their parents away, and disagree with and openly criticize their parents’ views. Parents can love their children unconditionally but parents can not choose the paths down which their children walk. Most children crave the approval of their parents. When children make decisions or live a lifestyle a parent does not condone, they may strike out in anger. A parent who loved unconditionally, Reagan appeared to understand the anger but remained resolute in his convictions. Also, when faced with divorcing parents, children often take sides. For many of these children, only time can heal the pain of those experiences. When Reagan died, the love his children felt for him was obvious to anyone who watched their emotional tributes to their fallen father.
Yes, Reagan was an actor. Reagan was a part of a Hollywood about which we can only wax nostalgic. He appeared in over fifty films but more importantly was the president of the Screen Actors’ Guild from 1947-1952 and in 1959. Reagan worked tirelessly against the growth of Communism in the industry. Sadly, today’s Hollywood A-Listers again embrace the politics of communists and socialists and routinely speak out against the United States in a way that undermines our country in the eyes of not just Americans but people around the world. These actors hide behind the walls of their mansions; adopt children like they are charms on a bracelet so as to show their empathy with the plight of the down-trodden or birth children they immediately pawn off on nannies so they don’t interfere with their careers; engage in classless behavior that demeans our entire society and the list goes on and on. Hollywood, more than any industry, needs another Reagan.
At the end of the day, Reagan was an everyman who acknowledged his mistakes and made course corrections as necessary. He wasn’t a blamer looking for excuses. He glowed with optimism and his excitement about what was to come was contagious. He LOVED America and believed in the promise only our country offers the world.
God blessed America and the world with his gift of Ronald Reagan. Generations will look back on his contributions to democracy as being among the greatest in the history of the United States. His embrace of the Constitution and his commitment to a clear set of first principles should be the model for all Republican candidates.
Ultimately, conservatives must look for and support the most Reagan-like candidate we have. Reagan was a phoenix in the 1980s, building a conservative movement the left could never have imagined. In spite of their apparent success, liberal leaders know that conservatism and conservatives are building and rebuilding using the strength of Reagan’s first principles.
It is only a matter of time before a new phoenix rises from the ashes of the nest Reagan so lovingly built for us.
Conservatives running for President have one thing in common: They all claim to be Reagan-style politicians.
The longing for a modern day Reagan is readily apparent throughout conservative circles. At CPAC, virtually every speaker referred to Reagan and his principles, hoping to convince attendees that he should be the chosen one. On news program after news program, conservative discuss Reagan principles.
Not surprisingly, each candidate has a flaw. To calm the fears of the voters, the candidates’ handlers have come up with a plan to assure us all will be fine: ____ is flawed, but so was Reagan. Several key examples:
Yes, ____ voted for liberal policies but Reagan was a former democrat who switched to the Republican Party.
Yes, ______ had extramarital affairs and/ or been divorced but Reagan was divorced.
Yes, _____ children have issues with him but Reagan had strained relationships with his children.
Yes, ____ is an actor and people may not take him seriously but Reagan was an actor. (Who could forget the Bedtime for Bonzo jokes?)
We need to be careful and ensure that these people not give mere lip-service to Reagan and all that he stood for in his efforts to protect and strengthen America.
Yes, Reagan was a registered democrat until the early 1960s. He was not a liberal like the democrats of the past several decades. Reagan was a man who always valued the working man and his contributions to building and maintaining a great society. His vision of a strong America required the empowerment of the individual. His common sense approach to getting government out of the way of We, the People reflected reason. As liberals and democrats either embraced or refused to denounce other forms of government like communism and socialism, his understanding of their threat to a free society led him to conservatism. His appreciation of common sense solutions to life’s problems led him to conservatism as the Democratic Party abandoned these principles. The Democratic Party left Ronald Reagan, and many others, behind as its leaders began to embrace big government solutions to all of life’s problems.
Yes, Reagan was divorced but his love of family was clear. It seems that he did not seek a divorce but agreed to it after his first wife, Jane Wyman, requested it. By the time he ran for President, he and Nancy Reagan had been married for a rock solid 27 years. This is not to say that a person must have been married for decades to be President, but is it is to note that Reagan was a loyal and loving husband who went out of his way to ensure his wife felt valued and loved. The book of compiled love letters written to Nancy over their 50 plus year relationship clearly demonstrates his appreciation of his wife.
Yes, at times, Reagan had strained relationships with his children. As most parents know, children have minds of their own. When children seek autonomy they often push their parents away, and disagree with and openly criticize their parents’ views. Parents can love their children unconditionally but parents can not choose the paths down which their children walk. Most children crave the approval of their parents. When children make decisions or live a lifestyle a parent does not condone, they may strike out in anger. A parent who loved unconditionally, Reagan appeared to understand the anger but remained resolute in his convictions. Also, when faced with divorcing parents, children often take sides. For many of these children, only time can heal the pain of those experiences. When Reagan died, the love his children felt for him was obvious to anyone who watched their emotional tributes to their fallen father.
Yes, Reagan was an actor. Reagan was a part of a Hollywood about which we can only wax nostalgic. He appeared in over fifty films but more importantly was the president of the Screen Actors’ Guild from 1947-1952 and in 1959. Reagan worked tirelessly against the growth of Communism in the industry. Sadly, today’s Hollywood A-Listers again embrace the politics of communists and socialists and routinely speak out against the United States in a way that undermines our country in the eyes of not just Americans but people around the world. These actors hide behind the walls of their mansions; adopt children like they are charms on a bracelet so as to show their empathy with the plight of the down-trodden or birth children they immediately pawn off on nannies so they don’t interfere with their careers; engage in classless behavior that demeans our entire society and the list goes on and on. Hollywood, more than any industry, needs another Reagan.
At the end of the day, Reagan was an everyman who acknowledged his mistakes and made course corrections as necessary. He wasn’t a blamer looking for excuses. He glowed with optimism and his excitement about what was to come was contagious. He LOVED America and believed in the promise only our country offers the world.
God blessed America and the world with his gift of Ronald Reagan. Generations will look back on his contributions to democracy as being among the greatest in the history of the United States. His embrace of the Constitution and his commitment to a clear set of first principles should be the model for all Republican candidates.
Ultimately, conservatives must look for and support the most Reagan-like candidate we have. Reagan was a phoenix in the 1980s, building a conservative movement the left could never have imagined. In spite of their apparent success, liberal leaders know that conservatism and conservatives are building and rebuilding using the strength of Reagan’s first principles.
It is only a matter of time before a new phoenix rises from the ashes of the nest Reagan so lovingly built for us.
posted by Susan Shogren Smith at
3/14/2007 04:37:00 PM
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