Posted on 06/13/2004 9:04:38 PM PDT by Pokey78
What was the meaning of the past remarkable nine days? You cannot stop the American people from feeling what they feel and showing it. From the crowds at Simi Valley to the hordes at the Capitol to the men and women who stopped and got out of their cars on Highway 101 to salute as Reagan came home--that was America talking to America about who America is.
It was a magnificent teaching moment for the whole country but most of all for the young, who barely remembered Ronald Reagan or didn't remember him at all. This week they heard who he was. The old ones spoke, on all the networks and in all the newspapers, and by the end of the week it was clear that Ronald Reagan had suddenly entered the Lincoln pantheon. By Friday it was no longer a question, as it had been for years, whether he was one of our top 10 presidents. It was a question only whether he was in the very top five or six--up there with Lincoln and Washington. An agreement had been reached: the 20th century came down to FDR and RWR.
What is important now is that we continue to speak of the meaning of his leadership. Not bang away about what a great guy he was--there are a lot of great guys--but what huge things he did, not because he had an "ideology" but because he had a philosophy, a specific one that had specific meaning. He was the great 20th-century conservative of America. He applied his philosophy to the realities of the world he lived in. In doing so he changed those realities, and for the better. This is what we must pass on.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
Not really. Pat was never a major player in the conservative movement. His only real public exposure was on the PBS McLaughlin group and his newspaper column. Pat had a niche following but even that disappeared after he self-destructed during the 92 convention. I was an adult during the Nixon administration and I can’t even remember him as any kind of player. I sure as heck don’t remember him as anything in Reagan’s administrations.
For further reading:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1152670/posts
TributeToRonaldReagan.com
TributeToRonaldReagan.com ^ | June 11, 2004 | Jeff Head
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1148235/posts
Ronald Reagan Passes- some links...
various FR links | 06-05-04 | The Heavy Equipment Guy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1152844/posts
Reagan Revolution Comes to Campuses
Young America’s Foundation ^ | 6/9/04 | Young America’s Foundation
Mt guess is Dana Rohrbacher...a political hack if there ever was one....and yes he was a speech writer for Reagan ( or so he claims)
bttt
FDR came upon a fork in the Road.
Reagan faced an endless road and said we need to build an off ramp.
In my book that is more significant.
On that we agree.
A person can read all the books on US President's ever written and still not make the connection with each man and fully understand their Presidency. As for what I've read and experienced --- TOP 5 --- it's Washington and Lincoln, Jefferson and Reagan, followed by Eisenhower.
In my lifetime, I'll take Reagan and Eisenhower. Since Ike in 1953 and in my opinion, none of the others measure up. Bush43 is a work in progress.
We both agree. Reagan over FDR. That was easy. ;^)
Great point. Kennedy loses more stature as time goes by. I was 1 when he died, but my Mom says he was not very well liked at the time. She still cried. Nixon's landslide will always be overshadowed by Watergate, but many years from now, his stature will rise. If FDR was so great(he was despised by many)he would be on Rushmore. His supporters don't really want to go down that anal exam it takes to get there; for good reason. They gratefully accept the presumed greatness bestowed upon him. Reagan will only rise in stature. Rushmore is a lock. This current semi-favorable, media-driven rating is as good as it will ever get for Clinton. It's all downhill from here, and he knows it. He's a scumbag, but he ain't stupid. He must be suicidal after this week. An inherited favorable economy, Monica, impeachment, Monica, polarized electorate, Monica, Al Gore, Monica, numerous scandals and yet to be revealed scandals will put Clinton at the back of the pack.
Looks like I am probably wrong about the 'malignant leprechaun', the person I was thinking of is a 'purist' 'conservative' trying to destroy the GOP to 'save it'. As someone else pointed out, he doesn't really fit, as he wasn't under Elliot during his Reagan tenure. The 'Hack' was the one I thought that I was guessing at, and that guess doesn't really fit either. So my interpretation of her having an ulterior motive and 'message' is probably wrong, too.
But it does appear that the 'Hack' has already been named. You should be able to figure out 'Haircut Boy' pretty easily, just narrow down which speechwriters have written books, and of those which worked as a speechwriter for Reagan during the time that Elliot was there.
Pat Buchanan.
It's her column/article, she can write whatever she wants to, she's earned that freedom.
I thought so too. Besides, if the guest list for the 41@80 party is any judge, it looks like Bush the Elder knows, and is loved by, a wide variety of people. He had Mikhail Gorbachev in a polo shirt and baseball cap presenting him flowers after his parachute jump, for goodness sakes! Not to mention Larry King as his party's emcee. And it sure looks to me like Hollywood loves the Clintons.
No, the Hack refers to someone
who is a politician. However,
Robinson could be the Haircut.
Actually, it is paraphrased from President Reagan. Steyn even attributed it.
If you don't think Peggy has the steel in the backbone to do it, then you better read this again:
The Hack was in the audience. He approached me in his greasy political style and said, "I'm so glad you honored Ben." He put his hand on my waist. This was a mistake.
"It's more than you ever did," I pointed out. Hack had been on TV with pictures of him and Reagan, recalling with modesty his small contribution to the president. He was right. It was small.
He said that he'd always tried to honor Ben. I pointed out that this was a lie. Nor had haircut boy in his book. Didn't they know Ben had saved their jobs? They were only there because of him.
At this Hack smiled slyly. "Well, I never wrote a book," he said.
"No, you'd have to be literate to do that," I pointed out.
Afterward I told old Reagan hands about our exchange. They would laugh and say, "Yes!" Because, as I say, they knew the Ben Elliott story. And now someone has put it in print.
I suspect if the Hack ever flip-flops, Peggy will call him on that, too. She has served notice that he should just stay quiet.
Peggy was disgusted, too. It was an inappropriate action on a few levels. It is not about whether or not she is attractive, it is detail that shows how this guy operates.
And thought (rightly) to be fool by the rest of hummanity.
Interesting to visit that PB thread...before I joined. I missed the pre election 2000 fights!...
I loved Peggy's column...some of her observations jarred a bit but she was giving her story and her impressions. It was an historic week of remembrances for us all.
later
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