RIP Ronald Reagan
 

It is being reported that former President Ronald Reagan has passed on.

Despite the fact that I am a bit of a liberal at heart, I feel that Reagan was one of our finest presidents, and that he started the economic ball rolling for this nation's prosperity during the late 80's and early 90's.

What say you all? I say RIP, Mr. President, and thanks for your service to your country.

whelll......i can't remember......



i was even less politically aware back then than i am now.

He was the last true conservative to hold the office. This is a pretty good primer in why he was the Great Communicator.

He believed that removing the tax burden on everyone would result in an improved economy. The rest of the decade (maybe the rest of the century) proved him right. He believed that political decisions carried moral weight, and decried the oppresion of the Soviet Bloc. He expanded trade and believed in the tireless innovation of the American Spirit. He believed that there was no problem that we could not overcome, and by the weight of his convictions he made us believe it as well. He dragged us out of the Carter recession, and we brought the rest of the world with us.

He was truly a great man, and a great president. I was thirteen when he left office. I wish I could have voted for him. I wish our party still had men like him.

Rest in peace.

-sm

For Ronald Ray-Guns;

he's a drugstore truck drivin' man
he' s the head of the Ku Klux Klan
when summer rolls around
he'll be lucky if he's not in town

he's got him a house on the hill
he plays country records till you've had your fill
he's a farmer's friend He's an unhappy gent
but he sure does make difference from the records he plays

well he don't like the young folks I know
he told me one night on his radio show
he's got him a medal he won in the war
weighs five hundred pounds and sleeps on his floor

he's been like a father to me
he's the only DJ, you can hear after three
I'm an all night musician in a rock 'n' roll band
and why he don't like me I can't understand
:shotgun:

Did he really? Seems a bit vague on the details. I know they reported to the white house yesterday that he wasn't doing so hot.

Haven't seen the news all day, but will check it out now. If true, this saddens me, more than I would have imagined.

He was the "great communicator" because he spoke in 4 or 5 word sentences and never used a word that had more than one syllable (he understood his intellectual limits). This appealed to the great unwashed masses. He also had a pretty good grasp of chimpanzee - always useful when talking to congress.

I was 30 when he was elected and I voted against him. Carter had committed the atrocity of conceding the election before the polls had closed in the Western states, so I wrote in Edward Abbey for my choice of president. I still remember how the kids in the college town I was then living in stenciled the name "Watts" on every stop sign in town.

Anyhow, cheer up SM, maybe Bonzo is still alive, eagerly awaiting to take up the reins of leadership from the old "gipper."

Nice job of ripping on him the day he died Marichiko, maybe you should give the eulogy. :-(

Politics is so fucked up and crooked anyway, I guess I feel better when I have a president that has firm convictions, speaks his mind and makes a few things happen damn the poll numbers.

I just re-read your post because I didn't want to be over critical to another point of view.

Glad I did, because I was right, your frame of mind, your I'm right attitude sucks. I rip on Sycamore because he can be a dick, but I'm still glad he's here.

You're just kind of a bitch with a keyboard.

Thank you for the compliment. I suppose some people loved the man. I obviously didn't and actually, I thought he'd died years ago. Sorry if I offended you.
(By the way, why didn't you take Bruce to task for his little "Ronald Rayguns" lyrics above. That didn't seem especially reverant, either. What? Is it okay for a man to make a remark you don't agree with, but a woman who does so automatically becomes a "bitch"?)

I can't think of anything to say. I just feel a sense of loss that I can't seem to articulate. :(

i'm glad for his family that he is gone. it is sad that he is dead, but no more watching a love one who doesn't remember a damn thing for his family.

as far as what his ranking on the list of great presidents - he did just like all the rest. he got some things right and screwed up others.

internationally he was right on with his approach to the soviet union, but jacked on his thinking with crushing the unions in this country.

anyway - RIP and thanks for your years of service.

Bruce doesn't get a free pass, I just noticed you first. "Some peolple loved the man" applies to perhaps millions of people and I thinks yours and bruces posts were in poor taste.

But as usual I let my emotions get the best of me. I'm probably more irreverant than most some days.

