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The Spectacle Blog
My friend Jeff Lord’s piece on Reagan is right on target. He was fortunate to serve as Reagan’s political director, while I was a mere just-out-of-college Reagan political appointee to the Veterans Administration in 1986, so he actually had the chance to deal directly with Reagan instead of at one remove. But let me add this: There should be no doubt in anybody’s mind that the left added not one iota to the Reagan-led efforts to revitalize the economy and confront and kill Soviet Communism. There was NO consensus on confronting Communism. The Left did all it could to undermine every one of Reagan’s efforts. ABC joined in in about 1983 with a horrendous piece of agitpro called “The Day After,” warning of the horrors of nuclear war. The Washington Post sent a reporter to watch it with our group of conservative undergrads at Georgetown, sort of in a mode of “let’s see how these bizarre young warmongers react to the actual depiction of the nuclear war they want to fight.” (The actual article didn’t come out too badly; the reporter seemed to realize part-way through that we were neither circus freaks nor warmongers, and instead portrayed us as at least semi-thoughtful human beings.)
I’m sort of rambling, but the point is this: Ronald Reagan gave us all the confidence to rally around the essential truths of the American creed, and to stand up against all the vicious attacks that were aimed at our side. Our friend David Bossie at Citizens United, along with Newt and Callista Gingrich (Note: I blasted Gingrich yesterday for his ethanol stance, but I’ll gladly praise him on the many occasions where praise is due him), did a great film that really captured the battles, and it’s worth a look (follow the link) if you haven’t seen it. Those were days of “great pith and moment,” and we need to remember their lessons.
Everybody keeps lamenting that we just can’t seem to find “another Ronald Reagan.” It’s a fool’s errand. Reagan was sui generis. I feel confident saying that Reagan himself would urge us to rely on that part of ourselves that was inspired by the ideals for which Reagan battled, and to put ourselves on the line continually to keep those ideals alive. As he said in his First Inaugural Address:
It does require, however, our best effort, and our willingness to believe in ourselves and to believe in our capacity to perform great deeds; to believe that together, with God’s help, we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us. And, after all, why shouldn’t we believe that? We are Americans.
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More Blog Posts by Quin Hillyer
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/02/01/what-jeff-said
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Too Many Tims| 2.1.11 @ 10:22AM
There won't be another Reagan any more than there will be another Lincoln or Washington: but there will be other great Presidents.
Oldefarte| 2.1.11 @ 11:12AM
IMO, the ultimate worst instance of the liberals/Democrats seeking to undermind theis country's existance from their insane policies occurred when Teddy conspired with the Russians in seeking to promote their idology here in the US [because of his hatred for Reagan/conservatives' policies]. That to me was dispicable and deplorable, and he/they should have been legally prosecuted for same. Additionally, his using his dying political breath to trojun-horse into the White House [successfully] its current occupant ranks second to same.
Interested Conservative| 2.1.11 @ 12:29PM
I'm a bit older than Quin, but I recall the tail end of the anti-communist left - and there's history available covering it. From trade union efforts resisting Marxism to Sen. Jackson to the southern defense democrats. It's curious to see the present media still denigrate the south, particularly "Nixon's southern strategy", and Reagan's southern campaigns, all the while not expressing the least interest in where "Reagan democrats" came from.
I will not be surprised when, eventually, urban blacks discover that they need a political alternative, and it's been there for 50 years. A little freedom can be very powerful, given a chance. Modern Democrats don't seem to understand that.
bobmontgomery| 2.1.11 @ 3:10PM
From Quin to JL to countless others, it seems all who worked for RR not only admire the man but cherish their time working for him. I was blissfully non-observant at the time but everything I have read since indicates these folks look b ack on that era as more Camelot than Camelot, or something to that effect.
Willy| 2.1.11 @ 3:50PM
Reagan was, as they say, a game changer and a hero to many of us. He inspired because of his personal and political principles. We would do well to focus our attention on those, and remember that most of our political opposition despised him and failed to recognize his human decency.
cali| 2.2.11 @ 4:48AM
Great post!
I moght add, that even the libs most beloved Edward Kennedy went as far as asking the russians to help him defeat Reagan. That aout says it all, what the left is about, if it's good for America, the left is against it, no matter which subject.
What I find most troubling is that we allow the left the upper hand in demonising our ideas. they are quite successful in it, as the recent Tucson shooting demonstrated.
Why not be on the offense, rather than defense? We do not need to be insecure in what we believe!