Just take those Reagan children off the shelf . . .

[catscradle]

I'm not sure if it was the Tom Cruise Risky Business parody he did on Saturday Night Live in the early 80s, or the fact that he once came home drunk, was locked out of the White House and was forced to sleep on the front steps until someone finally let him in, but I've always liked Ron Reagan. He's considered quite the coup for the Democrats, the sure sign that not even the Ronald Reagan legacy can support the current Republican regime.

He wrote an article for Esquire that I found quite articulate and impressive. It's perhaps a little naive on the Reagan adminstration, but what can you expect? The man was his father and Ron isn't exactly Patty. I'm just glad to see he's using his name for the powers of good.

The Case Against George W. Bush

The far-right wing of the country—nearly one third of us by some estimates—continues to regard all who refuse to drink the Kool-Aid (liberals, rationalists, Europeans, et cetera) as agents of Satan. Bush could show up on video canoodling with Paris Hilton and still bank their vote. Right-wing talking heads continue painting anyone who fails to genuflect deeply enough as a "hater," and therefore a nut job, probably a crypto-Islamist car bomber. But these protestations have taken on a hysterical, almost comically desperate tone. It's one thing to get trashed by Michael Moore. But when Nobel laureates, a vast majority of the scientific community, and a host of current and former diplomats, intelligence operatives, and military officials line up against you, it becomes increasingly difficult to characterize the opposition as fringe wackos. Read more...

Comments

[wiebke.livejournal.com]

*nods*

Terry Gross interviewed him on Fresh Air a couple of weeks ago, prior to him speaking at the DNC, and I was quite impressed with him too, not only with his views on the changes in the GOP but his frank discussion of his father. For some reason the most surprising anecdote involved Dad Reagan taking Ron aside when he was like 11, taking him to their home theater, and showing him raw footage from films he shot for the military in WWII, showing the liberation of the camps in Europe. That is not quite the kind of thing I ever pictured Reagan doing, ya know?

[catscradle.livejournal.com]

I have the feeling that Reagan the President and Reagan the Father are two different people. I also think a big difference between Reagan and Bush is that Reagan actually believed in his ideals and his faith (whether rational, sane people can agree with them is an entire different matter). But to stand behind your convictions goes a LONG way towards garnering support. Bush seems to stand for nothing, despite his insistance to the contrary. His words and his actions run contrary to each other. I can't see Bush doing anything as profound with his daughters, but I can see it with Reagan.

[wiebke.livejournal.com]

I think you've put your finger right on it... The idea of there being "two Reagans" was exactly what stood out to me while listening to the interview. On the one hand, it seemed from what Ron Jr. was saying that his father did indeed have a strongly compassionate side to him, even a deep abiding non-hating faith, which he shared with his family... but on the other hand, his social & economic & whatever policies weren't exactly... nice.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_darlingnicky_/]

I've seen him speak before, but this... it's so polished I got the idea that once again I was listening to a speech at the DNC. Not that it doesn't, once again, say things that need to be said. The American public is a beast that must be turned slowly, like an overlarge boat at speed on the ocean. The message must be said again and again through various means, gentle and harsh. And as such I hope this breaks through to more who are undecided. Hopefully his name will buy votes.

[catscradle.livejournal.com]

And when you also consider the fact that the Bush administration sway opinion by merely repeating the same phrases over and over and over and over again, yeah, nothing wrong with more repetions in as many forums as possible. "Bush is a pathalogical wacko!" But the difference between Bush and the people exposing him is that they can back up those words and he can't.