I think your opinion and your attitude suck. I think most of what you post is drivel and you and radar would have a good time if you started a place somewhere to argue with each other.

But, I apologize for calling you a bitch. Your posts are as valid as anyone elses here, and I usually try and stay out of the name calling.

My bad, and it was uncalled for, I'll work harder at muzzling my self next time.

Perspective, baby. Change your perspective, not the facts. :)

Shut up shithead, the goodwill doesn't apply to you.

Packers lose today or something?

I believe that Reagan meant well with his tax cut, and he essentially won the Cold War.

Rest in peace.

Don't go there....you a Viking fan?

*sniff sniff* I think I'll live.

....a miserable bitter life and then die alone?

uhm...just kidding.

Nobody deserves to die, and nobody deserves to wither away mentally for twenty-plus years.

He exhaled carbon dioxide, which is beneficial to plant life.

This concludes the list of nice things I can say about Ronald Reagan.

Okay, I think you've had enough pot for one night.

Well, millions of people DIDN'T love the man, too. Had it been stated somewhere that this was a solemn memorial post for Mr. Reagan, I wouldn't have posted at all. However, this is The Cellar, remember? No one around here is especially reverent about ANYTHING, and if you were looking for grief counseling, you should have looked elsewhere, face it.

Its pretty hard to accept an apology from someone who has just written that my "opinion and attitude suck" and that most of what I post is "drivel" and then apologizes all in the same breath.

Feel free to hate me without apology. I'm not going to loose any sleep over it, believe me.

By the way, I never paid much attention to you until now. I'm flattered that you seem to have been following my posts with such acrimony. I must have hit a nerve somewhere.;)

RIP Ronald Reagan wouldn't have been your first clue this was a solemn post?

Your opinion and attitude do suck, I'm suppossed to apologize and redefine myself for you?

I don't hate you, I think you're interesting.

But you pissed me off with criticism of someone who's barely cold.

And "never paid much attention to me", you didn't vote did you?

Reagan's dead.....A few years ago I'd have cheered at that. Now if only Thatcher can maintain her friendship with him and follow him into the beyond I'll be cheerful.
The man delivered a cold creed in a warm voice.

Good riddance to bad rubbish. I'm with vsp.

Actually, I'll go back on my post and say one more nice thing about Ronnie -- unlike many of his spiritual successors in the modern conservative movement, he was occasionally capable of compromise and negotiation.

<a href="http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2003/0301.green.html">Reagan's Liberal Legacy</a>

If the "with-us-or-against-us" mentality of today's uberconservatives would go into the ground with him, I would throw open my bedroom window and bellow "NOW it's morning in America!"

That someone of your political pursuasion thinks so little of him is high praise indeed.

If you think you've got my political persuasion that well nailed I'd love to her it =)

Thanks for the link. BTW, for those of you who read the linked article, here is a bonus

So, my thoughts on Ronald Reagan.

First, by all accounts, Ronald Reagan was a nice guy. Sure, many of his policies as president were painful, but by all accounts on a personal level he was a thoughtful and kind person.

Second, Reagan was a great speaker. It might be due to innate talent, a personal sense of conviction, his training as an actor, or some combination, but Ronald Reagan could deliver a message. Clinton, who in my opinion had a lot of personal charisma, could not deliver a speech like Reagan, although he comes the closest. Bush number one never even tried, being more of an adminstrator than a speaker, and Bush number two is a pathetic, Texas Ebonics ridden, mockery of what Reagan could deliver. Whether his words were his own or scripted, or some combination, Reagan would use them like sheet music and bring his own timing and nuances to them. He was a speechwriters dream - someone who could be counted on not just to refrain from mangling words, but deliver them mixing force and subtlety.

Third, Reagan appeared to be a devoted husband. While it is true that Mr. "Family Values" was the only divorced president, it does appear that he was devoted to his wife. In some ways, the fact that he divorced and remained devoted to his wife until death reminds me a little of Johnny Cash and June Carter.

My criticism of Reagan stems from the fact that I consider him a weak president who was led by his advisors instead of commanding them. This might have been due to his Alzheimers, which, contrary to official accounts, I believe began it's onset while he was president.

