Republican Presidential Candidate 2012

[silentstriker]

Based on an article from you link above, it suggested Tea Party Supporters being over 45, better educated and more well off etc. seems to play directly into the hands of nostalgia for the Reagan era. Reaping benefits of previous spending and now seeing the younger generation as too well pampered seems to be a universal right of passage for older people

It's hilarious because US's deficits really began to balloon under Reagan and he actually increased the size of government...not to mention he was against Nuclear Proliferation.

And they keep saying that crap, like 'Reagan would NEVER agree to lessen the US nuclear arsenal like that evil Obama', and yet he made multiple speeches saying he wants to reduce the arsenal to zero. Reagan would not be Reagan enough for the modern Republican party. I don't know what fantasy people have of Reagan but it's so ludicrously at odds with reality that it beggars belief.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Wait what?

Palin has a serious chance of becoming the Republican candidate?

 

[Spark]

Not too surprising. Appeals very strongly to the base. Tea party favourite too. Populist rhetoric will always get a few votes... but I suspect she's hit her ceiling.

 

[Spark]

It's hilarious because US's deficits really began to balloon under Reagan and he actually increased the size of government...not to mention he was against Nuclear Proliferation.

And they keep saying that crap, like 'Reagan would NEVER agree to lessen the US nuclear arsenal like that evil Obama', and yet he made multiple speeches saying he wants to reduce the arsenal to zero. Reagan would not be Reagan enough for the modern Republican party. I don't know what fantasy people have of Reagan but it's so ludicrously at odds with reality that it beggars belief.

A lot of "pure" libertarians - the few who exist - don't like Reagan either tbf.

 

[Redbacks]

My best advice to any Republican candidate is wait another 4 years. Obama's the wrong man to go up against.

If a lot of people watch fox news, then Obama will be in trouble. I heard about it being a little crazy so watched it for a couple hours and took some notes:

**** me dead if they didn't accuse him of everything under the sun. If you watch that channel I can't imagine you could even consider voting for him, or that the world wasn't about to end. Seemed like the old trick, if you repeat something often enough it becomes the truth...

There is obviosuly a distinction in the US that rarely if ever gets made in the UK/AUS that taxation is a form of stealing, and that Democrats are infact taking peoples money (stealing your childrens future) and then calling 'you!' evil for saying no more. Pretty much aligns with the complete agenda of the Tea Party and if that's a big enough national sentiment then there is potential for backlash.

Revisionism on the Iraq invasion and it's effects on the Arab Spring were coming thick and fast also. Somehow overthrowing a regime let the people know democracy was possible. Interesting logic to say the least.

Then 30 mins of Trump putting forward his views in an interview. Safe to say he has made the right decision not to run.

Finally for some "balance" Hannity had a Democrat on the panel, who pretty much had to shout to get a word in, I think he was trying to defend socio-economic learning initiatives in a 1 minute spot. About half way though Hannity cuts in, sitting behind 12 million US flags, tosses a gridiron ball into the distance and then sits there with a huge smug smile and thanks America.

 

[Redbacks]

It's hilarious because US's deficits really began to balloon under Reagan and he actually increased the size of government...not to mention he was against Nuclear Proliferation.

And they keep saying that crap, like 'Reagan would NEVER agree to lessen the US nuclear arsenal like that evil Obama', and yet he made multiple speeches saying he wants to reduce the arsenal to zero. Reagan would not be Reagan enough for the modern Republican party. I don't know what fantasy people have of Reagan but it's so ludicrously at odds with reality that it beggars belief.

Could he really increase the size of government if he cut revenue so heavily? One of the main objections to bureaucracy is that it leads to waste though 'empire building' where without profit motive people's only mode of advancement is to increase subordinates. If you cut the potential pie then it would seem that such efforts becomes a lot more difficult.

He invested heavily in defence IIRC, and of course anti-communist militias behind the scenes.

 

[jeevan]

I wonder if Republicans invoke Reagan more out of a shortage of good leaders and role models than anything else. IIRC before him one has to go back to Teddy Roosevelt for a Republican president of any note(i.e. over a 100 years) . Eisenhower is the only other one that may be rated positively at all.

The rest are either meh (Bush Sr) or down right tainted (Nixon, Bush Jr, Ford, and going back some more Harding and Hoover).

And none of them, have compelling life stories like Clinton & Obama, which is another way people relate to presidents. Have to go all the way back to Lincoln for that (over 150 years!). It could be that Palin is filling that type of a slot because, well, Republicans have had nobody else in that department either.

