1976, Ronald Reagan

Reagan lost the nomination to Gerald Ford in 1976. After Ford gave his acceptance speech the delegates called for Reagan.

He spoke briefly. No notes, no prepared remarks, no teleprompter. He sealed the 1980 nomination then and there:



There is a shorter version of this clip, but I liked some of the back story that the few extra minutes fleshed out.

How would Barry have done if the nomination had gone to Clinton? If the Democratic race had gone the other way I'm sure Clinton would not have put Obama on the spot - The Clinton Machine would not have allowed Obama to suck the air out of the room.

Full disclosure - in 1976 I was in Carter's camp. Except for a brief flirtation with Paul Tsongas, it was the last time I supported a Democrat. Thank God I was too young to vote for the peanut - I'm not sure if I could have survived the remorse. By 1979 I was ready for a Reagan, but not Republicans. As a teenager I watched the Carter administration stumble along; for a while it was enough that he "wasn't Nixon". Towards the end I think the only thing that kept Carter in office was the thought of having Wally Mondale as president... By 1980 I had become a card carrying Cold Warrior type - and I carried said card in a wallet emblazoned with the slogan "I'd rather be killing Communists".

Reagan v Obama

"Compare and contrast":

Was it really 28 years ago?

I converted this to MP4 (a mere 92 MB) so I can play it on my G1 phone during The One's speech:

The Original Yes, We Can!

Fresh for 2009 - Your Periodic Reagan:



YouTube user eaglephin posted this video with these comments... I'm going to shamelessly steal the whole thing:

It takes more than a pretty video and a bunch of celebrities singing to make a great president. It takes a person who understands where the true greatness of America lies.

Long before anyone ever heard of Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan challenged Americans to hope, to dream, to believe....

In themselves.

He brought change. He told us "yes we can". Except he also told us we didn't need government to do it. He inspired us with his words and his actions. He showed us that our individual liberty and creativity is what makes our country great not any government program.

Today, Americans are wowed by the empty oratory of politicians who promise nothing but failed socialism in disguise. Even the presumptive Republican nominee cloaks himself in the mantle of Reagan but has shown that he doesn't understand Reagan's philosophy.

Reagan was an idealist AND an ideologue. His policies were based in his rock solid conservative ideology. That doesn't mean he never compromised. But compromise is something different than standing on the same side of an issue with those who are supposed to be your political adversaries.

John McCain is no Ronald Reagan.