Thursday, July 28, 2016

Libby Nelson — First Democrats borrowed Republicans’ rhetoric. Now they’re clapping for Ronald Reagan.

Democrats have already flipped the script during their convention by borrowing traditional Republican rhetoric on everything from American exceptionalism to family values. Now they’re applauding for Ronald Reagan.

Doug Elmets, a former Reagan speechwriter who said he has never voted for a Democrat and has fought to get a statue of Reagan built, told the cheering convention that he planned to vote for Clinton this year.

“I’m here tonight to say: I knew Ronald Reagan; I worked for Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan,” he said, echoing the famous line Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen used against Dan Quayle during the 1988 vice presidential debate.
The current Democratic strategy is to double down on triangulation to bring in disaffected Republicans, while poking progressives in the eye. Hey, it worked for Bill. What could go wrong now?

Someone tell them they have lost the plot.

Vox
First Democrats borrowed Republicans’ rhetoric. Now they’re clapping for Ronald Reagan.
Libby Nelson

2 comments:

Unknown said...

The Whigs and the Republicans were the progressives in the 19th C with presidents like Lincoln. The Democrats were the free traders and went with Briton. Not until FDR did the Democrats become the party of the people and the Republicans became the British banker's party. When Bill Clinton and the new Democrats (the business party) came into office both parties became two sides of the same side and remain that way today. Maybe Trump will take the Republicans back to the party of Lincoln. It is the only hope we have.

Andrew Anderson said...

Not until FDR did the Democrats become the party of the people and the Republicans became the British banker's party. Gary Hart

How was establishing government-provided deposit insurance instead of expanding the US Postal Savings Service being the "party of the people"? Since the latter protected the savings of the citizens without (one hopes*, at least) subsidizing the banks and, by extension, the rich, the most so-called credit worthy?

*Individual citizens, their businesses, etc. should be allowed inherently risk-free accounts at the central bank itself to preclude the use of their funds without their permission. For example, a Postal Savings Service could, in principle, participate in inter-bank lending and thus become part of the problem, not part of its solution.