To Scio, With Love
This is a LULU!
You had asked to see something that might convince you John McCain is a candidate worthy of your vote. Well, it's as if Jeff Jacoby has heard your prayer. All that's missing from his quintessential defense of McCain is a dedication to your fine self...
I was going to post excerpts, but the column demands to be read in its entirety. I found it to be more than reassuring; I found it to be positively uplifting. Even if you don't experience the same reaction, I sincerely hope and believe Mr. Jacoby will have been able to assuage much of your anxiety.
Here's hoping you have a great Monday, and a Super Tuesday!
Comments
Great post and link. It is interesting that either the true history of Reagan is not fully understood or remembered correctly or our recollection of Reagan's administration was more about remembering how different a shift it was from Carter's administration (thus the minor hiccups are lost in the trend). And I argue the latter from the following analysis.
Reagan's movement made exponential advancements to the conservative cause with drastic political measures (due to Carter's admin) that outweighed some of the bad that also happened during Reagan's admin.
A quarter of a century later with conservatism fully ingrained in our politics, it is under a finer microscope, yet invoking Reagan has more what to do with what the conservative base truly wants, not exactly what Reagan actually did.
Reagan has become the Paul Bunyan of conservatism (and I am not trying to be insulting).
The point is that even though we hold Reagan to a high historical standard, he was not perfect and neither is McCain (and as recent history has showed us -- neither was Bush).
Reagan never had the advantage of a Republican controlled House of Representatives that G W Bush enjoyed. The trouble is that the Republicans have strayed off course from their roots and became a big government party.
But Reagan was for amnesty and he signed higher payroll taxes into law?
Scio, I can't tell you how happy I was to have come upon that commentary. Ever since I stumbled onto you and Dox commiserating about the election, I have been far more aware of how others see this - and that it's very different from my perspective.
I don't believe anyone can do a better job than Mr. Jacoby has in reducing the anxiety about McCain, and I realized I hadn't even been willing to try - unless "Get over it," would work?
But you younger guys deserve better, and I literally thanked my lucky stars that Jeff Jacoby was willing and able to put it in perspective.
I was older than you are when Reagan literally had me furious in his second term - it was as if he was undoing everything he'd started. Reagan's mistake on taxes and amnesty was that he didn't get anything in exchange, but Reagan is the guy who's responsible for deduction evaporation. Up to then, you not only could deduct interest on your car loan, you could deduct interest on credit cards and even the sales tax you paid. All are gone, never to return.
And today, Hannity made a BIG point of how terrible McCain-Feingold was... without ever mentioning Bush.
So I'm glad you and Dox found this useful, and I'm equally glad I could be of some assistance to two very fine people - who I can't even believe are still speaking to me much less reading the nonsense I try so hard to deliver daily.
best to you both.
Zak, agreed. We can only dream of what a paradise this would be if Reagan had Bush's Congress. If he had, I don't think we'd have had Bush?!?
Ted, I'd love to think that Reagan would have at least vetoed one bill. More likely a lot more. I think he had a much better understanding that the presidency needed to stand apart from the Congress and disagree with them on occasion, even if they were of the same party.
Yep. Which is why, and you probably haven't heard this, I absolutely hate Bush. People... conservatives... don't know or won't admit what he's done - or would do given the chance.