New Bush Press Secretary is former Fox News Host

[SuperJerk 0]

McCarthy made up some good points

Edited for accuracy.

 

I would say that LBJ (as President) and Strom Thurmond were worse polititians than Senator Joe.

 

Apparently you have to be a bad politician to become Senate Majority leader and manuever Congress into passing the Great Society. Sorry...I'm not buying it. Johnson may have listened to the wrong people when it came to Vietnam, but calling someone as calculating, imposing, and ruthless as LBJ a "bad politician" seems to go against the very realities of the political process. The man knew how to get what he wanted from the Congress, and that's not something a bad politician would be able to do.

 

High school history textbooks have an obligation to get as much information of a large time frame condensced into one book. That would be problem number 1 - It is already going to leave out important information since there simply wont be room.

I suggest you loose your mad-on for high school history textbooks. We've already established that they're not my source.

 

History textbooks also tend to have a very revisionist viewpoint on everything from the Revolution to Native Americans to Slavery to the 20th century.

 

Because you were there, and only you know what REALLY happened? What are you basing this belief on, anyways? Is there a particular text to which you are referring? The old ones that claimed that slaves were happy and Andrew Jackson was only standing up for enforcing America's treaties? Or the "revisionist" ones that say otherwise? Sometimes the revisionists prove to be correct.

 

It is apparently not as bad for James Buchanon to have actually led us to Civil War, but Harding can get blame for WW2 and the Depression (even though there were 3 presidents to come before the War, and Harding was president at a time of prosperity.)

 

America's post-war isolationism and trade policy, of which Harding was a proponent, did help create the environment in which World War II could occur. That's as far as I went in blaming him for anything.

 

I seriously suggest reading as many good biographies and histories of as many people and events as possible. Look up primary source documents whenever possible. Develop reasoned opinions of your own.

 

And yet, all you're apparently doing is parroting what Francis Russell said in his Harding book. Weird.

[Guest Felonies!]

Lyndon Johnson was a bad politician? Lyndon Johnson was the quintessential politician. I don't particularly like him--actually, I don't care for him at all--but he knew how to get shit done. If he called it a career in '64 he'd probably be the most effective president we ever had.

 

 

Nixon wasn't "bad" with red-hunting because he actually knew what the hell he was doing. McCarthy was right about Reds in the State Department but he didn't get the names right. Oops.

[SuperJerk 0]

Nixon wasn't "bad" with red-hunting because he actually knew what the hell he was doing. McCarthy was right about Reds in the State Department but he didn't get the names right. Oops.

McCarthy was right about communists in the state department the same way a guy who accidentally gets a bull's eye while playing darts blind-folded has a good aim. There's no reason to believe he ever had any clue there actually were any communists in the state department, and he hurt a lot of innocent people in the process. Its funny how the only people he thought were communists were people he didn't like...you know? Only 5 of the people he named had any ties to communism.

[SuperJerk 0]

U.S. historians pick top 10 presidential errors.

 

For the record, Warren Harding is NOT mentioned.

[snuffbox 0]

I did not mean LBJ was a 'bad politian' as far as playing the game went. He was very shrewd, very successful, and remarkably deplorable as a man. He was extremely dirty in politics...but this was how he filled the most extensive resume in 20th century America.

 

Also, for the record, I dont want to imply that WG Harding was among the greatest presidents ever or anything...lower half for sure, but not bottom5 worst. He would be in the top5 presidents to drunk with though.

[SuperJerk 0]

Buchanan was definitely the worst. Harding was merely the worst of the 20th century. Compared to many of the horrible presidents of the 19th century, he was average. 19th century is basically: Lincoln, Jackson, Jefferson, Polk, and a bunch of 3rd stringers.

 

Believe it or not, the 20th century produced some of the best leaders we ever had.

[Art Sandusky 0]

I'd amend that to the first two thirds of the century. Kennedy being blown away and Vietnam spiralling out of control changed everyfuckinthing, and Watergate was the death blow in terms of how our leaders were able to connect to people and truly lead and rally them. Americans are almost unleadable right now, and it's going to get even worse as time goes on unless SOMEONE steps up and inspires SOMETHING. Look at these second rate scrubs we have in Congress and the morons in the White House. Ineffectual people all around, completely inept at inspiring anything but ultimate apathy.

