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So I'm watching "The Reagans" on Showtime.

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TennesseeWalker Donating Member (925 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-30-03 10:09 PM
Original message
So I'm watching "The Reagans" on Showtime.
Much ado about nothing, IMO. Pretty cheesy acting, but it's showing a soap opera family with a genial old character and a stereotypical Nancy Reagan. Oversimplified reality, and not worth the constitutional crisis we just about had over this tripe.

Brolin is doing a pretty good Reagan. Kind of makes me like the old guy.....pretty much just shows Reagan as in over his head, but basically a good guy. Misguided, but good hearted.

I think Reagan would have taken it in good humor if he could watch it today.

Pretty sorry movie, though.
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LoZoccolo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-30-03 10:15 PM
Response to Original message
1. Beddie-bye-bo time again.
Maybe their next target is that old Genesis video with the Ron and Nancy puppets.
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Commie Pinko Dirtbag Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-01-03 04:06 PM
Response to Reply #1
19. Land of Confusion! The song rocks too. (nt)
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DeathvadeR Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-30-03 10:21 PM
Response to Original message
2. Does it entail any of this information?
1.First to turn America into a DEBTOR nation
2. First to increase DEBT faster than growth of national income in eight years
3. First to increase DEBT faster than growth of gdp over eight years
4. First to double the deficit in just eigh t years
5. First to “almost”: triple the national DEBT in just eight years
6. First to increase SPENDING by 80%--over 8 years.
7. First to SPEND more in eight years than was spent in prior 50 years.
8. First to have “real” INTEREST RATES of 8% after averaging 1% over 35 years.
9. First to keep PRIME INTEREST RATES at 20%.
10.First to over value the dollar to the yen at rate of 262 yen to 1 dollar.
11.First to have served as Governor and increase STATE SPENDING by 112%
12.First to have HOME LOAN INTEREST RATES as high as 16%
13. First to CUT TAXES by 60% for his rich pals
14. First to allow the SAVINGS AND LOAN INDUSTRY to be raided after signing a deregulatory bill and proclaiming “I think we have hit the jackpot”. Come and get it the vaults are unguarded.
15. First to deal with TERRORISTS
16. First to send an AUTOGRAPHED BIBLE to a man he called “The Satan of Terrorists”.
17. First to have an ADMIRAL plead the Fifth Amendment.
18. First to have a stealing, lying, gutless wife abusing MARINE LT. COLONEL plead the Fifth Amendment.
19. First to have a “sitting” CABINET MEMBER INDICTED
20. First to have an ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE INDICTED.
21. First to have an ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE SENT TO PRISON.
22. First to have over 100 MEMBERS OF AN ADMINISTRATION CHARGED WITH CRIMES..
23. First to have more members of his administration charged with crimes than CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF ALL OTHER PRESIDENTS in the twentieth century
24. First to set a record for the LARGEST ONE DAY PERCENTAGE DECLINE in the DOW in history. 10-19-87
25. First to have over $10,000,000 INCREASE IN WEALTH from serving for 8 years as president.
26. First to testify ”under oath” 130 times that ”I DON’T REMEMBER” .
27. First to have an Admiral with a photographic memory testify 128 times “ I DON’T REMEMBER”.
28. First to undergo BRAIN SURGERY a few months after leaving office. No pain no gain.
29. First to, repeatedly, FALSIFY HIS WIFE’S AGE. As tho anyone cared.
30. First to promote his religious faith and never have an ACTIVE CHURCH MEMBERSHIP.
31. First to never use the term JESUS CHRIST in speeches.
32. First to seek GUIDANCE FROM THE STARS not from God
33. First to have had a SHOTGUN WEDDING.
34. First to have worked as a SHILL in Las Vegas.
35. First to call a Stealing, Lying, Psychotic, wife abusing Marine a “LIAR.
36. First to have been OPENLY ALIENATED from his children.
37. First To have served with ALZHIMERS
38. First to have UNEMPLOYMENT AT 10.8% since great depression.
39. First to attack a small unprotected nation with 88,000 inhabitants and 10,000 bb guns then PROCLAIM -“America stands tall again”- “we have whipped the Vietnam Syndrome”-we have defeated communism”. Gosh! What if we had whipped Cyprus?.
40. #1-in FARM FORECLOSURES
41. #1-In BANK FAILURES
42. #1-In SAVINGS AND LOAN FAILURES
43. #1-In Percent increase in PERSONAL BANKRUPTCIES
44. #1-In recorded MISSTATEMENTS
45. #1-In never having a single press conference in which he did not make at least one or more INCORRECT STATEMENTS.
46. #1-In needing a staff person standby during press conferences to tell the press “WHAT HE REALLY MEANT”.
47. #1-In having SERVICEMEN KILLED during peacetime.
48. #1-In largest DROP IN POPULARITY in one week.
49. #1-In being first to HONOR NAZI STORM TROOPERS by calling them” Innocent Victims”
50. #1-In being first to be labeled “BRAIN DEAD AFFABLE DUNCE’ by this writer.
51. First to lie-over and over-to reporters “I DO NOT DYE MY HAIR my barber uses a special shampoo”
52. First to have a wife who ”forced” him to WEAR THREE SUITS in one day
53. First to boast “Not bad for a DUMB GUY who worked only 20 hours per week”.
54. First to have his wife sit nearby and WHISPER ANSWERS to questions
55. First to FALL ASLEEP while the Pope spoke
56. First to invite the Pope to visit the White House and “BRING THE WIFE AND KIDS”
57. First to have his press secretary remove him from the microphone because he could not answer questions. Then, as the reporter
yelled out “answer my question” he replied “MY HANDLERS WON’T LET ME SPEAK”. Quick get the white coat.
58. First 20th Century president to have historians RATE HIM BELOW every president of the 20th except for Richard Nixon. 1994 Poll.
59. First to give us a First Lady with a past reputation for giving the BEST BJ in Hollywood.
60. First to suggest his eldest son undergo PSYCHIATRIC examination
61. First to have been voted in British polls (twice) as the ”MOST FEARED LEADER IN THE WORLD” sic em Rambo.
62. First to serve as Governor on a ”conservative” platform and INCREASE SPENDING BY 112%.
63. First Governor TO INCREASE personal income taxes by 60%, tax increase on cigarettes by 200%, state tax collections by 152%.
64. First to have a Special Assistant say on national TV “sometimes you had to HIT HIM ON THE HEAD with a 2 x 4 to get his attention”
65. First to have his official biographer state on national TV ‘After he was shot in 1981he GOT SLOWER AND SLOWER EACH YEAR. His speech got slower. He deliberated more and he hesitated more when he spoke. He lost his physical quickness and would not make decisions on the spot. It was a very, very slow and steady mental and physical decline”.
66. First to have a POPULARITY RATING OF ONLY 35% after his first two years in office.
67. First president to have been DIVORCED
68. First president to have the Geriatrics Department of a major
university study his behavior and conclude that AFTER THREE YEARS IN OFFICE HE HAD ALZHIMERS.
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Hokie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-30-03 10:26 PM
Response to Reply #2
4. 59
Way to go Nancy.
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TennesseeWalker Donating Member (925 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-30-03 10:26 PM
Response to Reply #2
5. That's pretty impressive.
Nope.
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WannaJumpMyScooter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-30-03 10:27 PM
Response to Reply #2
6. Hell, * can beat most of those in only 3 years. Imagine what
he can do with 4 more?

