Rachel on Reagan. Grand Slam. You know you're right. She tells you why.

[Triana]

[Jamaal510]

1. Despite all of this,

I still think he'd fit in with today's GOP. Here's why: he also raised taxes on the poor in addition to drastically lowering top taxes from how they were under Carter, he popularized the trickle-down scam that still plagues the country today, he spread the racist "Welfare Queen" myth, his administration went after the Black Panther Party, he escalated the Cold War, he appointed two of the justices responsible for CU, and unemployment rose under his watch. To me, all of that sounds like things that would go on under typical Republican administrations today. Plus, I'm sure they wouldn't mind how much he raised the deficit, anyway especially since he had an "R" besides his name; many so-called conservatives today are also big spenders. For example, they've wasted millions of taxpayer dollars trying to get rid of health care reform.
There is a reason why Reagan continues to be held in high regard in the GOP.

[mountain grammy]

2. The GOP is desperately seeking another Reagan

almost like Democrats seeking another Kennedy, only we're not as desperate.

Republicans would love to have another smiling actor good enough to convince Americans to vote for an economic plan that could be our downfall. As a bonus we got the war on drugs, the great minority incarceration program, and the AIDS epidemic, ignored as hundreds died because it was "just a gay disease." They pulled it off twice and turned around what was looking like a progressive century. All with that folksy humor and the smile and wave and the gift that keeps on giving: Justice Antonin Scalia.

Oh yes, don't think for a minute the Republican party wouldn't welcome another Reagan back with open arms. He was, and always will be, their kind of guy.

[dreamnightwind]

5. let's give them one!

Ron Reagan for the win.

I would LOVE to see him enter politics, it would drive the GOP crazy (a short drive for sure).

I've always thought a lot of him, a good Democrat and seemingly a very good human.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Reagan

[mountain grammy]

7. He's great and a thorn in every Reagan worshiper's side, especially his right wing brother.

[Triana]

4. He was also a union-buster. n/t

[jmowreader]

3. I will quibble about her "deficit and debt" comments

To your average Republican, the deficit and the debt only matter when there's a Democrat in the White House. When there's a Republican in there, high deficits are actually good because they indicate taxes on the rich are low.

Back to the fair: A couple years ago one of the local "Reagan Republicans" was pleased as punch to tell me the only thing that mattered in taxation was the tax rate. If that was low, then taxes were low. So I proceeded to explain that rates were only part of the picture; at least as important, and possibly MORE important, are deductions and credits. "Oh no. Those don't matter. Only rates matter." This is the lesson Reagan imparted.

[corkhead]

6. and 3rd way Democrats would welcome him back to our party with open arms