The Reagan Myth

Opinion Journal ^ | July 17, 2006 | Fred Barnes

[weegee]

Carter's ROTTEN political rhetoric in the past 10 years has wiped out all of the grace I afforded him for his charitable works (which I admit were notable).

The man is fiercely partisan and intellectually dishonest.

His meddling affects situations and that is not his place. He's out of power. If he chooses to set US foreign policy through a shadow government of liberal synchophants, then I consider him to be an enemy of the state.

Power is granted through ballots. If he is still "able" to intervene, perhaps he should have run again.

[RobbyS]

Good point: The split is a reflection of the end of the old television monopoly. Back before WWII, there was a split between the isolationists and the internationalists. You had papers on each side. Not until after Pearl Harbor was there unity of a sort. The rise of television new put great power in the hands of the broadcasters.

[gondramB]

>>Carter's ROTTEN political rhetoric in the past 10 years has wiped out all of the grace I afforded him for his charitable works (which I admit were notable).<<

I completely understand and wasn't trying to change your opinion - just adding my perspective.

When I was a young boy and Jimmy was running for governor his opponent (another democrat, the general election was meaningless - Georgia politics were decided in the Democratic primary...

Well, anyway Jimmy's opponent was famous for chasing black people who wanted to order food out of his restaurant with an axe handle he kept on the wall for that purpose. It seemed to me that Jimmy Carter stood for good and decency. He was cool too - The Allman Brothers would stop their shows to announce he was in the audience and invite him up on stage.

I remember asking my dad what he thought about some program for unwed mothers that Jimmy wanted. Dad said he supposed it was as useful as everything else Carter spent money on.
I thought my dad was incredibly narrow minded.
Now, I'm old and I've learned the painful lesson of how tax and spend doesn't fix the world no matter matter how much more you tax and how much more you spend. I saw President Carter walking down the street in Decatur - he nodded and smiled sadly. I think he knows he shouldn't have been elected and he did badly. I think he wants desperately to make up for it but he never can.

[weegee]

Seeing Carter on the world stage during the Clinton impeachment, 2000 election, 2004 election, meeting with Castro, etc. has undone a lot of changed opinion about the man.

Having heard what he said at different times on television, I take it as something more than a "different perspective" on an issue. He seemed vindictive towards conservatives.

[gondramB]

>>
Having heard what he said at different times on television, I take it as something more than a "different perspective" on an issue. He seemed vindictive towards conservatives.<<

I think he is. Its easy to look for someone external to blame rather look at ones failings that harmed the country. But Jimmy doesnt have a monopoly on that.

[Democratshavenobrains]

Its funny how the Bush haters venerate the few Reagan Republicans who have turned into lefties since then like Arianna Huffington and Jim Webb.

[gondramB]

Politics makes even stranger bedfellows than a week in San Francisco.

[Sam Cree]

Reagan's probably my favorite president since Coolidge. Maybe the only one who cared about our founding ideals this century.

[Dixie Yooper]

"3 days into Bush I's term (Jan 24, 1989), the DJIA hit 2,256."

It sure seemed like 10,000 at the time...............
Go ahead, call me biased and lazy. I deserve it!

[BufordP]

ping