BTW, that is a cool list. Where did you get it?
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NightTrain Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-30-03 10:54 PM
Response to Reply #2
8. Well geez, if you're gonna nitpick...!

:evilgrin:
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Art_from_Ark Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-30-03 11:33 PM
Response to Reply #2
11. Please delete Number 10
Edited on Sun Nov-30-03 11:36 PM by Art_from_Ark
It is wrong. The yen was pegged at 360 yen per dollar after the war, and remained there until Nixon made it float in 1971. The yen value rose to about 260/dollar by 1973, but fell back to about 300/dollar when the oil crises hit (since Japan was more susceptible to oil shortages). During the Carter administration, the yen rose to about 200/dollar due to US inflation, then retreated to about 260/dollar on a couple of occasions during the early Reagan years when the international money was pursuing the high interest rates in the US. By 1985, when the yen was at about 260, the Reagan administration pressured the Japanese government and financial markets to greatly increase the value of the yen.



http://www.forcastglobaleconomy.com/p2/article02.html
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Paragon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-01-03 12:21 AM
Response to Reply #11
13. And number 59
The one I got was lousy - must've been off her game that day. :silly:
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Old and In the Way Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-30-03 10:25 PM
Response to Original message
3. "In over his head"
That was always my feeling too. Really, did anyone ever think Reagan ran his office? It was always Nancy and Mike Deaver calling the shots. All Ron had to do was hit his marks and memorize his lines.
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TennesseeWalker Donating Member (925 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-30-03 10:52 PM
Response to Original message
7. If the Republicans get worked up over something like this....
...God help us if anyone ever chooses to make a movie that shows the TRUTH about ANYTHING critical of a Republican administration.

