Why do conservatives think Raygun was so wonderful?

[raccoon]

:shrug:

Other than they think he "brought down" the USSR, I can't think of anything.

[WCGreen]

1. I firmly believe that it's because he cut and ran after the Beruit Bombings...

[el_bryanto]

2. The Great Communicator

He articulated what they believe in a way that nobody had before or has since; he was very convincing to the American people. I honestly think that's most of it.

Bryant

[Winterblues]

22. I agree

I don't think they have ever had a candidate that literally swept the nation...twice... Most Americans liked him and liked what he had to say...IMO it will be a very cold day in Hell when Republicans find another like him..

[gatorboy]

33. Because he was an actor.

That's what they do.

[The_Commonist]

3. It's because they are the Upside-Down People...

Everything they think, do, and believe is upside-down to reality.

[RoccoR5955]

4. Reagan was a good 'B' actor.

We only got him because John Wayne was dead.

[FSogol]

5. Cause he told them to eat candy all day long and that because they were

Americans, they were always right, and that they could have more government services while paying less taxes, and dozens of other crappy ideas that people lapped up. All of our problems today, the collapse of the economy due to deregulation, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc are due to Ronnie's misguided policies.

[peekaloo]

6. His god like ability to turn back time.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

7. He made stupid the 'new smart.'

[seabeyond]

8. because he felt like a father. they need that patriarchal feel. they need a father to tell

them what to do, how to behave, what rules to follow. they need the steady guiding hand on the right course

they flock to old testament bible that lays out rules how to live

they need the police to keep them in line

[Echo In Light]

9. As a product, he was packaged in a way that resonated w/the pro-Profits Over People demographic

[vanlassie]

10. Because he was their Father Figure.

Strong, handsome, rode horses. "Knew everything." Always sounded like he was in charge and taking good care of them. The white ones, anyway.

[RoccoR5955]

24. Were they all Bonzos on this bus?

[ThatsMyBarack]

11. Seriously, he wasn't....

I swear he had his finger on "The Button" his whole 8-year run! :hide:

[Stevenmarc]

12. Because perception is their reality

[hadrons]

19. BINGO!!! Image is everything to them

[OwnedByFerrets]

13. Because he reminds them of their grandfather....the one

without the Rebel flag on the back of their pick-up.

[Kalyke]

14. Propaganda. n/t

[YOY]

15. He rode a financial upswing. And had the luck to be president during the collapse of the USSR.

Of course he was the reason the USSR fell...not say...a single party system that relished in corruption and failed to correct itself and progress. :sarcasm:

Ask a Russian why the USSR fell. Raygun ain't got shit to do with it. But try telling that to a moron.

[ThomWV]

18. That is the most accurate description I've seen lately

Pure damned good luck on his part - bad luck on ours. Of course considering Iran/Contra and the fortuitous timing of the Iranian hostage release its hard to call it luck.

[RoccoR5955]

25. Agreed. The Iran hostage thing had a lot to do with it.

Not to mention, his saying, over and over, that he would cut taxes, while he raised them on most of us. He also got rid of the Fairness Doctrine, which directly led to the rise of all this right-wing talk radio.

[YOY]

31. and therefore a "the permenent conservative majority"

But you can only ride a fuck up so long before it become obvious that it's a fuck up.

Bring back that Fairness Doctrine?

Now why would the DLC want that? They like being the sane and functional right. Who gives a shit if the freaks and idiots call them "liberals".

[jonnyblitz]

32. aww come on. USSR fell because he said "tear down this wall"

in Berlin. :rofl:

[MineralMan]

16. Oddly enough, the fastest way to get booted from Freeperville

has always been to write things that Reagan actually did. The wingers don't really like Reagan as he was; they like the Marlboro Man image they hold of a Ronald Reagan that never was.

[supernova]

17. He made them comfortable with their hatreds and biases

Not that he said anything explicit mind you, but the general demeanor, and the lackeys he surrounded himself with, let his base know it was OK, Cool even, to to be petty, small-minded and vindictive.

[lunatica]

20. Because he wrapped us all in the warm fuzzy jingoistic American flag

After we were picked on by Iran and the hostage situation. He even orchestrated their release on his Inauguration day. Movie stars, even B movie stars know the importance of presentation. They've continued to play the patriotic card ever since, to great effect.

[RaleighNCDUer]

21. Because he was an actor who played the part very well.

Though I think Morgan Freeman was better as President Beck in 'Deep Impact'.

[morningglory]

23. I think Republics are usually ugly. The pretty ones have an ugly expression.

Is it Brit Hume on Fox, who has a nice face, but an ugly Republic expression of disdain, contempt, and whatever showing through? They were proud to have a president represent them who was not a hideous creep. Just my opinion.

[KansDem]

26. "Other than they think he 'brought down' the USSR, I can't think of anything."

Whenever a neo-con tries to feed me that load of horseshit, I tell them:

There were countless individuals involved in the downfall of the USSR. My dad, for one. He was serving on a US Naval vessel off the coast of Korea when Reagan was making "Bedtime for Bonzo."

...that usually shuts them up.

[cognoscere]

27. Conservatives and Republicans don't really think anything -

but they do believe a lot of stuff.

[hatrack]

28. Because he looked and sounded like the strong, capable Daddy they never had

Lots and LOTS of people let all kinds of childhood trauma psychobabble bullshit rule their "thoughts" when it comes to politics.

Combine that with a truly jaw-dropping capacity to tell people what they wanted to hear - whether what was said was true or not - and it's a sure-fire recipe for political success.

[Romulox]

29. Not just conservatives. Reagan's economic legacy lives on today...nt

[leeroysphitz]

30. Who knows? Why are there people making $35,000 a year fighting tooth and nail to get poorer?

[raccoon]

34. I see some great responses here....thanks! nt

[jonnyblitz]

35. he made people feel good about being selfish. he made selfish-

ness a virtue.

[maxrandb]

36. Because they

wathced too many episodes of Gunsmoke and John Wayne movies, and really believe the Marshall Dillon always saves the day.

In other words...they aren't reality based people.

[Overseas]

37. He told them what Peggy Noonan wrote for him-- that it was Morning in America

It was MORNING in America -- Americans didn't have to bother with that cumbersome conservation that President Carter was urging upon them with his dorky sweaters in the White House and ugly solar panels.

MORNING -- Still lots of time to party like the rich-- junk bonds, slam the unions, gas guzzlers--
and let the Fabulously Laissez Faire Government run the death squads and set those corporations free to prosper.

MORNING IN AMERICA-- just wait a while and the benefits of deregulation and major tax cuts for the top 5% would surely trickle down to us. We don't need all those regulations that just hold back the American spirit. Another famous line of his was-- "The most dangerous words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' " -- that was a big laugh line for him. Fear your government; private corporations know best; Free Market Uber Alles!

-- Let them eat platitudes! -- that was the main push. Send Grandpa Ron out there to tell Americans they were great and all was well without that darn government interference.

Carter was trying to warn the country about limits to growth and encourage us to think about sustainable development. That was a "downer" message the GOP could exploit with happy talk. "That geeky Carter wants America to hold back but we know we're a great country that doesn't need any limits-- and hey, it's MORNING in America-- we still have a lot of time to zoom ahead in whatever way we damn well please!"

And here we are 29 years later-- facing dangerous atmospheric deterioration, much greater disparities between the top 1% and the rest of us, still waiting for those gold coins to trickle down.

And still the GOP tries to play any ideas about making difficult changes to the way we operate, or even taking care of the sick and suffering who have been mercilessly exploited by private insurers for decades, as somehow unpatriotic-- socialist, commie, fascist, etc.