On Hannity & Colmes last night Oliver North sought to portray Barack Obama as an "empty suit," at which point Democratic political strategist Bob Beckel erupted, "That's what they said about Ronald Reagan." Beckel went on to make the case that Obama's candidacy resembles the Reagan candidacy of 1980.
Is it possible that Barack Hussein Obama is the next Ronald Wilson Reagan? Well, Reagan too was a strong advocate for "change." When Reagan ran for office the economy was in a shambles. Inflation was in double digits, growth was stagnant, interest rates were high, and the stock market was barely higher than it was a decade earlier. Abroad, the Soviet bear had gobbled up 10 countries between 1974 and 1980. There were 100,000 Soviet troops in Afghanistan. In Iran, U.S. policy had helped topple the Shah and usher in the Ayatollah Khomeini. Hostages were being held by Islamic radicals. President Carter diagnosed Americans as suffering from a kind of national depression which he called "malaise." Clearly change was in order.
But Reagan was a man of large ideas. He positioned his career against the big idea of the twentieth century, namely collectivism. Reagan saw collectivism in a menacing Soviet empire abroad, and an expanding welfare state at home. When I first came to America the national ethos had been set by John F. Kennedy who told young people that if they were idealistic and caring, they should join the Peace Corps. To Kennedy it was the government servant who was the true noble American. Reagan disputed this. To him it was not the bureaucrat but the entrepreneur who was the embodiment of American idealism and greatness. Reagan sought to bring about a cultural shift in America in which parents would rather see their children become inventors and business owners rather than paper-pushers in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Reagan also had concrete ideas about how to bring about his grand aspirations. He sought to roll back the Soviet empire by deploying Pershing and Cruise missiles in Europe. He sought to deploy missile defenses to shoot down Soviet missiles and also to invite the Russians into a defensive arms race that he knew they couldn't win. He proposed bringing the top marginal tax rate down from 70 percent to 28 percent. He proposed a 30 percent across-the-board tax cut. He sought a restrictive monetary policy to wring inflation out of the economy, combined with tax cuts to unleash entrepreneurial initiative. He backed privatization of government activities that could be better performed by the private sector.
Let's leave aside Reagan's astounding accomplishments in actually getting his ideas implemented, and the great political and cultural revolution they produced. Let's just focus on the fact that Reagan had the vision and he had the specific policies to produce it. Where is Obama's vision for America that goes beyond "bringing us together"? How exactly does Obama propose to do this? What are his imaginative fiscal and monetary proposals? If Obama wants to get troops out of Iraq, what is his alternative strategy for winning the war against radical Islam? Does he have anything more to offer other than the vacuous "really going after Bin Laden"? To ask these questions is to answer them.
The conventional wisdom is that it would be harder for John McCain to beat Hillary Clinton than it would be for him to beat Barack Obama. From what we've seen of Obama so far, this is not so. But it may be useful for let Democrats think this. The party that by all reckoning should win the White House in November may yet snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 24)
31. brian says he wants to, "bring decency back to the streets of america."
So, it is decency versus tolerance then is it brian?
What's the decent thing to do with gays, brian?
What's the decent thing to do with illegals, brian?
What's the decent thing to do with the abortion issue, brian?
What's the decent thing to do with atheists, brian?
not-pboyfloyd at 3:31PM on Mar 7th 2008
32. Thanks former atheist and your post to another crap site. Pretty soon you'll be selling pieces of 'the cross'.
JefFlyingV at 3:34PM on Mar 7th 2008
33. Dinesh...
You must really regard your readers with little respect. I mean, you must really think of them as complete dullards incapable recognizing the nuanced differences between Kennedy's idea of a noble civil servant and Reagan's unflattering regard for federal employees.
See, Dinesh, once again you've trapped yourself within your own twisted logic. You've suggested that we should apply that low regard Reagan held for bureaucrats to the men and women currently fighting in Iraq; or the men and women who occupy the shadowy cubicles of the NSA right now, just to keep you safe.
Remember, Dinesh, without those noble "bureaucratic" civil servants, there wouldn't even be an America for you to enjoy.
NOBODY respects duplicated government layers and the bureaucrats such redundancy creates. However, for you to esteem any point of view that somehow diminishes the importance of so many anonymous people who work just to keep you and your family safe, Dinesh, is stupid. Plain stupid!
Maybe all of those federal employees should just walk off the job? After all, Reagan (and you too, apparently) thought they are far less critical than the entrepreneurs of the world.
Geez, Dinesh. Do you actually think about the nonsense you publish, or do you just ejaculate whatever silly thoughts spark inside that pointed head of yours? Here's the bottom line: without those civil servants--y'know, the ones that Ronald Reagan dismissed out of hand--entrepreneurs cannot conduct business.
Paul at 3:37PM on Mar 7th 2008
34. Little Rock,
Get your facts straight it was the national anthem not the pledge. Many people, perhaps most do not put their hand over their heart on the national anthem. You must be spending your time listening to Rush or some hate monger like that. Obama has lead in the pledge in the senate as well as being sworn in on the BIBLE.
Jerry Brown at 3:39PM on Mar 7th 2008
35. I am not a racist, w/ some black heritage and I agreed w/ D'Souza comments. Obama is just not ready. He is too raw for the job he needs to ripe first and this may happen if he accepts the VP job. I think that's the best job he can get right now. The press and the GOP want us to think that it's easier to beat Hillary than Obama. But everyone in the GOP, including McCain are hoping Obama gets the nomination.