The best thing that I can say about Reagan, was that even though I disagreed with a lot of his policies, he did acheive a balance and was able to compromise and unite Congress most of the time. In a way, he provided a blueprint which, if the current administration had followed it at all, would have prevented the current White House from becoming an international embarrassment.

While I do not believe that he was the greatest president of the 20th century, as most of these ass-kissing conservative revisionists would have us believe, he did leave behind a respectable legacy and did not screw up the country too badly domestically and, except for minor embarassments like 'Iran-Contra' and Panama, left office with the United States having the respect and goodwill of most of the world.

I disagreed with many of his policies, but, as the story in VSP's link demonstrated, he was able, through compassion or poltical practicality, to compromise on his agenda. And while I think he was led around by his wife and staff on some issues, he was still enough of a leader to get the job done. He was not my pick for president, and did not reflect my personal politics well, but he was suitable for the job, which is in itself a legacy of some kind. I cannot praise him, but I cannot condemn him either. He ran, he won, he left, he died.

requiescat in pace altus proeliator

*Agrees with Elspode and smoothmoniker*


Reagan was my favorite president. When I heard that he had alzheimer's, I felt very sad, and sorry for him and his family. I think he did a damned good job, despite the fact that I also believe that his illness was developing during his presidency.

I'm sorry he's dead; at least he acted like a president, not your idiot younger brother that you hide in the closet when company comes over (Clinton). I think he's really the last president we had that brought any dignity to the office, and at least he had convictions.


Pace in Requiescat....


Sidhe

Don't really want to turn this political but there are many things could call Clinton but I would not have listed stupid among them, the guy's a Rhodes Scolar for crying out loud.

"First Citizen :

This Caesar was a tyrant.

Third Citizen :

Nay, that's certain:
We are blest that Rome is rid of him.

Second Citizen:

Peace! let us hear what Antony can say.

ANTONY:

You gentle Romans,--

Citizens:

Peace, ho! let us hear him.

ANTONY:

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest--
For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men--
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man."

- Shakespeare, Julius Ceasar

Being a Rhodes Scholar apparantly didn't imbue him with any sense or dignity, though, did it? That man was an embarassment...IMHO. He had a history of abusing the power of both the governor's office and the office of the President; he had absolutely no convictions; he was a wuss.

Anyone who isn't willing to fight to protect his country should not be able to send other people's children to die. This man left the country and protested against it. He also said that (paraphrase) if a president showed poor moral character in office that he should be impeached. Ironic, ain't it?


But this is a memorial thread to a Real president. We can create a Bash Clinton thread later....


Sidhe

Not to me.
From the Viet Nam?
To be a Rhodes Scholar, that's how it's done. Along with millions of others.

How I always will remember him

The President's brain is missing

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/S/...ttingimag1.jpg

Thanks for helping me make me think I'd never live out my teen years

Still Alzheimer's is a horrible way to go, my mother has it and is gone to the world these last 4-5 years, she can't now stand up, talk, swallow properly, she reckonizes nobody and the saddest thing is her father went the same way and I know from a conversation I had with her she would not have wanted to continue living under these circumstances but there is not a thing I can do for her..:(

Also to relate her to Regan I think, looking back with hindsight, I can see a small creep of change in her behaviour in the years before we were given a diagnosis. I just thought she was depressed. So I wouldn't be surprised if Regan was affected years before any diagnosis

Yes, but they aren't the ones sending other people's children to die for a country they didn't give a shit about.

I don't like him. Never will. We can agree to disagree. I'm not trying to change anyone's opinion, just stating my own.

No, the ones who are sending soldiers off to die are the ones who supported the Viet Nam War, but refused to fight in it.

As opposed to a fake one?

You're preaching to the choir on that. I think that if you're going to start the damned war, you should be on the front friggin' lines. I'll bet if the politicians had to fight, there would be a lot FEWER wars.


Sidhe

I am really sorry, but this is how I will forever remember the man, and he did this not me:

From all reports he was a good man, is regarded as a great president, and that was a funny movie.

Love him or hate him, the two things I remember from his years in office:

Challenger Explosion: -

"They have slipped the surly bonds of Earth and touched the face of God."