(On the Democratic side, even the scions of rich, established families have outdone Republicans in the notable achievements department: contrast Al Gore with the two of his contemporaries - Bush Jr & Dan Quayle).

 

[Spark]

If a lot of people watch fox news, then Obama will be in trouble. I heard about it being a little crazy so watched it for a couple hours and took some notes:

**** me dead if they didn't accuse him of everything under the sun. If you watch that channel I can't imagine you could even consider voting for him, or that the world wasn't about to end. Seemed like the old trick, if you repeat something often enough it becomes the truth...

There is obviosuly a distinction in the US that rarely if ever gets made in the UK/AUS that taxation is a form of stealing, and that Democrats are infact taking peoples money (stealing your childrens future) and then calling 'you!' evil for saying no more. Pretty much aligns with the complete agenda of the Tea Party and if that's a big enough national sentiment then there is potential for backlash.

Revisionism on the Iraq invasion and it's effects on the Arab Spring were coming thick and fast also. Somehow overthrowing a regime let the people know democracy was possible. Interesting logic to say the least.

Then 30 mins of Trump putting forward his views in an interview. Safe to say he has made the right decision not to run.

Finally for some "balance" Hannity had a Democrat on the panel, who pretty much had to shout to get a word in, I think he was trying to defend socio-economic learning initiatives in a 1 minute spot. About half way though Hannity cuts in, sitting behind 12 million US flags, tosses a gridiron ball into the distance and then sits there with a huge smug smile and thanks America.

That turns off a lot of Americans too...

 

[silentstriker]

Could he really increase the size of government if he cut revenue so heavily?

Yup! That was what was so bad about it! It started the US on course of having massive budget deficits. He wanted his pet programs paid for but didn't want to find the revenue to pay for them.

 

[Redbacks]

That turns off a lot of Americans too...

The surreal nature of the show is so confronting. The agressive nature also makes it more entertaining than dry analysis could be and the chaser probably caught onto some of this reality in CNNNN:

YouTube - ‪CNNNN - CNX News Slam‬‏
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvOrPd_fqCA&feature=related

 

[cover drive man]

Rather than the one founded on charity like the current one You would have to determine selfish as a system where currently tax payers have bailed out banks and car companies who made bad decisions, and one where governments inact regulations that favour certain companies at the expense of everybody?.

The banking bailout wasn't about saving a few fat cat's profits, it was a vital recapitalization, without which banks would have literally not been able to give people their own wages. I'd recommend Gordon Brown's Beyond the Crash. The right wing don't comprehend that without the tax payer help we'd have had another depression and no matter what people's disagreements with socialist legislation, it is sometimes the only option. How should the current system have dealt with the crisis other than the bailout? Was there any alternative other than twiddling thumbs?

And if we look at the greed is good banking which started the crisis I can't help but think that it was libertarianism that got us into the crisis and Socialism that got us out. SS was right to mention Ayn Rand and that selfish form of libertarianism where noone holds collective responsibility nor solidarity. To me, that is the exact opposite of communism but about as bad.

 

[Jono]

It's hilarious because US's deficits really began to balloon under Reagan and he actually increased the size of government...not to mention he was against Nuclear Proliferation.

And they keep saying that crap, like 'Reagan would NEVER agree to lessen the US nuclear arsenal like that evil Obama', and yet he made multiple speeches saying he wants to reduce the arsenal to zero. Reagan would not be Reagan enough for the modern Republican party. I don't know what fantasy people have of Reagan but it's so ludicrously at odds with reality that it beggars belief.

This is such a good point.

The Republican Party have mastered the exploitation of the Reagan name for their own agenda. Its amazing the revisionism that has occurred with his era.

They've found a nostalgic figure to point to and speak of the "good old days". Its quite smart if truth be told, though downright misleading.

 

[Top_Cat]

Oh Jesus, Palin's campaign is called 'One Nation'?

The irony. It burns.

 

[morgieb]

Oh Jesus, Palin's campaign is called 'One Nation'?

The irony. It burns.

 

[Spikey]

RE SARAH PALIN RUNNING

 

[Spikey]

someone really oughta explain to america what socialism is btw

 

[andyc]

someone really oughta explain to america what socialism is btw

This. So much.

 

[cover drive man]

Awta

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

SS in reasonable form in this thread. Didn't he used to be a nutjob?

 

[silentstriker]

Twas a bad phase. As much as I despise libertarians, I do have a bit of an economic libertarian streak myself (though not nearly as pronounced as it once was). Obviously completely liberal on social issues.