I'm still confused...

Hannity was on re-play as I drove home this morning... and he was RAVING about a campaign letter sent out by the McCain camp comparing his "maverick" status within the GOP to Reagan's similar status back in 1975-76.

Now, I'm the first to agree that McCain is no Reagan. No one needs to tell me that... and I never voted for the man (Reagan, that is). However, that isn't the point I wanted to make.

All these weeping "Reagan-ites" need to understand something. Ronald W. Reagan is dead. He is not going to run for President ever again. Period. End of story.

Furthermore, I'm not sure even HE would satisfy all these "principled conservatives" that are screaming about "getting back to the roots" of conservatism. In two previous posts I have mentioned what I deem to be failures on the part of President Reagan's administration, and those failures are glaring examples of how even REAGAN couldn't stand up to the image he tried to convey in his run for office.

After watching 52 US citizens rot in Iran for 444 days, Reagan spent the next 8 years pandering to the Iranians, covertly and overtly. After watching 241 US Marines and Naval personnel die in Beirut, Reagan removed all US forces from Lebanon in direct opposition to the advice and councel of both his SoD and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After promising to "beef up" the INS in 1981, he signed into law an amnesty bill that "legalized" more than 3 million illegal aliens. After promising to reduce the size and cost of government in BOTH his inaugural addresses, and in 6 SotU Addresses, he averaged an annual GROWTH rate of nearly 18% (size AND cost). After vowing to remove the Federal Government from the realm of State's rights, he forced the States to adhere to a drinking age of 21 AND failed to repeal (as promised) the 55 mph speed limit imposed by Nixon in 1973.

This is NOT a slam on Reagan. Reagan gave this country the ability to take pride in itself after nearly 16 years of anger and doubt. He managed to put behind all the shadows and doubt of Watergate, the "energy crisis", Vietnam, and the turbulent "60s", and told us it was okay to "dream heroic dreams" again. He FORCED America out of the "self-induced" fog of detente, and opened our eyes to the REALITY of modern communism and its failings. He rebuilt our Armed Forces after more than 20 years of failed defense administrations and a very unsuccessfull war. Most importantly, I do think that the man was a leader with integrity, pride, and honesty in a time when those attributes were in very short supply.

He was a great President... but he wasn't perfect.

Truman was a great President, as was FDR, and Kennedy, and Teddy Roosevelt, and Lincoln. All were great in their time, and all were just waht the nation needed at that time. But if FDR, or Lincoln, or Kennedy were to come back today and run again... would they be as good? Would their particular brand of politics and their unique viewpoints be AS effective now as they were then?

NO.

So, can we PLEASE stop with the "great wailing and gnashing of teeth" at the thought that we are ONCE AGAIN not going to be able to elect Ronald W. Reagan to the Presidency? Can't we focus on the issues at hand now, and how they might best be addressed by a LIVING candidate? Or are we doomed to live in the shadow of "Ronnie" forever? Will we be forced to start referring to the GOP as the "Reagan Party" rather than the Republican Party?

Lest we forget... Reagan might have done a bang-up job re-making the Republican party after the '76 election, but he wasn't universally loved either. In fact, his approval ratings as President never even beat Clinton's, and were totally blown away by BOTH GHW Bush and GW Bush. They averaged right around 47% for the whole 8 years.

If all these "Reagan Conservatives" want to give Ron this much credit, I want them to NOT ignore the failings of his administrations, either. Just as Ryan was forced (by reason, not actual force) to admit that if Regan gets credit for the "Fall of Communism", then he shares it equally with Maggie Thatcher and John Paul II... I want to hear all the pundits and nostalgia-ridden GOP fans admit that the man WASN'T infallible.