When will Republicans stop obsessing over Reagan?

[IceSpear]

Seriously, can you go to a single prospective GOP presidential candidate's speech without them name dropping Reagan? Probably multiple times as well. The guy hasn't been in office for 25 years and has been dead for 10 years. When will the GOP finally move on?

[Yank2133]

When they have a GOP president that isn't consider a failure historically. 

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I'll echo in lighter terms what Yank said. Parties tend to place a good amount of reliance on their last "big" president. For the Democrats, Jackson gave way (down the road) to FDR who gave way to Kennedy. Bill Clinton, while popular, hasn't had the same amount of gravitas in that respect, though that may have to do with him still being alive and probably has to do with his reputation as a moderate. For the Republicans, Lincoln gave way to other popular Republican presidents like Grant, McKinley, Roosevelt, and so on. During the '60's, all we had as a living icon was Eisenhower, who tried a little and in vain to secure his legacy with the party, though Goldwater was able to successfully take that from him and his crew. After Eisenhower, the only Republican president that carries that weight is Reagan. Good economy, two (electoral) landslide victories, had a Republican successor which implies success in his own right, served at a pivotal time in world history, and so on. Had Bush somehow been able to turn the War on Terror into something successful combined with the right amount of PR, a good domestic policy, and larger victories, maybe he'd get something like that, though that's questionable.

[AggregateDemand]

Bill Clinton, while popular, hasn't had the same amount of gravitas in that respect, though that may have to do with him still being alive and probably has to do with his reputation as a moderate.

The hate reigned down on neoliberals is why Republicans will never get over Reagan. While technically neoliberal, he sported the tricorn hat of ancient conservatism to rally his base. The founding fathers rhetoric didn't really jive with Laffer Curve theory and expanding federal spending, but conservatives didn't care. They saw what they wanted to see, and they still see it today.

Besides the liberal Democrat obsession with maintaining the racial higher ground, I suspect the polarization of US politics is why the DNC chose Barack Obama, rather than Clinton. He speaks to the left wing base, which is a good thing for Democrats.........in theory

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Never

[Del Tachi]

Reagan is the Republican's FDR.

Do we expect Democrats to stop talking about the strides that FDR made during his Presidency anytime soon?

[I Will Not Be Wrong]

Never. Lincoln is still talked greatly by both parties, FDR/ Kennedy by Democrats. Reagan is an immensely popular president, so of course politicians will try to echo him.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

When someone better comes along for the Republicans.

[Joshgreen]

When the olds who remember him die.

[RogueBeaver]

Reagan is the Republican's FDR.

Do we expect Democrats to stop talking about the strides that FDR made during his Presidency anytime soon?

[Consciously Unconscious]

When the olds who remember him die.

You're going to be waiting a while for those 40 year olds who remember Reagan in awe to die. 

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Reagan is the Republican's FDR.

Do we expect Democrats to stop talking about the strides that FDR made during his Presidency anytime soon?

Only when y'all stop talking about what a great mind Reagan had.

[Mordecai]

I chose 2050s because by then Generation X Republicans will be in retirement homes instead of on the national stage and by that time they should have had a president that they think they can be proud of.

Reagan is the Republican's FDR.

Do we expect Democrats to stop talking about the strides that FDR made during his Presidency anytime soon?

That's a false equivalence, Democrats today don't namedrop FDR to show their liberal cred nearly as obsessively as Republicans do to try to bolster their image.

They're much more likely to mention Clinton, especially in relation to Dubya. Alison Lundergan Grimes even said "I'm a Clinton Democrat." while campaigning in Kentucky. FDR just doesn't have the universal appeal today that Reagan has, that ended like 20 years ago.

With Reagan you can mention his name anywhere in the U.S. and people will generally approve. Not so with FDR, Clinton has now come to occupy that vacuum he left.

[Joshgreen]

When the olds who remember him die.

You're going to be waiting a while for those 40 year olds who remember Reagan in awe to die. 

Exactly, so I'm not holding my breath.

[IceSpear]

Reagan is the Republican's FDR.

Do we expect Democrats to stop talking about the strides that FDR made during his Presidency anytime soon?

You rarely hear modern day Democrats CONSTANTLY referencing FDR.

I mean yeah, I get why they mention him. But they go so overboard with it it's just cringeworthy.

[Sasquatch]

This thread reminds me of this old Onion video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoCQO90-0zQ

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Reagan is the Republican's FDR.

Do we expect Democrats to stop talking about the strides that FDR made during his Presidency anytime soon?

Republicans talk more about Reagan than Democrats talk about FDR and LBJ combined.

[senyor_brownbear]

Reagan is the Republican's FDR.

Do we expect Democrats to stop talking about the strides that FDR made during his Presidency anytime soon?

Republicans talk more about Reagan than Democrats talk about FDR and LBJ every person in the world combined.

A preview of the 2016 debates: "Benghazi Reagan."

[hopper]

When? Well the Dems were still obsessing after FDR when Reagan was President I have heard. I think when Clinton was President that's when Dems stop obsessing over FDR. Now every Dem talks about Clinton now and his presidency was over 13-14 years ago.  I know  Conservative Talk Radio loves to talk about Reagan and cherish but the country demographically and the economy was different then. Japan was the only economic competitor to the US. Now we have China, Mexico, and Brazil competing with the US on an economic basis daily.

The Republicans like to look to Reagan for inspiration on economic policy but those policies aren't going to work now. The Reagan Tax Cuts worked because Japan was our only economic competitor then now The Reagan Tax Cuts would fail because of all the countries that are competing with us.

I think when the Republicans get their "Bill Clinton" they will stop talking about Reagan. Maybe Jeb Bush is that candidate.

[hopper]

When Democrats stop obsessing over FDR. Both of them are the pillars of political thought representing the two parties.

Presidential Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin loves FDR. I'm amazed at how much she cherishes FDR's legacy.

[hopper]

Reagan is the Republican's FDR.

Do we expect Democrats to stop talking about the strides that FDR made during his Presidency anytime soon?

Republicans talk more about Reagan than Democrats talk about FDR and LBJ combined.

Well Lyndon B Johnson is not known as a great president. He did leave a good legacy behind like Medicare, and The Civil Rights Act of 1964.

[hopper]

When they have a GOP president that isn't consider a failure historically.  

You think George HW Bush's Presidency was a failure? I don't think so. He is generally well liked by both parties now. I would give him an "incomplete" on his presidency. His defeat was moderately because of the pop culture change in 1992 from the 1980's pop culture as to why he lost as President  in 1992. Pop Culture really hasn't seen a backlash of a decade since the decade of the 80's got backlashed either. George HW Bush was at the wrong place at the wrong time partly and he really didn't have a plan for a second term to reduce the deficit  and an economic policy which Clinton kind of did.

Now yes George W. Bush's presidency is viewed as a failure.

[Potatoe]

I think when the Republicans get their "Bill Clinton" they will stop talking about Reagan. Maybe Jeb Bush is that candidate.

No.

[fartboy]

When blacks stop obsessing about Obama. Also, Reagan had a liberal side to him. He legalized abortion in California for therapeutic purposes even before Roe vs. Wade, signed helpful environmental bills, and became a supporter of gun control after his presidency.

[Potatoe]

When blacks stop obsessing about Obama. Also, Reagan had a liberal side to him. He legalized abortion in California for therapeutic purposes even before Roe vs. Wade, signed helpful environmental bills, and became a supporter of gun control after his presidency.

You realize that Reagen regretted that abortion bill? And blacks obsessing over Obama? Yeah, no.