Comparing Obama With Reagan Has NOTHING To Do With Ideology

[THUNDER HANDS]

Really. I can't believe I have to explain this to people who don't get the comparison.

Reagan was a gifted speaker.

Obama is a gifted speaker.

Reagan signed a seismic shift in American politics.

Obama signals a seismic shift in American history.

Reagan changed the electoral map for a generation.

Obama *might* change the electoral map for a generation.

Reagan took over as president after a widely ineffective one.

Obama takes over as president after a widely ineffective one.

Reagan's base LOVED him. Not just liked, LOVED.

Obama's base LOVES him.



That's the comparison.

Personally, I think Obama is a little like Reagan (the great communicator), a little like Lincoln (the coalition seeker), a little like FDR (the great challenges), a little like JFK (the rock star president), a little like Clinton (the political genius) and GHWB (the cautious foreign policy).

If he can combine the best aspects of all those presidents, he'll be in a class by himself, which I think he will be.

[Richardo]

1. You have to remember that many people here are idiots.

:patriot:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

2. 100% Spot On.

[cali]

4. I just got reminded of that little factoid.

[1awake]

9. Seems to be the case at times... n/t

[DS1]

3. Nuance is frowned upon here

It's MAXIMUM OUTRAGE 100% OF THE TIME


You're either foaming at the mouth or you're a Freeper

[DavidDvorkin]

5. So they're both just like Hitler!

Since ideology is irrelevant.

[cali]

7. The point is that you can compare Obama's potential impact on

American culture and dominant political philosophy with Reagan's actual impact. Obama has a real chance to make as lasting an impact on America as Reagan did for some quite similar reasons.

[DavidDvorkin]

13. True. And that's why the Hitler comparison is just as valid.

[dems_rightnow]

11. They are indeed

Like each other in many ways, none of them related to ideology.

But thanks for hysterically invoking the Hitler name. You may not assume the I believe that Obama supports a Holocaust.

[DavidDvorkin]

12. I was invoking it sarcastically, not hysterically

You're reading carelessly and jumping to bizarre conclusions.

[AlCzervik]

6. yup, when he himself said Reagen was a transformational figure in politics he got

jumped on here, many people didn't even bother to actually listen to what he said, they heard Reagen and just went into vapor lock.

[DS1]

14. vapor lock

perfect!

[ogneopasno]

8. I think the comparison is valid, especially with the fact that Reagan and Obama both drew votes

strongly from unlikely voters. I think we'll be hearing about "Obama Republicans" for a generation the way we've been hearing about "Reagan Democrats" (tfu!) for a generation. (Maybe that's what you were alluding to with "changing the electoral map.")

[Merlot]

10. I agree in theory. Truth is, its hard to hear rayguns name without cringing

He did SO much damage to this country. And the way the right and the media blindly idolize him is just creepy.