[SuperJerk 0]

I'd amend that to the first two thirds of the century. Kennedy being blown away and Vietnam spiralling out of control changed everyfuckinthing, and Watergate was the death blow in terms of how our leaders were able to connect to people and truly lead and rally them.

 

"Hi. Have we met?"

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Why do black people hate Ronald Reagan?

[Guest Felonies!]

Because he cooked up the answer.

[SuperJerk 0]

Why do black people hate Ronald Reagan?

 

He seemed like a throwback to a previous era in American history when they'd been largely ignored by the government and scorned by society as a whole.

His attitude toward the urban poor was that many of them were jobless on purpose so they could get a government hand-out.

He cut many anti-poverty programs that many poor blacks relied on.

He didn't support sanctions against South Africa.

He didn't make a bunch of appointment to make his cabinet ethnically diverse.

[Vampiro69 0]

The reason I don't like Jefferson is that he nearly bankrupted the country by trying to make the US not trade with any other countries. This sent the US into a depression.

 

According to the article that Y2Jerk posted I had Jefferson selected with the number 7 worst presidental blunder of all time.

 

quote" 7: Thomas Jefferson's Embargo Act of 1807, a self-imposed prohibition on trade with Europe during the Napoleonic Wars."

 

Well, I was glad to see that they placed Jefferson's blunder on the list.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

Why do black people hate Ronald Reagan?

 

Philadelphia, MS

 

"welfare queens driving Cadillacs"

 

bye-bye US Commision on Civil Rights

 

limits on Voting Rights Act

 

tax exemptions for Bob Jones University (segregated college)

 

defended Jesse Helms when Helms said we shouldn't have MLK Day

 

and in the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu:

 

"In my view, the Reagan administration's support and collaboration with it is equally immoral, evil, and totally un-Christian. . . . You are either for or against apartheid and not by rhetoric. You are either in favor of evil or you are in favor of good. You are either on the side of the oppressed or on the side of the oppressor. You can't be neutral."

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

What's Philadelphia, MS?

 

By the way, that was a question on a recent Chappelle's show skit I Saw, hence the question. However, I've noticed in certain black culture tv shows and movies that ronald reagan is vilified. Thanks for the answers though. I should probably read more on American history, I'll admit it's much more fascinating than most things in Canadian history. Does anyone know of any good textbooks/documents that would educate me?

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Specifically, stuff about presidents and what their terms meant during the time and how they look in retrospect would be cool.

 

Of course, could you find a non-biased book on the matter? Everything I ever read on these discussion boards when pulling out suggestions shows people to complain about slants to both sides of the political spectrum.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

What's Philadelphia, MS?

 

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,...00.html?cnn=yes

 

3rd paragraph

[NoCalMike 0]

Reagan also became a lot more conservative as President, then he was as Govenor of CA. When he ran for president his advisors found out about the untapped religious right, and suddenly Reagan flip flopped on issues like abortion and the civil rights act.

[SuperJerk 0]

Reagan also became a lot more conservative as President, then he was as Govenor of CA. When he ran for president his advisors found out about the untapped religious right, and suddenly Reagan flip flopped on issues like abortion and the civil rights act.

You got it backwards.

 

First of all, Reagan's support for the Civil Rights Act came after his opposition to it. Therefore, Reagan became more liberal on this issue.

 

Second, Reagan refused to sign a bill that would have legalized abortion when he was governor of California. He continued to be pro-life into his presidency. No flip-flopping was involved.

 

Third, have you ever heard or read 1964 the speech "A Time for Choosing"? Given 2 years before his election as governor, it was 100% Goldwater conservatism. The man who gave that speech would never have supported a missile treaty with the Soviet Union, government spending making up 23.5% of the GDP (a record high in 1983), or an MLK holiday.

[NoCalMike 0]

Reagan also became a lot more conservative as President, then he was as Govenor of CA. When he ran for president his advisors found out about the untapped religious right, and suddenly Reagan flip flopped on issues like abortion and the civil rights act.

You got it backwards.

 

First of all, Reagan's support for the Civil Rights Act came after his opposition to it. Therefore, Reagan became more liberal on this issue.

 

Second, Reagan refused to sign a bill that would have legalized abortion when he was governor of California. He continued to be pro-life into his presidency. No flip-flopping was involved.

 

Third, have you ever heard or read 1964 the speech "A Time for Choosing"? Given 2 years before his election as governor, it was 100% Goldwater conservatism. The man who gave that speech would never have supported a missile treaty with the Soviet Union, government spending making up 23.5% of the GDP (a record high in 1983), or an MLK holiday.

