What Ted Cruz Doesn’t Know About Ronald Reagan

The Nation ^ | 1/24/2016 | John Nichols

[BlackFemaleArmyColonel]

"So Reagan did not spend "the first 60 years of his life" as a Democrat. But Reagan was 51 at the time of his party switch."

"During the first half-century of his life, Reagan did not just support Democrats. He gave donations, cut commercials, and argued passionately for the party of FDR and Harry Truman. He was a passionate New Dealer who described himself not as a bleeding-heart liberal but as "a near hopeless hemophilic liberal."

Interesting.

[BlackFemaleArmyColonel]

PING.

[2ndDivisionVet]

The Nation? What next? Socialist Worker? Anarchist Monthly? Pravda? TeleSUR?

[Reagan Disciple]

Interesting that in your undying support of Trump you would tear down Reagan, the greatest President of the modern era to make an invalid point.

I actually pity you.

[phothus]

the sourcing of the articles here has tilted a bit.. leftward it appears

[BlackFemaleArmyColonel]

LOL

[Dr. Sivana]

Reagan was a liberal Democrat

The Democrats of the 30s, 40s and 50s were different from the Democrats of today. As Reagan once said, . "I didn't leave the Democratic party, the Democratic Party left me." (http://topfamousquotes.com/quotes-about-democratic-party/)

[Night Hides Not]

No kidding! John Nichols is as far left as you can get!

Trump is still #2 on my list, but his supporters are making me rethink my position.

[vbmoneyspender]

The Nation? Wow.

[sauropod]

.

[nickcarraway]

Reagan had 25 years of experience becoming conservative when he ran for president. He had a track record by that time. He didn't just wake up one morning and change his views.

Trump is more like Hillary. He was a registered Republican earlier in life, then registered as a Democrat at 54.

[lonestar67]

This really is absurd.

We are posting The Nation as a litmus test on who Reagan was?

I honestly pray that God will open the eyes of trump supporters.

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

Good point. At one point, the democrat party was the party of lower taxes and smaller government. That slowly changed.

[MEG33]

Interesting to see you using The Nation as a source...LOL

[Marie]

This is the truth.

Reagan was always a moral man and a thinking man, but he was a left as one could go before bumping into communism.

As he aged, he mellowed and turned around on most issues. He was always a proponent of homosexuality.

[RightLady]

This is BS. First the NATION is a left wing rag. Reagan voted “grudgingly” for Truman, and soon thereafter became a Republican. He was not a dealer with Tipp but did convince some DEMs to vote for his tax cuts, etc. If Reagan had said so many outrageous statements or insults as Trump has, the media, as well as the GOP, would have never let him on the ticket. It is just amazing the number of former Reagan haters that now use Reagan as one to compare others with. Why is the left so supportive of Trump??

[vbmoneyspender]

If I recall correctly, what turned Reagan into a Republican was dealing with the Communists and their enablers in Hollywood in the 40s - particularly when he was President of SAG. It doesn’t appear that Trump underwent a similar metamorphosis when dealing with hardcore leftists in the 80s and 90s and 2000s in NYC.

[DB]

And became the Republican governor of California earning a track record before running for President.

Trump not so much. Believing Trump has really changed is all on faith. There is no actual evidence of doing any of it.

How many times did Reagan switch parties after his “enlightenment”?

[Duchess47]

Ouch. :)

[libbylu]

Cruz knows more about Reagan.