Liberals Hate Reagan, Until They Need Him
It appears that liberals in America, particularly those that are employed as journalists and academic professionals, believe former President Ronald Reagan did more harm than good during his eight years in the Oval Office.
And as usual when these individuals are actually pressed as to why they have come to the conclusion that Reagan’s legacy was a “nightmare” (see Ed Bradley) little evidence is ever provided outside of the quintessential talking points handed out by the DNC.
Ironically it only takes about five minutes on Google to figure out that Democrats love invoking the legacies of FDR and John Fitzgerald Kennedy when making their point that only government entitlements will save America.
So in other words when conservatives compare themselves to Mr. Reagan they are despicably tarnishing the image of the former president while holding little knowledge about what his administration actually did. Because we all know that championing state’s rights, strengthening America’s economy, ending the Cold-War and reducing the size of government are outrageous ideas that should be shoved under a door mat for eternity.
However when liberals align themselves to someone like FDR who imprisoned Japanese minorities, raised taxes on just about everyone, expanded the size of government to unprecedented levels, and prolonged the Great Depression, they believe they have reached political nirvana.
Of course in today’s fast paced media-driven society most Americans realize that far-left media outlets such as MSNBC aren’t too concerned with ratings or profits because they are 1) subsidized and 2) have a political agenda that undermines objective news reporting.
Therefore it isn’t any surprise that over this past weekend left-wing talking heads were quick to denounce Reagan’s legacy as nothing more than smoke and mirrors.
ABC World News reporter John Berman said on Saturday that, “There is Reagan Airport, the Reagan Building, the Reagan Library. Then there is the church of Reagan, where candidates worship.” Maybe Berman should travel to West Virginia where every building, road, bridge and school of significance is named after the late Democratic Senator Robert C. Byrd a.k.a. the “king of pork”.
Another added bonus was NBCs Andrea Mitchell professing that conservatives should quit obsessing over Reagan all of the time (new Gallup polling reveals 74 percent of all Americans give the Reagan administration a positive view) while Chris Matthews pressed a liberal filmmaker as to why the former president didn’t care about people.
Is Mr. Matthews actually trying to be known as an overly obsessive, neurologically starved pathological hypocrite?
Perhaps the biggest irony behind the left’s loathing of Reagan is the fact that one of their primary champions of liberalism, Time’s managing editor Richard Stengel, decided to place the former president on the cover with the current 44th embracing as BFFs.
Why? Because liberals know the beating the Democrats took in November could be a hors d’oeuvre to what is coming next year unless they surrender their big-government position.
President Bill Clinton understood what it meant to be an opportunist in order to stay in power. He knew that having to never take a stand on something or publicly announce personal principles is a lot easier than actually having to be genuine at the risk of defeat.
Like the anti-war movement and the feminist movement, liberalism is more about political expediency than ideological purity. When Obama was elected, anti-war protestors disappeared even though the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have become long-term affairs politically and fiscally. When Sarah Palin was chastised repeatedly by the media, women’s rights activists slipped into a cave even though their sole existence is supposedly based on advancing women to the highest level possible in society. And now the left is rebranding Mr. Obama parallel to that of Ronald Reagan because they recognize the former president’s overwhelming popularity and the need to raise the current president’s.
In the end, liberals love to hate President Reagan until it is time to use him to boost their image as compassionate moderates.
—————–
Ashley Stinnett lives in West Virginia, where he serves as an adjunct college instructor, writer, media and public relations consultant, public speaker, volunteer for various conservative organizations, and a civilian recruiter for the NRA. He is registered with the Associated Press, and is a nationally syndicated columnist with The North Star National. He is the author of the new book, “Grasping Appalachian Conservatism: How Not To Be Mistaken For A Latte Liberal.”
We need your help! If you like PunditHouse, please consider donating to us. Even $5 a month can make a difference!
Short URL: https://pundithouse.com/?p=5082