H/T: Jonah Goldberg, NRO
I'm a fan of Ronald Reagan, there's no doubt about it. But I must admit to deviating from Conservative orthodoxy when it comes to my admiration. You see, while I am a fan of his time as President, I find that the true genius of Ronald Reagan was evident in the 50's and 60's when he was sort of a roaming spokesman at large for Conservative ideas that had gone out of fashion.
This audio tape is evidence of that genius. No one wrote this stuff for Reagan...he did it himself. He was deeply steeped in the ideas and ideology of Conservatism, and he knew of what he spoke. Listen to the edge in his voice....listen to the rhetoric....this is a man at the top of his rhetorical game, a man who even then was showing the kind of mettle that would eventually rally the Conservative cause.
And yes, I'm sorry to all the Sarah Palin supporters out there--it is exactly on this point that I find Governor Palin to be lacking. Yes she's a fresh political face. Yes she can wow a crowd. Yes she has refined political instincts. But at the level of mastery, at the level of confidence, at the level of knowing upon what here ideas are based...I find her lacking. Ronald Reagan led a movement that he essentially created, and he did it with words he conjured from ideas he truly understood. I'd be thrilled if Sarah Palin could emerge to lead Conservatives into ascendancy. I just don't think there's enough there there. Yet.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
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3 comments:
nobody can beat a person who articulates ideas and philosophy that come unedited from their heart. They will win the day every day.
So your point is Palin ain't Reagan? Agreed. Why not give her a little time? Reagan was an actor, he was a spokesman for GE traveling the country giving speeches. He was very experienced at what he was doing. Plus he knew who he was and what he believed in. The guy was Michael Jordan for Pete's sake.
This woman from the beginning has been set up, abused, ridiculed, insulted and laughed at, and much of it by members of her own party. I think she's a little too backwoods and a little too conservative for our Country Club - Rockefeller - Scull and Bones Republicans. I say back the hell off.
Here's the thing. If you're a Susan Collins Republican, hit the road. If you're a minority who wants Republicans to join the bidding wars for your vote, c-ya, we don't need ya. If you don't believe in the the values of freedom and capitalism go join the Democrats, we don't want you.
In other words get with the friggin' program or shut up. Our country is being cannibalized by a bunch of neo-fascist nitwits and all some folks want to do is pine away about the good old Reagan days when most of them didn't even like him when he was around. There's going to be no white knights this time, we have to save ourselves so we had better get focused.
Greg--don't skip your meds anymore.
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