The Reagan Evolution?

Human Events ^ | 2/3/08 | D. R. Tucker

[MartinaMisc]

Is Reagan conservatism dead?

Nearly two decades after Reagan left office, there’s an apparent consensus that Reagan’s political vision is somehow no longer suitable for today’s world. The Republican Party has not nominated a true, foursquare Reagan conservative in any post-1984 election; candidates whose views are consistent with the central tenets of Reagan conservatism (Alan Keyes in 1996, Gary Bauer in 2000, Duncan Hunter in 2008)—are often forced out of contention long before they get a chance to have their voices heard.

Reagan conservatism is not dead philosophically, but it seems as though it has been retired politically. George H. W. Bush distanced himself from the Reagan vision with his “kinder, gentler nation” speech (and his 1990 tax hikes). Bob Dole had no real claim to Reaganism. George W. Bush declared himself a “compassionate conservative” in an attempt to set himself apart from media-demonized Reagan conservatives such as Newt Gingrich.

Why has Reagan conservatism fallen out of political favor? The answer lies in the left’s successful effort to rewrite history concerning the Reagan vision.

[ari-freedom]

Why has Reagan conservatism fallen out of political favor?

2 things:
1) it’s the spending stupid. Get that in control already. Supply side works but it continues to be a joke as long as it is paired with bloated budgets and debt.

2) a lack of a sense that conservatives care about ordinary people and their hard times. Reagan understood this and that is why he was loved by most Americans.

[ought-six]

Which is why I am leaving the Republican Party to become an indepednent. The GOP will never get another penny from me.

[samtheman]

the sad reality is that the GOP has decided to back away from his vision, in the apparent belief that doing so is the only way to keep the party from sinking

It's also due to a lack of leadership. And leadership means more than being right on all the issues as Hunter was and as Thompson mostly was. It means having the ability to lead, which Hunter and Thompson both lacked.

Right now we have no leader. That's our biggest problem.

The one reason I can see for voting for McCain in the general election (assuming, alas, that he gets the nomination [I'd rather have Mitt]) is that he might act as a kind of place-holder (not as good as a real Republican but not as bad as a real Democrat) and give us four more years to find our leader.

By the way, if McCain is president, how difficult would it be for someone to challenge him for the nomination in 2012? Impossible? Possible? After all, in 2012, McCain will be 75 and probably have ten times the enemies he has right now. But he will be a sitting president running for his party's nomination.

Assuming a real leader emerged, would the obstacles to running for the R nomination against a sitting president be insurmountable?

[dokmad]

The core republican party is alive and well. But it has it's problems, as does the Democratic party. The real problem is when the direction or Ideals of a party waiver, the message starts to get mixed, different ideals emerge,etc, people abandon the party. I would no more abandon the political party that I love (GOP) than I would my own family.

Thats not when it's time to leave, that's when it's time to get involved Go to local GOP meetings, rallies and fundraisers. Speak up about how YOU see the leadership in the party. Speak up about spending and deficits, and hold your representatives ACCOUNTABLE. Involve others. If you are NOT happy with your GOP elected official, help THrow them out of office and elect someone else.

If it were your vamily values, you would no doubt step up to the plate to save the family. And that's what you need to do with your political party!

God Bless America. Vote OUT the weak republicans and vote in the Strong ones.

[ought-six]

I live in Illinois. The GOP in Illinois is in the trash dumpster. RINO and ex-governor and current prison inmate George Ryan saw to that. So, you see, there’s really nothing left of the Illinois GOP to “save”. Sadly, the national GOP is headed in much the same direction. The so-called GOP stalwarts and movers-and-shakers are all coming out in support of McCain, which tells me the GOP has abandoned conservatism. By abandoning conservatism, the GOP abandoned me.

[dokmad]

I live in Maine, a Pathetic left wing state with Two RINO Senators (Snowe and Collns). I understand what you are saying. I hear your message, and I’m not disrespecting your opinion. I just believe it is up to us to change what we don’t like. We ARE the GOP. P.S. I enjoy the dialog.

[Dutch Boy]

As a friend at work put it, “You need a Carter to get a Reagan.”

[knarf]

I don't think anything is 'dead' ...

It seems to me that, throughout human history there has been one key ingredient, factor, person (depending on your mind-set, education and what you think you think ... insert your favorite noun or verb ... )

A leader.

People seem to be, by and large , very selfish. We all love and want what WE (I) love and want. (My job, my car, my wife, my house ... whatever). And it seems the only time people (as a populace) move in any way is when another force acts upon them (Newton's Law?)

Anyway ... I believe we are not complacent about our situation ... we just have no leader, ... someone that moves us to action.

This may probably come down to our radio's and TV's doing all the thinking for us, we've lost the ability to Imagine (no reference to John Lenon, but I think he was on to something .. unfortunately his direction was socialist ... ).

The magic of Reagan was idealism ... he painted the word picture for .. Imagine America as she could be, once was and will we be part of it?

What we need is a leader.

Because in my heart, and in many here in FreeRepublic .. the dream is not dead ... the memory is not dead ... only a leader we loved and followed.

And that's what's wrong with this slate of runners ... there are no leaders.

And too many people will not consider Newt for his leadership ability because of other problems within the man ... too bad ... he alone (IMO) is the only one with the ideas and ability to move us in the direction we'd like.

Everyone get to church today, and pray for America ... because she (we) desperately need a leader .... yesterday.

[libertylover]

not as good as a real Republican but not as bad as a real Democrat

Hey, hey, I like that line.

[Wilhelm Tell]

There is no conservative who inspires people by being optimistic about America, that I understand. Meanwhile, on the left, everyone has a pessimistic view of the future. They say, we are destroying the planet, we have to get by with less and less and be regulated more and more, America is racistsexisthompohobicoppressiveimperialistic. Both Obama and Clinton sound like Jummy Carter on steroids (especially Clinton) and yet people seem to be inspired when they are told that they will be given welfare trinkets in exchange for allowing the government to limit their choices and opportunities. And now “conservatives” are saying most of what the left is saying!

[Wilhelm Tell]

As a friend at work put it, You need a Carter to get a Reagan.

We need a Thomas Jefferson but instead we will get a Lenin.

[reasonisfaith]

The conservative values of the American people have neither changed nor declined. A Reagan-style landslide victory could be accomplished, if the truth were more accessible.
In my opinion there is only one thing that has caused this situation—the widespread use of deception in the news media.

Yes it’s possible to blame voters for not going the extra mile to learn about Fred Thompson. But I believe that if the single factor of media manipulation had been removed, Thompson’s vote percentages would have been doubled.

[upsdriver]

The Republicans want the votes of those who don’t have warm memories of the Reagan years; thus, the party has decided to split the difference, praising Reagan’s name but refusing to get behind candidates who truly reflect Reagan’s vision.

Which puts us right where we are at today. It's a losing strategy.

[samtheman]

Thanks. I just made it my tagline.

[reasonisfaith]

The way I see it, there is really only one way to define Reaganism. Reaganism is Americanism—the principles and values of our country from the beginning. That’s why I say it has not changed (and it’s really not about the man Ronald Reagan). The problem is that Americans like all people are susceptible to consuming falsehoods, and there are many in the media more than willing to serve us those falsehoods.

Choosing right over wrong, trusting in God, working hard and keeping your earnings, protecting life, private property, standing for principle, defending our soil, our free market and our Constitution are ideas that can only be defeated, incrementally, when large numbers of people believe the lies of small numbers of people. To my great sorrow, this process continues with the presidential race. (John McCain!)

Just remember, the greatest power is gained in truth.