For a dead guy, Ronald Reagan sure gets around. The ghost of Reagan haunted the earliest Republican debates. Every plank of the GOP Presidential hopefuls’ stump speeches were “in the spirit of Ronald Reagan.” Or so they said. Our Reagan-loving electorate even coaxed a sad-eyed, bulldog-faced actor into the running because they were convinced this tough guy from Hollywood might be the heir apparent to the old twenty-mule-team Dutch. Now, even the Democrats are getting in on the act. For this last week, Barack Obama referenced Ronald Reagan with neither a sneer, snicker nor an eye roll. In fact, Obama’s remarks about the Gipper fell just short of full-blown praise. You see, Reagan was a change agent. Reagan was an optimist. Always electric, but never fiery. Always calm, but never weak. Reagan was not some cynical Karl Rove creation. He was the real deal. An icon of hope. A promoter of big dreams. And Obama thinks that America is once again ready for a new morning. We’ll see tonight if the folks in Nevada don’t agree.
One Comment
While I loved Reagan’s optimism, I voted for his policy. While his optimism allowed the easier parts of his policy (stronger defence and tax reduction) to be impelmented, optimism couldn’t change the harder issues, namely, the size and scope of government. Even the great communicator’s optimism did not produce real change. In his case partial change, can only be truthfully described as failure.
Obama might be an optimist. He might be electric. His policy is disastrous. Optimism is a moot point. The object of the optimism is the real point. Obama thinks that America is once again ready for a new morning. Unfortunetly, his new morning makes me ache with the heavy hand of government.