San at 6:11PM on Mar 7th 2008
36. Snopes.com has the video clip. I am dem. Not wanting someone with close family ties to the muslim community abroad to be our president. So what if it was the pledge of all. or nat. anthem, he showed no respect. I have read his book. He applauds bloodshed for absolute truth. Which of course as far as I have read, the civil war. But to those in Iraq. I will support you till you come home. You are not fighting for wrong. But hopefully not for very long! He is a great writer but too much Hollywood about him, eh.
Little Rock 2008 at 3:52PM on Mar 7th 2008
37. Little Rock,
Obama has stated over,and over that he wants the soldiers taken care of when they come home. He has been very instrumental in the Walter Reed debacle, and the mistreatment of the wounded. The difference between the pledge, and the national anthem is you are spreading lies when you say it was one when it was the other.
Jerry Brown at 4:01PM on Mar 7th 2008
38. Reagan used his Hollywood training to find the words to make the people feel good and go shopping. He used the chaos associated with war to motivate Iran into doing the right thing at the expense of Jimmy Carter. In this light, Obama could be a Reagan. President Bush is being held hostage by Iraq. Our troops have no way out. The uncertainty of war has pushed us into a position that makes the people feel bad. Bush is showing weakness and ineptitude. Doing nothing is like watching our helicopters fail in the sandstorms. Not finding Osama is holding America hostage. Spying on America destroys the Constitution. We need someone to restore the trust in our government and end the endless war cycle. Clinton can't restore the trust because we know how corrupt they are. Obama has mastered the power of words, but can he deliver? Any Democrat could win this election. A good team could win this in a landslide. Obama has the heart of the party and it's future in his hands. Al Gore is ready now! Clinton could go to the Supreme Court. It's not that hard to figure out. Reagan failed in his first attempt, but VP is the only true preparation necessary to be President.
Cecil Jones at 4:03PM on Mar 7th 2008
39. ... When it comes to public health and safety issues there should be no tolerance for irresponsibility. Everyone is only as tolerant as they want to be, even liberals, if someone set up a band in their garage and played loud music right next to your bedroom window all night, how tolerant would you be? They are expressing their freedom and aren't hurting anyone.
STaylor at 3:03PM on Mar 7th 2008
___________________________________
STaylor,
I agree with you on your first statement. However, I have to wonder what you are implying here. Are you referencing gays and the AIDS issue? Because it is certainly possible to be gay and be resposible. It is certainly possible to be having gay sex and be responsible. By the own admition of the conservatives on this board, the 1980's were murky concerning this issue - not much was known about AIDS. If conservatives can defend being ignorant, intolerant of gays, making light-hearted jokes about tatooing AIDS patients bottoms with a warning, etc, by saying they didn't know a lot about the disease, then why can gays not defend themselves by saying THEY didn't know all the details about the disease either? As far as sexual diseases are concerned, knowledge about the diseases themselves, their symptoms, and proper safe sex education are key.
As for a garage band analogy... it seems kind of 'apples and oranges.' Asking people to turn their music down and telling people who they can and can't have sex with/marry are two very different things.
K at 4:03PM on Mar 7th 2008
40. ATHEIST
Just found this in my email box:
GOD: YES OR NO?
THE DEBATE
Dinesh D’Souza vs. Peter Singer
Dinesh D’Souza recently burst on the scene as one of the most formidable debaters defending the historic Christian faith. This free-wheeling debate between D’Souza and Singer, one of the most controversial figures in radical secular thinking, will address the topic of God’s existence and its meaning for human flourishing.
________
Formidable debater? HAHAHAHA don't believe everything you read.
This is a Sales Pitch for Dinesh, just like the New Testament is a Sales Pitch for a Resurrection Cult.
_________________________
Friday, April 25
7:30 – 9:30 pm
Biola University
Chase Gymnasium
Cost: only $10
William Hays at 4:05PM on Mar 7th 2008
41. It is customary to put a hand on your heart when making a pledge. No pledge is made during an anthem, you just stand or sing.
Mokele-Mobembe at 4:09PM on Mar 7th 2008
42. Also, Mr. Brown, he writes in his book his love for the constitution and the root of democracy. Placing ones hand over their heart has always been a tradition from my part of the country. Me thinks he speaks from both sides of his mouth.
Little Rock 2008 at 4:13PM on Mar 7th 2008
43. And, Mr. Brown, thats only one of many questionable statements made by Mr. B.H. Obama and inconsistencies. Read some of his books.
Little Rock 2008 at 4:13PM on Mar 7th 2008
44. K - STaylor is spreading his homophobe all over the blogs. His comment on the "Why My Critics . . ." DD blog are ignorant at best.
Gwen at 4:24PM on Mar 7th 2008
45. "Is it possible that Barack Hussein Obama is the next Ronald Wilson Reagan?"
This is the second time I've seen you use Obama's middle name in a derogatory way to help prove a weak point.
I mean... who refers to Ronald Reagan as Ronald Wilson Reagan??? Answer: Just conservative hypocrites like you and Bill Cunningham who try to invoke an Islamic fear tactic when saying "Barack Hussein Obama".
And since I don't live in South Pasadena... I'd like to take this opportunity to say:
FUCK YOU DINESH... you're a racist and a religious hypocrite!
FINN at 4:22PM on Mar 7th 2008