Earlier this month, Jon Stewart humorously contrasted the difference between Governor Sarah Palin’s perception of President Ronald Reagan and his actual record. During an appearance on Fox News’ Hannity, Palin blasted the current president for seeking nuclear arms reductions, declaring, “We miss Ronald Reagan, who used to say, when he looked at our enemies, you lose, we win.” As Stewart pointed out near the end of this clip, however, in an April 30, 1984, speech at Shanghai’s Fudan University, Reagan proclaimed, “We must never stop at all until we see the day when nuclear arms have been banished from the face of this earth.”
Palin’s statement was not the only recent high-profile Republican mischaracterization of the Gipper. At a January 2010 meeting in Hawaii, members of the Republican National Committee considered a resolution that would require candidates to support at least eight of ten listed policy stances in order to be eligible for campaign funding from the national party. The proposal was entitled “Resolution on Reagan’s Unity Principle for Support of Candidates,” a tribute to the former president’s alleged declaration that “The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and ally – not a 20 percent traitor.” Ironically, even a cursory review of Reagan’s decades-long policy record would indicate that the former president would not pass the test named in his honor. Tim Mak has already pointed this out on FrumForum, with John Nichols of The Nation going as far as to argue that Reagan’s actions in public office would not pass muster with even a single one of the ten resolution criteria.
Reagan nostalgia is not at all new among Republicans, but is altogether understandable given the widely-acknowledged transformational nature of his presidency. He is a larger-than-life figure in American politics, due to his bringing together a wide swath of Americans as part of his “Reagan Revolution” electoral coalition, presiding over the end of the Cold War, and, notably, his charisma – even Democrats give him credit for being “The Great Communicator.” It is thus a no-brainer that Republican leaders would seek to venerate him, and in doing so, hope to capture some of his luster. But the act of doing so, over and over and over again in the many years since the end of his presidency, has resulted in the blurring of his legacy. Reagan has become a blank slate upon which Republicans of all sorts project their most idealized hopes and wishful thinking.
While many in the GOP choose to remember Reagan as a doctrinaire conservative who might have supported the Tea Party movement, they conveniently forget the pragmatism that underlined his conservative principles. An avowed budget hawk, he nonetheless ran up huge deficits in order to finance a military buildup to intimidate the Soviet Union. The Americans for Tax Reform organization was founded in 1985 at his urging, and today a multitude of Republican candidates and officeholders sign their “Taxpayer Protection Pledge’ to oppose any and all tax increases. Reagan, however, raised taxes at multiple points during his tenure as Governor of California – in order to balance the state budget – and as president – partly in order to both simplify and broaden the tax code. Another reason he raised taxes as president, in fact, was to help pay for “government-run health care” in the form of Social Security: the Social Security Amendments of 1983 that he signed into law both accelerated an increase in the payroll tax and increased the proportion of benefits eligible as taxable income. The move arguably saved the program from fiscal insolvency, at least in the short term. And yes, Reagan granted amnesty – read again, amnesty – to roughly 3 million illegal immigrants by signing the Immigration Reform and Control Act into law in 1986. Why? Probably because he believed it was the right solution for a growing problem. “I am pleased to sign this bill into law,” he declared at the signing ceremony at the Statue of Liberty. “The legalization provisions in this act will go far to improve the lives of a class of individuals who now must hide in the shadows, without access to many of the benefits of a free and open society. Very soon many of these men and women will be able to step into the sunlight and, ultimately, if they choose, they may become Americans.”
Reagan famously commended Republicans for “raising a banner of bold colors – no pale pastels,” but I daresay his achievements in office are colored by a streak of what some of today’s so-called conservatives might chide as something less than conservatism. Reagan might argue that the difference between rhetoric and governing can be measured by results.
TerryF98 // Apr 27, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Reagan was a gun running drug trafficking criminal. Thats all there is to be said about the guy. Iran-Contra was a stain on this country to add to the other criminal GOP Presidents. Namely Nixon. and Bush 2
advocatusdiaboli // Apr 27, 2010 at 3:58 pm
When forgetful people engage in fond nostalgic delusions and lionizing of that ignorant lazy mean spirited clown, I remind them of what Margaret Thatcher said of him:” Poor dear, there’s nothing between his ears.”
jdipeso // Apr 27, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Let’s not forget Reagan’s environmental accomplishments, which exposes another awkward gap between the real Reagan and the mythical Reagan of the talk radio set and their Tea Party acolytes.
