Liberals - Reagan and Bush

[A18]

...

[Nation]

I have to say that I like Bush much less than I like Reagan, albeit all I have is hindsight and history in regards to Reagan -- I was only 3 when his two terms finished.

[Lunar]

I like Reagan.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

It's hard to say....Bush has been worse in terms of what he has actually enacted, but who knows what Reagan would have done with a Republican Congress.

[Gabu]

Reagan, although that maybe is just because I wasn't old enough during his presidency to remember any of it.

[Beet]

The Reagan administraiton was far less corrupt than this administration. It was also far less totalitarian.

[A18]

Reagan, although that maybe is just because I wasn't old enough during his presidency to remember any of it.

Reagan was worse than Bush or better?

[Defarge]

Reagan was far better.  Not just because of the fact that he had a Democratic Congress to contend with some of the time, but because Reagan was generally just a better guy. He was a man whom I could respect, and whose actions I could understand.

[Gabu]

Reagan, although that maybe is just because I wasn't old enough during his presidency to remember any of it.

Reagan was worse than Bush or better?

Oops, I forgot what the question was.  I meant that Reagan was better.  I voted correctly, though.

[Huckleberry Finn]

I'm not liberal but Reagan was far better and I'm able to remember about seven last years of his presidency.

[nclib]

GWB is definitely worse.

At least Reagan came across as a good guy.

GWB won with a much less convincing margin than Reagan but acts like he has a greater mandate than any previous president.

At least Reagan didn't get into college (and get elected) solely because of his father.

At least Reagan wasn't as openly religious.

At least Reagan was more intelligent.

...

[So the Heroes Fall]

I can think of two things I like about Reagan:

-he kept a good relationship with Gorbachev (the REAL man responsible for ending the Cold War) and handled international relations far better than Bush.

-"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" was a nice line.

The only good thing I can say about Bush is Do-Not-Call.

[Citizen James]

Reagan ran from the right and governed from the center right.
Bush ran as the center right and governed from the extreme right.

Reagan wasn't perfect, but he easily far surpasses W.

Then again, even Grant surpasses W.

[Nation]

Then again, even Grant surpasses W.

I wouldn't go that far.

[StevenNick]

I just think it's so funny that so many of the same criticisms that are currently being leveled against Bush were thrown at Reagan during the 80s.  They've just all been washed away by the passage of time.  I wonder if in twenty years, when we have another conservative president the liberals will be looking back and saying things like, "At least George W. Bush was smarter than this moron" and "George W. Bush didn't govern nearly as far right as this guy."

[Gabu]

I just think it's so funny that so many of the same criticisms that are currently being leveled against Bush were thrown at Reagan during the 80s.  They've just all been washed away by the passage of time.  I wonder if in twenty years, when we have another conservative president the liberals will be looking back and saying things like, "At least George W. Bush was smarter than this moron" and "George W. Bush didn't govern nearly as far right as this guy."

People have a tendency to vastly overreact regarding the implications of having such-and-such a leader in power.  When Clinton was in power, there probably were many conservatives who were absolutely convinced that this meant that the Apocalypse was near and that he will bring about the downfall of America.  The popular view of pretty well every ex-president gets inevitably more favorable with time.

[opebo]

They're the same.  A pair of smarmy, stupid, vicious bigots. The only difference is Bush is more open about his religion, and is therefore more repulsive.

Also the damage done by the new GOP is getting truly pernicious in 2004, while back in Reagan's day it was just beginning.  So Bush seems worse, but he's only carrying on with what Reagan started.

[Kodratos]

It annoys me when libs say Reagan was better than Bush, simply because he was so much more conservative.

[Democratic Hawk]

GWB

Dave

[Gustaf]

Well, if I count as a liberal...

I voted for Bush as the worse president. The difference between the two lie in two things. Firstly, Reagan wasn't that socially conservative, he just used that to get votes, which is understandable. Bush is more frightening to me in that respect. Secondly, Reagan was a statesman who knew when to compromise. Thirdly, Reagan was a lot more talented as a politican and as an orator.

[A18]

Uh, Reagan wasn't really a social conservative? And you know this how?

[phk]

Bush is Bush, Reagan was much nicer at least.

[Grad Students are the Worst]

Uh, Reagan wasn't really a social conservative? And you know this how?

He was less socially conservative than economically. However, anyone who considers him a Libertarian is overdoing it.

He was conservative on abortion and education, but more in the center on immigration. Nonetheless, he wasn't Libertarian on any major social issues that I know of.

[Akno21]

I have to say Reagan, because he had 8 years to mess up the country, and Bush has only had four so far. Also, Reagan didn't seem to me to be as much aligned with the religous right as Bush is.

[phk]

Religion is the key difference between the two.