 

Early in his California governorship he had signed a permissive abortion bill. Afterward, he inaccurately blamed this outcome on doctors, saying that they had deliberately misinterpreted the law

[SuperJerk 0]

Reagan also became a lot more conservative as President, then he was as Govenor of CA. When he ran for president his advisors found out about the untapped religious right, and suddenly Reagan flip flopped on issues like abortion and the civil rights act.

You got it backwards.

 

First of all, Reagan's support for the Civil Rights Act came after his opposition to it. Therefore, Reagan became more liberal on this issue.

 

Second, Reagan refused to sign a bill that would have legalized abortion when he was governor of California. He continued to be pro-life into his presidency. No flip-flopping was involved.

 

Third, have you ever heard or read 1964 the speech "A Time for Choosing"? Given 2 years before his election as governor, it was 100% Goldwater conservatism. The man who gave that speech would never have supported a missile treaty with the Soviet Union, government spending making up 23.5% of the GDP (a record high in 1983), or an MLK holiday.

 

Early in his California governorship he had signed a permissive abortion bill. Afterward, he inaccurately blamed this outcome on doctors, saying that they had deliberately misinterpreted the law

 

Any reference to this ever happening has been mysteriously erased from everything I've ever read on the man.

[NoCalMike 0]

Reagan also became a lot more conservative as President, then he was as Govenor of CA. When he ran for president his advisors found out about the untapped religious right, and suddenly Reagan flip flopped on issues like abortion and the civil rights act.

You got it backwards.

 

First of all, Reagan's support for the Civil Rights Act came after his opposition to it. Therefore, Reagan became more liberal on this issue.

 

Second, Reagan refused to sign a bill that would have legalized abortion when he was governor of California. He continued to be pro-life into his presidency. No flip-flopping was involved.

 

Third, have you ever heard or read 1964 the speech "A Time for Choosing"? Given 2 years before his election as governor, it was 100% Goldwater conservatism. The man who gave that speech would never have supported a missile treaty with the Soviet Union, government spending making up 23.5% of the GDP (a record high in 1983), or an MLK holiday.

 

Early in his California governorship he had signed a permissive abortion bill. Afterward, he inaccurately blamed this outcome on doctors, saying that they had deliberately misinterpreted the law

 

Any reference to this ever happening has been mysteriously erased from everything I've ever read on the man.

 

Yeah Well...umm...Look over there....no THERE....it's UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMAGA.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

What's Philadelphia, MS?

 

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,...00.html?cnn=yes

 

3rd paragraph

 

There's not much there in the way of context. It seems like VERY selective quoting.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

From everything I've ever read or heard, Reagan gave lip service to being pro-life but never actually did anything to curb abortion, either while California governor or as president.

[Art Sandusky 0]

I'd amend that to the first two thirds of the century. Kennedy being blown away and Vietnam spiralling out of control changed everyfuckinthing, and Watergate was the death blow in terms of how our leaders were able to connect to people and truly lead and rally them.

 

"Hi. Have we met?"

Get that crap outta my face. Feel-good bandaids don't mean shit. Dude didn't end the Cold War either, so don't even try that.

[Vampiro69 0]

Reagan helped to end the Cold War. He didn't do it on his own since he had help from Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II and Gorby.

[NoCalMike 0]

Reagan helped to end the Cold War. He didn't do it on his own since he had help from Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II and Gorby.

 

 

And the fact that the Soviet Union was crumbling on it's own.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I think Reagan gets a little too much credit for ending the Cold War. Did he speed up the death of the USSR? Most certainly. Does that mean the USSR wouldn't have died without the US policies? No.

[SuperJerk 0]

I'd amend that to the first two thirds of the century. Kennedy being blown away and Vietnam spiralling out of control changed everyfuckinthing, and Watergate was the death blow in terms of how our leaders were able to connect to people and truly lead and rally them.

 

"Hi. Have we met?"

Get that crap outta my face. Feel-good bandaids don't mean shit. Dude didn't end the Cold War either, so don't even try that.

 

Way to use cold, hard logic to refute a point that I was actually even making. Bravo.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Way to use cold, hard logic to refute a point that I was actually even making. Bravo.

Dude, your clever little retort doesn't even make any sense. Just get Reagan out of my face.

[EricMM 0]

Any good that man did is refuted by all the bad he did, many times over.

 

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