Even typing it, I get kinda choked up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have just outlawed Communism. The bombing shall commence in 5 minutes."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! OUT-FUCKING-STANDING!!!!!!

The Premier of Russia shit himself when Ronnie Ray-gun said that.

The Presidents brain is missing was one of the best of the Spitting Image sketches

I can't find on-line a summary of what happened in the plot-line, but I can remember totally absurd things happening like the brain mating with a hedgehog etc..:confused:

I hear Spitting Image might be making a come back, I hope so, and I hope they do it before Bush is voted out, he would make lovely latex subject matter.

Hear hear. :)

Without starting a flamewar, I'll simply note that this sentiment applies equally to the current crew in Washington.

I'm still of multiple minds on Reagan. He gave America her confidence and optimism back. Unfortunately, that has morphed into hyper-nationalism and the inappropriate use of military force by BushClintonBush. His legacy, as interpreted by Bush, means fiscal sanity and small government are no longer Republican principles. I'd thought, he had been able to make Americans confident in their own abilities, but somehow twenty years down the line most Americans, including sadly once independent minded Republicans, now bow and scrape before state power. I don't believe this was his intention. I was sure he'd get us killed fighting the Cold War, since we had an enemy capable of killing us by the millions. We won and his sucessors threw away his victory on mindless interventionism, that is probably the saddest part.

I think Reagan was the last President who loved and respected the American people.

Equally? Primarily.

He was certainly the best president of my lifetime. I wish that was saying more.

Ok I'll take that back a bit, despite his many flaws (don't get me started on reganomics) he did believe what he said or least appear to, which is more than you can say for the current bunch of scum.

Thankfully, Ronald Reagan is burning in hell today. The world has a little less evil in it. I only hope that George W. Bush will join him soon.

deep thoughts radar. classy too.

It could take him awhile to respond. He's busy counting all of the money the government has stolen from him today.

I find myself amazed when I read you rpost. I agree with every single point.

I was not a fan or Reagan, but he did have his good attributes. At the time, I thought he was horrible, but I realize in hindsight that Presidents can be much worse.

I felt bad for him when he got alzheimers, but I felt bad for myself too. I used to joke about his forgetfulness and mock him, but was unable to do so after he was diagnosed with the illness.

If I get friday off because of his death, that will be one more good thing I can say about him. Our bosses are still trying to figure out what to do. We normally close when the federal government closes.

Basically, I'd written him off as dead in my mind, because of his illness, so his actual passing is really no biggie. I'm sure his family has mixed feeling now that he's dead. I bet mostly they are happy about it.

Hear, hear!
Ronnie's brand of conservatism only looks good in comparison to the neocons. But that's not saying a whole hell of a lot.

Still, I was sorry to hear of his disease, and sorry for his family. Even in politics, there should be a place for human emotions, and a modicum of respect for the (newly-) dead.

- Pie

The man didn't earn any respect when he was alive. Why should he have any when he's dead?

He spent generations of Americans into debt and had the nerve to act as though running up the credit card was prosperity. He had NOTHING to do with the economic boom of the 90's, he had NOTHING to do with the release of the hostages in Iran, and he had NOTHING to do with the fall of the already crumbling Soviet Union but his ignorant supporters claimed he did.

He lied under oath and he was a moronic, puppet of a cold-hearted, manipulative, bitch...who happened to also be his wife.

He is rotting and burning in hell right now, and he richly deserves to be there.

This thread has caused me to think about the positives of Reagan. I think the biggest positive I can think of is that he was such a great communicator that he was actually able to campaign on the basis of a philosophy. The notion that he had a strong, principled set of beliefs was quite refreshing, and although he went off-principle fairly often while in office, it still left us with the feeling that there was a true leader there. This is especially true because of the relentlessly political animals we have had in the office since then.

Sometimes it feels like W wants to represent "Reagan lite" chowing down on certain principles such as his anti-terror doctrine and his notions of permitting faith in government. But he can't pull it off because of his inability to communicate. When he goes into "good ol' boy" mode, relaxed, off script, personable, he seems like he could pull it off. Then the next day he has to work from a prepared speech and he comes across like someone in 9th grade speech class.

Reagan's middle initial was W. Yes, my Father lasted 6 years.:(