Republicans fret over Reagan mythmaking

[RandySF]

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. – On the eve of what would have been his 100th birthday, Ronald Reagan is entering the final stages of a civic canonization that leaves even some of his most fervent admirers uneasy.

The longstanding conservative icon, lampooned in life by the left, is being elevated into the pantheon of American leaders who transcended partisan politics.

What worries the right about this is that by being sculpted in marble, Reagan may be stripped of the traits that made him so revered among conservatives and despised by liberals. In other words, if the 40th president is all things to all people, he means nothing to anyone.


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/48896.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. I can live with that

then perhaps we can start talking of his crimes without every conservative telling us how much we should not even dare go there.

Actually what they are afraid is that the second draft of history is now underway... and second drafts are usually not that nice.

[gratuitous]

2. Sort of like how the Republicans have co-opted MLK?

I don't think they have very much to worry about. As long as I still draw breath, the truth about the Hollywood Twit will be aired to anyone within earshot. Union busting chickenhawk who cheated on his wife.

[HubertHeaver]

3. And those are his good traits.

[Capitalocracy]

7. In 50 years I'm not going to claim I like Reagan

Let's not be full of shit like them. Glenn Beck claims to be a big fan of history. He knows if MLK were alive today, he'd be up on his chalkboard.

[Cheap_Trick]

4. The best thing I can say about St. Ronnie is that he's dead. nt

[Raine]

5. They needn't worry, speaking for myself as a liberal

I will always despise him. :puke:

[JHB]

6. Funny how that works: if they want to make him a National hero...

...then he has to be a here to the whole nation, not just their guy for their reasons. Can't have liberals finding something nice to say about him (no matter how deep they they have to dig, or how tight they have to hold their nose to do it), because we all know what's really important to the right is sticking it to the libs.

All the rest is just patriotic packaging that they would (and have) jettison in a second if they have the chance to crap on the hippies.