And neo-fascists. I call myself a raging moderate because actually many of the things I believe are what the Republican party stood for during the Eisenhower administration. Even some of Reagan's policies are better than Trump's.


God help us.

Of having the daughter of the dumbification of the Republican party ask us about the moral backbone af a group who lost its way when they elected a Hollywood actor as president?

I am dumbfounded.

i'm more like "oh my god" spoken slowly with a tone of disdain

...he would go back to being a Democrat. Despite him being idolized by today's GOP, he is now far left of them. He would never win the GOP nomination...with that said, Nixon is far too liberal. He is the guy who created the EPA, championed the Clean Water Act, etc.

For all the shit and disdain these two get on DU, in today's climate they could easily qualify as moderate Democrats. That should tell you how bat shit crazy the GOP has become. They've gone beyond the "dog whistles" and fully embraced racism, fascism, etc.

The fact that stalwart Republican figures of the past have more in common with the opposition party of today, Democrats, says a shit load. The GOP is dead..what was left has now merged with the Democratic Party and the arguments are now within, what is progressive, is Socialism bad...can we regulate Capitalism, etc.. The GOP is now a party that represents the old Confederacy, which contrary to many beliefs, never disappeared....they hijacked the party of Lincoln...and plan to use that distinction to rewrite history and further their aims.

Remember, he legalized abortion in California, raised taxes when needed, granted amnesty for immigrants, etc. In a number of ways, he is, under todays definition, a Democrat. We can spar over his issues on Mental Hospitals, Gay rights, etc. But remember, this was the 80's...Disneyland actually closed down one day on the rumor someone with AIDS went there...it was a complete different time. On DU, we compare him to today's party, which isn't exactly fair. Not saying those views of the past are acceptable, but they were there, and it was as it was. It takes time to evolve.

I'm not obsolving him, every person in history had his/her faults...and I'm thankful for that, it makes them human, just recognizing the historical ironies.

I get what you are saying. I'm a socialist...but also recognize, that any socialist party in the USA has a snow ball's chance in a heated incinerator to win an election.

But my point is this, the GOP has moved so far to the extremist right, the very heros they raise up from the past....fall severely short. And note, Allan Greenspan once called Clinton the most Republican president to date. Would have Regan allowed the repeal of the Glass -Steagal Act? The Depression, a time he lived in. I have my doubts. But today, we have candidate/congress members who have the "D" with their name, and willing to "revise" it...oh and, it was revised....to our detriment.

Not saying this is awful..just saying there opposition is worse

The Democrats don't need racist, misogynist, union-busting red baiters in the party. That is the sole province of the Republicans.

and I'm I never forgetting it!

He may appear moderate by the idiocy of today's Republicans, but he was the arch conservative who laid the groundwork for where the party is today.

Reagan furthered Atwater's strategy of using racial resentment to drive wedges into the coalition of White people and People of Color who were fighting for the middle and working class. He talked about "welfare queens" and "young bucks" (both highly racial terms) when everyone knew that White people disproportionately used the welfare system.

Reagan also conspired with an enemy nation (like Nixon before him) to win the election. He made a deal with Iran to supply them with weapons despite them being on the Terrorist Nation list, so that they would keep the hostages until after the election in 1980. He repaid Iran by funneling money and drugs through the Contras in Nicaragua (also highly illegal) to buy and sell weapons to Iran. He then sold weapons to Iraq, including chemical weapons with Saddam Hussein used on his people.

He demonized government and took out IOU's on social security. He cut taxes for the wealthy and when his cuts started to affect the economy, he didn't raise taxes on the rich back to previous levels. He raised taxes on Social Security, the middle class, and by instituting fees which also impacted the middle and working classes way more than the wealthy.

Sorry but Reagan was only constrained by the fact that there was not yet a RightWing bubble universe with Fox News. He had to work with a Democratic Congress from non-gerrymandered districts.

IMO if there had been no Reagan we would have no Trump. Reagan was absolutely horrible, no one should ever forget his evilness!

what today's republican party has become. It has become such an extreme parody of itself, it would be barely recognizable even to true Reagan republicans of the past.

During Reagan's time, there was still a functioning media and everyone had to operate from the same set of facts. If Nixon or Reagan had a whole media universe, which fed followers with lies and propaganda as Fox and others do today, we would have seen the same batshit conservatism that we see today.

my "doormats" to "eunuchs".

Thanks Patti!