Posted on 06/11/2004 9:11:45 PM PDT by BOBWADE
"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" - at the Berlin Wall, 1987
"The best view of government is seen on a rear view mirror as one is driving away from it."
"Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. Recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his." - in the 1980 campaign
"I love three things in life: drama, politics and sports and I'm not sure they always come in that order." - in 1964
"I remember some of my own views when I was quite young. For heaven's sake, I was even a Democrat!" - 1980
"Honey, I forgot to duck." - to his wife after the assassination attempt
"I hope all of you are Republicans." - to his doctors prior to going in the surgery room after being shot
"Does Nancy know about us?" - semi-consciously, to the nurse who hauled him on the gurney
"I know what it's like to pull the Republican lever for the first time, because I used to be a Democrat myself, and I can tell you it only hurts for a minute and then it feels just great." - 1980
"I've been criticized for going over the heads of the Congress. So, what's the fuss? A lot of things go over their heads." - 1985
"America is too great to dream small dreams."
"I now begin the journey that will lead me to the sunset of my life. I know that for America, there will always be a bright dawn ahead." -from the Alzheimer's letter.
"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book."
"You can tell a lot about a fellow's character by his way of eating jellybeans."
"Government is not the solution to our problems. Government IS the problem!"
"Now, I understand my opponent has been using age as an issue. However, I'll refrain from using his youth and inexperience against him." - said in a debate in 1984 in reference to Walter Mondale
"All the waste in a year from a nuclear power plant can be stored under a desk."
"Fascism was really the basis for the New Deal."
"I have a feeling that we are doing better in the war than the people have been told." - on Vietnam
"You may think this a little mystical, and I've said it many times before, but I believe there was a Divine Plan to place this great continent here between the two oceans to be found by peoples from every corner of the earth. I believe we were preordained to carry the torch of freedom for the world." [Carmel, CA, June 1990]
"I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency - even if I'm in a Cabinet meeting."
"My fellow Americans. I'm pleased to announce that I've signed legislation outlawing the Soviet Union. We begin bombing in five minutes." - opening an April Fool's Day press conference at the White House
"Trees cause more pollution than automobiles."
"They say hard work never hurt anybody, but I figure why take the chance."
"Well, I learned a lot....I went down to Latin America to find out from them and (learn) their views. You'd be surprised. They're all individual countries."
"We are trying to get unemployment to go up, and I think we're going to succeed."
"When I go in for a physical, they no longer ask how old I am. They just carbon-date me."
"Nobody ever 'went Hollywood.' They were already that way when they got here. Hollywood just brought it out in them." (From a 1950s interview)
Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let's not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emission standards.
Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born.
Tonight is a very special night, although at my age, every night is a special night.
Thanks for posting this.
"Well, there you go again!"..... debate with Mr. Peanut.
"My fellow Americans. I'm pleased to announce that I've signed legislation outlawing the Soviet Union. We begin bombing in five minutes."
Actually, this isn't quite correct. The quote was, "I will not make age an issue in this campaign. I will not exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience."
"Government is not the solution to our problems. Government IS the problem!"
This is one of my all time favorite RR quotes. However I fear that the current Republican party does not understand it.
"It isn't that Liberals are ignorant. It's just that they know so much that isn't so."
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem."
PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, 1985
Semper Fi,
Kelly
"Now, I understand my opponent has been using age as an issue. However, I'll refrain from using his youth and inexperience against him." - said in a debate in 1984 in reference to Walter Mondale
One of the official questioners at the debate brought up "The Age Issue". And it was a rather nasty question too. The guy went on and on, talking about how JFK had to go for days without sleep during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and would Reagan be able to hold up in a crisis? Reagan's reply was, "I will not make age an issue in this campaign. I'm not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience." You can hear the nasty question and Reagan's reply on this page - as well as a lot of other great soundbites from the great man himself.
The quote about bombing the USSR wasn't an April Fool's press conference. Rather, they were doing a sound check shortly before a press conference was to start, and asked him to say something into the mike. Everyone laughed at the time. But when it got reported, all of the Communists went ballistic - both those who ran the USSR at the time, and of course those who were in, and still are in, the American Left. They all screamed at him that he was insensitive to the horrors of nuclear war, that he was trying to provoke WWIII, yada yada yada. Lots of demands for apologies, etc. He ignored them all. Just one more thing I loved about the guy.
Also, this is a very early one of his - from when he was running for California governor - "Government is like a big baby - an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other."
"It's my job."
President Reagan's response to 12 year old Rostik Dennenburg, when Rostik and his grandfather congratulated him for destroying the Soviet Union, making it possible for Rostik's family to immigrate from behind the Iron Curtain.
Remember...today (June 12) is the 14th Anniversary of Reagan's "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" speech.
Actually, I think this is based on a quote from WIll Rogers...
It's possible President Reagan paraphrased this from another source. Wikiquote attributes it to Reagan although not sourced definitively.
ping
My favorite quote was when Reagan was running for governor of California and Pat Brown said to some black school children, "you know it was an actor that shot Lincoln" (yes on camera) When Reagan was asked about that quote he said, (with a twinkle in his eye) , "and he was a democrat". Because of Reagan I became a Conservative! God bless his legacy and the United States of America.
17 years actually
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