Too many liberals refuse to give Reagan credit for his environmental accomplishments. Too many conservatives would rather not talk about them.
Reagan signed more than three dozen wilderness bills, protecting more than 10 million acres of public land for future generations.
Reagan signed legislation strengthening drinking water protections and hazardous waste cleanup.
Reagan signed legislation establishing national parks and monuments.
Reagan’s EPA got the lead out of gasoline.
Most significantly, Reagan pushed for a strong treaty to phase out chemicals that deplete the upper atmosphere’s protective ozone layer. After the Senate had ratified the Montreal Protocol, Reagan called the treaty a “monumental achievement.” Interestingly, the Montreal Protocol has reduced the equivalent of five years worth of global greenhouse gas emissions, since the chemicals that the treaty phased out also trap heat.
It’s one thing for activists and pundits to chant slogans and demand that elected officials adhere to litmus tests. It’s another thing to govern a diverse country where interests and political philosophies clash while putting conservative principles into practice. Reagan demonstrated his uncanny gift for the latter – establishing an enduring legacy and setting a powerful example from which his admirers and detractors could learn a great deal.
jdipeso // Apr 27, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Learn more about Reagan’s environmental record at http://www.climateconservative.org
Rabiner // Apr 27, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Armando:
“Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.”
You mean like in Iran where religion is vibrant and rule of law under God is acknowledged? Seriously we live in a Democracy not a Theocracy so this comment from you is ridiculous.
Secondly since we’re speaking in English perhaps you want to use acronyms in English. CCCP is pronounced “SSSR” in Russian and is the Russian acronym for the Soviet Union.
“Reagan didn’t put us in multi trillion debt and wouldn’t.”
Reagan increased the national debt considerably during his tenure as President. It went from $700 billion to $3 trillion from 1980 to 1989.
“No one says don’t reduce nukes – they say don’t bend over for the Soviets.”
How did Obama’s START treaty signed earlier this month bend over for the Russians (there are no Soviets anymore)?
I’d continue to comment on your thread of alphabet soup quotes which sound more like slogans than serious nuanced policy positions but I’d rather look at other people’s perspectives and comment on them.
Zeezil:
“Reagan’s policies resulted in the largest peacetime economic boom in American history while creating nearly 35 million more jobs. Federal revenues doubled from just over $517 billion in 1980 to more than $1 trillion in 1990 after the Reagan tax cuts. President Reagan was able to bring down inflation rates from 10.4% in 1981 to 3.7% in 1987. Reagan brought the unemployment rate down from 9.7% in 1982 to 5.49% in 1988. The American economy also grew by almost one-third due to Reagan’s economic plan.”
Lets take this piece by piece.
Reagan cut taxes in 1981 and increased taxes ever year afterwards from 1982 to 1987.
18 million jobs were created during Reagan’s administration so 35 million is an amazing estimation.
Inflation dropped to 4.4% in 1988, Reagan’s last year in office.
You realize that 1982 was over a year after Reagan had been in office and is remarkably close to the current unemployment rate of 9.7 currently being experienced. By 1988 unemployment had dropped to 5.3% but over his 8 years unemployment averaged 7.5%.
Federal Income Tax revenues in 1980: $308.7B
Federal Income Tax revenues in 1989: $549.0B (so not a doubling of federal income tax revenues over 9 years but close)
“he American economy also grew by almost one-third due to Reagan’s economic plan.”
Can you specify the years you are referring to?
jjv // Apr 27, 2010 at 5:48 pm
One of the things that propelled Reagan to the Presidency was the Propisition 13 movement in California. Reagan did not lead that charge but benfitted from it as it signalled a change from the taxaholic 70’s. Proposition 13 was an analogue to the Tea Parties today, a grass roots movement disdained by elites. Reagan did not denigrate it.
balconesfault // Apr 27, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Federal Income Tax revenues in 1980: $308.7B
Federal Income Tax revenues in 1989: $549.0B (so not a doubling of federal income tax revenues over 9 years but close)
You might also want to note:
Federal Debt in 1980: $ 908 B
Federal Debt in 1989: $2,857 B
So not a doubling of the debt … but a tripling!