Who's the best President we never had?

[Razgovory]

I don't really get all the RFK love.

Me, either.  I don't think he would have made a great president.

Well not with that "D" next to his name.

[Admiral Yi]

What about Nelson Rockefeller instead of Teflon Brain?

Everyone loves to rave about liberal Republicans to make a point about the current breed, but they forget that liberal Republicans often led their cities or states into bankruptcy.

[Ed Anger]

I don't really get all the RFK love.

Me, either.  I don't think he would have made a great president.

Well not with that "D" next to his name.

The kennedy's are an overrated bunch.

[Caliga]

The kennedy's

[Ed Anger]

The kennedy's

Fuck 'em.

[Ed Anger]

Truman now, there was a Democrat president.

[Habbaku]

I don't really get all the RFK love.

Me, either.  I don't think he would have made a great president.

Well not with that "D" next to his name.

Your hackery is showing.

[The Brain]

Truman now, there was a Democrat president.

He was a gracious loser too.

[Norgy]

Everyone loves to rave about liberal Republicans to make a point about the current breed, but they forget that liberal Republicans often led their cities or states into bankruptcy.

Unlike the whole union.

Meh, I have no love for "liberal" Republicans or any other Republican. It just seems to me that Reagan made them even worse.

[The Minsky Moment]

No mention for Henry Clay?

[Habbaku]

It just seems to me that Reagan made them even worse.

To a degree, he certainly did.  He gave them the rhetoric of balanced budgets and smaller government with none of the follow-through that they've been running on for the last 20 years.

[Norgy]

To a degree, he certainly did.  He gave them the rhetoric of balanced budgets and smaller government with none of the follow-through that they've been running on for the last 20 years.

That's one point I can certainly see.
One could of course argue that his administration spent the Soviet Union to death and that the ambitious, costly and ultimately quite useless (in terms of their actual implementation) projects convinced Soviet leadership that their system was doomed.

On the other hand, (and correct me if I am completely off target here) I understand Reagan built much of his support within the party on the Moral Majority and the Christian Right and moved the Republicans towards a more social conservative agenda, thus alienating quite a few voters (including a lot of Languishtas).

It seems as if this agenda has become an important rallying point ever since in order to get nominated.

[Caliga]

You are correct, Norg.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

Chauncey Gardner

[Admiral Yi]

On the other hand, (and correct me if I am completely off target here) I understand Reagan built much of his support within the party on the Moral Majority and the Christian Right and moved the Republicans towards a more social conservative agenda, thus alienating quite a few voters (including a lot of Languishtas).

This may be more an issue of characterization than of analysis, but my impression is that Reagan built up his power more through appeal to the nationalistic/patriotic/jingoistic/assertive (choose whichever one you like) parts of the American psyche than by pandering to the religious right.  In contrast to the defeatist self-loathing policies of Carter.  Massive defense spending.  Evil empire.  Shoot the shit out of Cuban construction workers.  Remember Carter was all about the Jesus too.

I can't think of any major legislation he signed that was particularly social conservative in nature (though Marty might be quick to jump in with his horribly homophobic policies on AIDS).