Posted on 06/09/2004 3:51:36 PM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
Ronald ReaganThe U.S. presidential election campaign has effectively ground to a halt as Americans bid farewell to former President Ronald Reagan.
With the Bush and Kerry campaigns on hold this week out of respect for Ronald Reagan, both candidates have had time to reflect on the legacy of the 40th U.S. president.
President Bush spoke about it to reporters covering the G-8 Summit in Georgia. "Ronald Reagan will go down in history as a great American president because he had a core set of principles from which he would not deviate. He understood that a leader is a person who sets clear goals and makes decisions based upon principles that are etched in his soul," he said.
Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry paid his respects in person at the Reagan Library in California. In an earlier statement, Senator Kerry said that even when Mr. Reagan was breaking Democratic hearts in the 1980s, he did so in the spirit of honest and open debate.
"President Reagan's belief in America was infectious. And because of the way he led, he taught us there was a difference between strong beliefs and bitter partisanship," he said.
Some political analysts are wondering what impact, if any, Mr. Reagan's passing and the reflections on his legacy might have on this year's presidential contest.
"Never before has a great president died in the midst of a tightly contested campaign," said American University presidential historian Allan Lichtman. "Presidents have died previously during election years, but not tightly contested ones like this one," he said.
Professor Lichtman says the generally positive media coverage of Ronald Reagan's presidency this week could give President Bush a political boost at a time when the president's public approval ratings have been sinking.
"I think it benefits George Bush in two ways. Number one, he is the sitting president and as the sitting president, he will be front and center in the funeral ceremony," he said. "John Kerry will be spectator. Secondly, to the extent that the celebration of Ronald Reagan is a celebration of America's conservative heritage, the natural legatee (heir) of that is not John Kerry, but is George Bush.
But other experts are not so sure. "George W. Bush has made no secret that he wished to the be the heir of Ronald Reagan," said David Gergen, a White House aide for four presidents including Ronald Reagan. "And so I think inevitably, in that sense, he benefits from it. But, the issue becomes as well, does Reagan suddenly seem larger than life and diminish both Kerry and Bush in some way? And I do not know the answer to that question."
Some Democrats worry that the unexpected break in campaigning could slow Senator Kerry's momentum in the polls. But most experts predict that all the attention being paid to the Reagan legacy now will eventually recede into the background as voters resume their focus on Iraq and the domestic economy.
Reagan's death really drove home how small John Kerry is. In all the great things Reagan did as President, Kerry was there - fighting him tooth and nail every step of the way.
You're right.
Damn skippy it will.
Yeearrgh. Momentum? Sitting statically between 42 and 46 percent is momentum?
GWB is no Reagan yet, but he is as endearing, at least to me.
I look forward to an unencumbered President Bush in his second term.
The kid gloves will come off with regards to the War on Terrorism.
The election will be determined on how the US feels about Kerry and Bush. When they see them side by side. In the short term this will help Bush but, in the long run, it will be about ideas and personalities. So far, this is George Bushe's election to lose. He has all the cards now.
Kerry seems to be losing on ideas. Even (hard as it is to type it) Hilery would have come up with some better ideas to present to the American People. The Thing will be a toss up til October, then a landslide for Bush, that is al long as something bizarre doesn't happen.
Kerry's already trying to hide how much he opposed The Gipper during the 80s. How do you define "chutzpah"? By opposing someone's policies, by knocking that person every chance you get and then by saying how much you "respected and admired him," after the person you opposed died (especially when that person was a million times greater than you ever could dream of being).
Chutzpah, thy name is Kerry.
Definition of "chutzpah" 2: Being the polar opposite of a great man, and not knowing him personally, then being miffed and throwing a tantrum because you can't stink up his funeral by delivering the eulogy.
Chutzpah, thy middle name is Clintoon (yes, I meant to spell it like that).
The Demoncats make me want to vomit this week more than they have for a looooooooooong time!
"President Reagan's belief in America was infectious".
amen.
so sorry, kerry!
"President Reagan's belief in America was infectious".
Obviously, Sen. Kerry covered his mouth and nose, to avoid such infections.
Gergen, the Quisling, pokes his head of it's hole one more time.
John Kerry --- The Where's Waldo of 2004.
the democrats have been in a frenzy since last saturday over this.
I say "one of" because the man was so awesome there may well be more, even in death.
This is one of the reasons why I believe most Democrats and some in the media are being deceptively gracious to Reagan. They are trying to compare and contrast this image of him with that of GW Bush. They think they can make Bush look small in comparison.
In this way, they are also creating a false impression that the Reagan years were so much more civilized, giving the impression that Democrats and Republicans weren't always divided...and that it is only since Bush that we have this divisiveness. On the contrary...Reagan was also torn apart by these people.
Which is EXACTLY what President Bush has been doing all of this time! Your team is the bitter one ole effing one.
The Democrats learned NOTHING.
Good Grief! It's only June! The election is still 5 months away! And the campaign has "ground to a halt"?!! There's plenty of time for the campaigns to gear up again. Sheesh. What's the deal here? Did someone have a column to write and a deadline to meet?
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