Who's the best President we never had?

[Eddie Teach]

Reagan wasn't socially conservative, he was just old enough that some of his mainstream views were outdated.

[MadImmortalMan]

You're partly right I think. There wasn't much in the way of actual social conservative policy enacted. It was during that time that the US religious community began to self-identify with the GOP. Before that, they were not all that partisan. It wasn't a coincidence. The GOP worked them into it. Even though they didn't actually do much for them in the way of tangible policy activity. So, they got played.

[Caliga]

There wasn't any.  For Reagan it was all lip service in order to get their votes.  Religious right dudes are really dumb like that.  You just have to say you're born again and pay them basic lip service, and they throw their votes at you.  All you have to do is not support any pro-gay or pro-abortion legislation.

The left is harder to pander to: you have to both pay them lip service AND actually give them handouts.

[Admiral Yi]

Well, one of the cornerstones of the Democratic party was fierce, unrelenting defense of Roe v Wade, so it's not like social conservatives had any where else to go.

[KRonn]

I don't really get all the RFK love.

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

I mainly feel he had the tough mindedness and leadership that would have made a good President. I think he had enough of that, at a difficult time in US history (civil rights issues, Vietnam, etc) that he could have moved the country in a more positive direction.

[Valmy]

No mention for Henry Clay?

His crooked bargain can never be forgiven

Well ok I did think of he and Webster but figured I should stick to the 20th century.

[Norgy]

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 am sure Reagan would never have been elected twice without a positive message. And I think that's basically his greatest legacy. Ignore the negatives, focus on the greater visions. And that's not meant as negative criticism. Sure, it's easy to get the protest vote, but that will only get you that far. To stay in office, you need The Great Message.

I actually see a lot of the same trickery from Obama, in his speeches and especially his campaign.

As far as I understand, Reagan rather built on Carter/Russophobic Polack's policies and expanded them when it comes to defence and anti-Evil Empire policies.

[Admiral Yi]

As far as I understand, Reagan rather built on Carter/Russophobic Polack's policies and expanded them when it comes to defence and anti-Evil Empire policies.

It's undisputable that Carter started out the defense build-up.  It's a little more debateable in my mind if Grenada, Pershing IIs, and "tear down this wall" were a direct continuation of boycotting the Moscow Olympics.

[dps]

I've never once voted Republican, you know.

I've never actually voted for the Democratic nominee in a Presidential election (though I have in other elections).  I might have voted for Clinton in '92--I was undecided, but then Clinton gave a speach in which he said to ask yourself if you were better off than you were in '88.  Well, I was better off than I had been so years earlier, so I figured if that's what he wanted me to vote based on, I should take his advice and vote for Bush.  I would have voted for Tsongas, had he been the nominee (I voted for him in the primary).

What about Nelson Rockefeller instead of Teflon Brain?

Doesn't exactly meet the plausibility test, since Nelson Rockefeller was dead before Reagan was elected.  (I assume that you mean Reagan by "Teflon Brain", and not Nixon.  Though Rockefeller as well as Reagan did challange Nixon for the Republican nomination in'68).

[Admiral Yi]

I would have voted for Tsongas, had he been the nominee (I voted for him in the primary).

I wrote in Tsongas that general.  Then the dude croaks like three weeks later. 

[Valmy]

Tsongas had no chance.  A candidate who promised to take the Federal Deficit seriously.

[katmai]

Alexander Haig

He had his 5mins, don't you remember?

[dps]

Tsongas had no chance.  A candidate who promised to take the Federal Deficit seriously.

Which was why I voted for him.

[CountDeMoney]

Alexander Haig

He had his 5mins, don't you remember?

Take the next 5 minutes, and go fuck yourself.

[jimmy olsen]

Time to shake things up and break the rules. Who should have re-elected/elected again but wasn't?

Teddy shouldn't have run his mouth about not running in '08 after his win in '04. He would have won another landslide. Teddy 1901-1913!