RateItAll: The Opinion Network

One of the best presidents of the U.S. Better than George W. Bush.

Certainly a great leader during a very tense time in the U.S. Also was very influential with his speeches. However, he was a little to eager to search out his little wars, spent entirely way too much and was not always the most forthcoming (then again he was President).

Geez! We're talking about the guy who turned in all his old buddies in the Actors Guild to HUAC in order to score points for his political career.

Update to Numbah-----Well, actually, I thought it was more an ill-conceived attempt at humor than it was a rant but...whatever. I guess one man's wanna-be humor is another man's rant. I never professed to be Lenny Bruce or Mort Sahl but then again, you ain't Bill Buckley, so I guess we're even. But, if anybody was offended, my apologies. I understand that Reagan is considered the Patron Saint of the neo-cons and we should have some respect for the departed, but the constant saccharine veneration gets tiresome after awhile and I always feel some obligation to try and puncture the balloon of pomposity once it becomes inflated enough to fly off into the wild blue ether (which makes me sound pompous, I know, but hey...I'm human too) or the never-ending treacle induces diabetes. I guess the beauty of this website is that it presents us all the same opportunity to play the boring, predictable pedant, whether it's me, you, or Eschew.-----Update----Eschew, I thought you preferred holding something other than a popsicle stick in your hand (not that there's anything wrong with that). Ah, how silly, but whatever floats your boat.....------Update---Eschew, my boyo, What part of your body would you like me to put the popsicle stick in? Uhm...don't tell me...I can guess...Update----Jeez, Eschew sounds like he had an involuntary emission during that particular diatribe...-----Zombie Emeritus for the Right Wing. Actually managed to make Bonzo look good...

A was a kid at the time, but I can remember that when Reagan was president, being American wasn't anything I was supposed to be ashamed of. Why don't more people try thinking like that? UPDATE: Rant, rant, rant. Say nothing new, just rant, rant, rant...

There's no question, this is THE guy. THE notable conservative. HE won the Cold War. Anyone who disputes that is welcome to debate me, at any time. A few children will accommodate me, but anyone who lived through the 1970's and 1980's has a very hard time keeping a straight face during the discussion. He gave the American Dream back to America, reminded us how a great nation conducts its affairs, gave our military back its honor and prestige, showed us (I thought) how stupid it was to elect weak leaders, but, we really didn't learn. We just accepted his incredible success and, when he left, we went back to our stupid old ways. But a few of us remember: Callit, Lance (incredibly well-done), Gone, Kate, Major (welcome to the fold), Solenoid (like a warm bath) and Mr. Pol (kudos on an outstanding list, and comment). A few remember. Comparing Clinton to Reagan is like going surfing on a popsicle stick. UPDATE: Ed, what a compelling rebuttal. Many well thought out and cogent points. Here's your popsicle stick. 2ND UPDATE: Since you seem to have abandoned continuing to try to surf on it, you can place it in the palm of my hand.

I can't think of anything to say about President Reagan that hasn't already been said. He restored pride in the country, helped to give Vietnam Veterans the credit they deserved, and rebuilt a military that had been skeletonized by the previous administration.

MR. Political, I can't leave or reply to private messages. I'm not on a hatred tantrum. I simply thought Hitler could be considered a notable conservative. And I do not think being patriotic makes one a Nazi. I was just saying that Hitler, held patriotism above all else, with no reason or logic involved. A lot of conservatives seem that way to me. Sorry. He censored everything. Aren't most conservatives pro-censorship? And don't you think the Republican party could be considered somewhat changed since the Civil War. And Liberals as well? I'm not saying conservatives are Hitler (I saw that Dialy Show episode) , I'm saying Hitler did have some conservative tendencies. I thought you might like to include him. And yes, I thought it might be funny to send the suggestion after the smart%&@ message you sent me, ..................that I have no way of replying to. And you can't tell me that Coach K would not be more notable than some of the people you have on these two lists. He's a MEGA star and campaigns for your party. Sorry. I'll never associate with you on here again. I give Reagan a 4 for the hell of it. ...........................dude. UPDATE: Reagan was an American president , so he's notable. Check out my new list about RIA snitching. UPDATE: MR POLITICAL, you got me all wrong. Check my new comment on my list on the topic you rated first.