Absolute WHITEWASH. It made you feel sorry for the Reagans, and made Don Regan and Oliver North out to be the ultimate bad guys for Iran-Contra. Incidentally, JOHN TOWER came off as an absolute HERO for DEMOCRACY in running the Tower Commission and convincing Reagan to confess.
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Catt03 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-30-03 11:02 PM
Response to Original message
9. Both Nancy and Ron come out more human
Edited on Sun Nov-30-03 11:02 PM by Catt03
than I ever thought they were.

Much ado about nothing. I agree.
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anti_shrub Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-30-03 11:13 PM
Response to Original message
10. Movie showed things pretty much like I expected
Reagan being out of the loop while people under him are running around breaking the law.

I can see why the GOP didn't want this movie out, because for one it makes you think about how Shrubby's just as out of the loop.....and during the scene where Reagan denies selling arms to Iran my mind flashed to Clinton denying having sex with Monica.

Democratic Lies = Lies about BJs= Impeachment

Republican Lies= Lies about trading with terrorist nations = more popular than Lincoln

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VolcanoJen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-01-03 12:18 AM
Response to Original message
12. Well, I sure am glad CBS pulled that, so as not to plunge the country...
... into chaos.

:boring:

The Patti Davis character was portrayed as some kind of ridiculous counter-culture hippie stereotype, Ron Reagan came off as humiliated as ever, Nancy Reagan was portrayed as more involved, seriously, than Hillary Clinton ever thought about being, and Dutch... well, he came off rather well, I thought, and likeable. Definitely more so than when he actually was the President. It definitely had the aftertaste of whitewash to me.

I'm very pleased, though, that America narrowly averted the crushing pain of civil war that airing the teleplay to the masses, via CBS, would have caused.

}(
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RandomKoolzip Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-01-03 01:03 AM
Response to Original message
14. Anybody remember the Democrats trying to ban 'Primary Colors'?
How about "Wag the Dog?" No? That's because Democrats are decent human beings. Remember that next time some freeper gets on his high horse about "excessive political correctness."


God, republicans make me so fucking mad..................
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VOX Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-01-03 03:43 AM
Response to Reply #14
15. Well said, RKz! The RW says PC is bad, but if you dis their god Reagan...
Well, then that's just plain "treasonous."

Freepers never had much use for free speech.
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Ernesto Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-01-03 01:12 PM
Response to Original message
16. Well, they hooked me
That is the 1st "made for TV" movie that I have ever sat through....... The freeper outrage over this thing shows just how devided this country is. For DUers, the story was pretty much "what we already knew or thought" with few revelations. (Much ado about nothing.) ............ Repukes on the other, hand can only bleat: "Blaspheme!". Outrageous attack on their spiritual leader will not be tolerated!..... Kinda like Salmon Rushdie's literary work about Islam which could have got him killed him by religous nuts...... Unfortunately for the US, those that believe in the sacred mythology of St. Ronnie have way too much power... And so it goes..........
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underpants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-01-03 01:35 PM
Response to Original message
17. Newsday---'Reagans': An Affable Lug Meets A Shrew
http://www.nynewsday.com/entertainment/ny-etreagan013565785dec01,0,3465432.story?coll=nyc-ent-short-navigation

Nancy Reagan, as played by Emmy-winning actress Judy Davis ("Me and My Shadows: Life With Judy Garland"), often seems about one coat hanger shy of Faye Dunaway's Joan Crawford in "Mommie Dearest." She treats her step- and biological children as roughly equal inconveniences. The scene of her shaking daughter Patti after the little girl misbehaves during the filming of a GE commercial is almost as unsettling as the scene in which she turns away stepdaughter Maureen, who apparently had been battered by her estranged husband.
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Redleg Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-01-03 04:05 PM
Response to Original message
18. Maybe this will make the conservative crybabies look bad
because they railed on and on about how this movie is a disgrace and untruthful, etc. The reality appears that the show is harmless and a bit dull.
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Pattib Donating Member (396 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-01-03 04:32 PM
Response to Original message
20. And Michael Regan came off as just wanting some of Dad's love.
It's funny because of all the kids, Michael is the strongest supporter of his fathers and yet he seemed to be the most neglected.

I missed a bit at the beginning. Are Michael and Maureen the adopted children of Ronald Regan and Jane Wyman? Or are they the biological children?

As parents, they left a lot to be desired. It seems as though Nancy and Ron only cared about each other. Pretty creepy the way Ronald Regan treated Nancy like a mommy. I think he even called her that. EWWW!
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Rich Hunt Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-01-03 05:05 PM
Response to Original message
21. who would have guessed?
I had no idea that Nancy Reagan single-handedly prevented WWIII!

:evilgrin:

...is the Reagan family really complaining when they make Nancy look like such a great leader?

Or is it more embarrassing to the neo-cons and crooks who are now in office?
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