I remember turning 18 shortly before the 1980 Presidential Election and although I had registered as a Republican, I still was somewhat reserved about Reagan. Then I went to go see a stump speech just before the election and the minute he finished his speech, the great communicator had me in his corner. The revival of the GOP was immediately noticeable upon his election. By the time I graduated the passion that the left had enjoyed during the sixties and seventies had transfered into the Republican party. My admiration for Ronald Reagan is founded on a more emotional level than a political one but surely that is not to say Mr. Reagan was without success. Indeed, most of his presidency is deserving of only the highest accalades for reasons my fellow RIA reviewers have discussed (kudos to Lance). Everytime I made a speech in class or engaged in a debate, I modeled my presentation in the likes of Ronald Reagan. In fact, to this day I still do. He was a man not afraid to look into the eye of his opponent and get his message across. He reminded Americans that waving the flag does not make you a nazi. He reminded Americans that the best way to accomplish peace was through a position of strength. He reminded Americans why their grandfathers and fathers had fought to defend their country. Most importantly, though, he reminded Americans why they were proud to be one in the first place.

Here are some observations about Reagan, one of my 3 favorite Presidents: (1) He didn't change his opinions to try to win. I remember so well during the '84 election when Mondale's people were running polls and trying to find out what certain groups of people wanted to hear. You always knew where Reagan stood. (2) While Jimmy Carter was saying to us, Trust me, Reagan was saying, I trust you, the people. He had more faith in the grass roots than in a bloated government. (3) While other politicians would seek to divide people and demonize certain segments of society, blaming one group or another for causing inflation, Reagan would simply say that inflation hurts all of us and that all of us can work together to rebuild the economy. (4) He was incredibly upbeat and optimistic, much more than I was, or just about anyone else I knew. (5) He and his wife genuinely loved each other. That used to bug some people to death. Whether you liked Nancy or not, everyone knows that he always did, and she adored him as well. (6) Those who worked closely with him were amazed at his freedom from bitterness. He didn't carry grudges against his critics or seek revenge. (7) He had the courage to stand up to the illegal PATCO strikers, and dismissed them when they continued to break the law. (8) He came across as one of us, instead of just another lawyer from a rich family, which seems to be the common fabric of our national leaders. (9) Look at who his enemies were: all the unruly, anti-American, anti-family, immoral leftist organizations hated him. You can tell a real man by looking at those who oppose him. (10) His spontaneous speech at the '76 Convention, invited unexpectedly by Ford, the nominee, was the most moving political speech I've ever heard. That night, the GOP delegates quickly realized they had made a mistake by choosing Ford instead of Reagan. (11) When reporters were nasty to him, which they always were during press conferences, he responded respectfully and with good humor. (12) He was free from fear, and instilled a feeling of confidence in people across the country at a time when we really needed it. (13) He seemed to love this country more than other leaders - at least any I have observed. (14) He was not only intelligent, but had the soul of a poet, which was appealing aesthetically. (15) He had a deep respect for the Oval Office, refusing even to remove his coat while in the room. Such symbolism may appear silly to some people, but I really missed that sense of respect during all those years that our former Governor Clinton was in office. (16) Every president has the ability to appeal to either the best or the worst that is in us. Some presidents have stirred up animosity among people, or have whetted their appetite for more government handouts. Ronald Reagan appealed to our sense of history, national pride, patriotism, unity, and a belief that we could work together and make this a better country. He was one of my favorite people even long before he became president. I don't expect to ever see a man like him in the White House again.

President Ronald Reagan was our greatest leader. He truly cared about this country and its people. He was not swayed by political pressure. He had a way to focus on what was important. He saved this country and defeated communism and freed many. He respected this country, the office of the President and the White House. To even think about placing the likes of Hitler in the same category with this great american is just so liberial.

Overrated and given a bizarre amount of credit for the economic collapse of the Soviet Empire. An icon? Perhaps- but I guess he provided the emotional satisfaction that people craved. . .

Clinton was better ...

In the milieu of ignorance that infests the political postings of this site nothing exceeds the imbecilic, most patently disingenuous rants, that dismiss the successes of the Reagan administration. Cloaking themselves in the mendacious draping of psuedo-intellectual banter the RIA plebeians care not about contextual consistency, fair application of statistical data nor even the truth in their efforts to revise history. Prior to Reagan taking office our nation was mired in a downward spiral of perpetual stagflation that robbed individuals of their worth by reducing the value of their incomes- which overwhelmingly burdened the poor- retarded economic mobility, increased the cost of living (inflation was almost 14% in 1981), stymied investment (adjusting for inflation the stock market had decreased in value by 50% from 1964 to 1981), increased unemployment (actually rose to double digits) and brought about stratospheric interest rates (19%). Jimmy Carter was busy telling America how quite possibly our best years were behind us and toiled away devising misery indexes to calculate the level of high unemployment and inflation rates. Hypothetically just taking the rate of inflation into account if say a president were to accomplish the task of reducing it by 10% while keeping incomes just static it would equate to a substantial value increase in ones income. Just taking the interest rates into consideration the largest investments average Americans have would increase dramatically just by curtailing the oppressive interest burden. Just by reducing the unemployment rate by say 75% it would be possible for an economy to add 20 million new jobs over an 8 year period. Doing so in concert would produce the largest peace time economic expansion in American history. Did such a leader exist? Simultaneously in 1980 the Soviet Union had locked all of Eastern Europe in the darkness of tyranny, and had expanded its imperialist desires in Central America, South America, Africa and South East Asia. Our abilities to confront the expansion was waning, our pusillanimous president lacked the political will and the intestinal fortitude to confront evil as it was and was naively wed to the assumption that all could be negotiated for through peace agreements. Yet the spread of communism raged. Islamofascists seized our embassy in Tehran and took 183 Americans hostage yet America did nothing. Reagan would have none of this and everyone knew he meant it. (ever wonder why those hostages were released the day he took office?) Reagan believed this nation to be what it was: the last best hope on earth. On the wave of an electoral landslide he swept into office on a promise to bring respect, dignity and strength back to a nation that was beaten down by its leaders. He promised he would make America a proud and prosperous nation once again, by allowing the American entrepreneurial spirt to be unleashed, by reinvigorating our military and through the use of our benevolent power to confront communist aggression in the free world. The Gipper cut taxes on all income classes which led to a 35% expansion in our economy over his term. Investments increased. The stock market doubled in value. Unemployment fell by almost 45% adding over 22 million new jobs- over 70% of which were high paying an above the median salary level- to the economy and rising more people out of poverty than at anytime during the 20th Century. 5 million new businesses were opened. Interest rates fell from 19% to 3% and inflation fell from 14% to below 3.5% making the value of everyones income that much greater. He expanded our military and through various efforts- mostly covert- brought communism to its knees by decades end. If one is hesitant to believe that they should ask Gorbachev what he believes the greatest influence on the fall of the Soviet Union was: the United States military build up and investment in SDI. Liberals are wont to stick their heads in the sand and ignore all the empirical data proving such immense growth and foreign policy success yet they bow at the alter of Clintons guidance of a thriving economy already in progress (unlike when Reagan took office)- with numbers that only compare to the 80s growth. Such voluntary naivety proves that libs are wed to nothing more than ideology. Americans however are not so easily mislead. Reagan was recently voted America's greatest American in an online Discovery poll. His approval rates are consistenly above 65%- but most importantly in his second election he was reelected in the largest landslide in American history. Sorry libs know matter how much you try to distort his record history will always look very kindly on the Greatest President of the 20th Century- Ronald Reagan.

Ronald Reagan a conservative? Of course he was. There was never a doubt where President Reagan stood on any issue. And whether people today agree or disagree with what he achieved throughout the 1980s, there is no question President Reagan steadfastly (and truly) believed in the cause he helped inspire and revolutionize.