February 4, 2008

Ronald Reagan Lives as Candidates Look to the Past, Not the Future

 

Listening to the Republican debate, it’s hard to believe that Ronald Reagan isn’t currently running for president. Candidate after candidate invoked The Gipper in whatever ways they could muster:

 

• “A foot soldier in the Reagan revolution” (John McCain)
• A fellow low-tax and non-spend Washington outsider (Mitt Romney – at least the latest version).

 

They were gearing up to ask, “Are you better off now than seven years ago?” but I guess thought better of it. According to MSNBC, the former president was mentioned a total of 42 times during the debate.

 

In response to a question about whom might get Reagan’s endorsement now, Romney seemed the most confident (what a surprise), with McCain a little behind, while Mike Huckabee humbly rejected the presumption of knowing the sainted former president’s present preference, but enthusiastically endorsed him. Good going Mike! The anti-establishment Ron Paul nostalgically remembered the former president campaigning for him for Congress years ago.

 

Even Barack Obama joined the invoking-Reagan bandwagon – regarding the former president’s ability to enroll people in a large and inclusive vision for the country, and his impact in reshaping the political landscape. The jury is still out on the value of this association among Obama’s potential supporters.

 

I heard Reagan speak at Yale, back before he became governor of California. Even then, many of us, both for and against, felt he was destined for big things. He was never my candidate for anything. But the fact that we are still talking about his presidency so many years later says something about his impact, if perhaps not his altogether beneficial effect on the country. He did have some positive attributes – most of which are not shared by those who now invoke his persona in support of their candidacies.

 

Ronald Reagan was big on defense, but never sent American troops to war, distinguishing himself from current acolytes’ positions – stepping over each other in their zeal to continue the folly of the administration’s war in Iraq. When American Marines were killed in Beirut, he unabashedly “cut and run” – in the terminology of the current leadership – when he saw that course as best for the country.

 

He went on television to take responsibility for the Iran-Contra scandal. Imagine “W” in this role. It also seems an unlikely behavior among current pretenders. We’ll never know if Reagan had any idea what was really going on with that debacle, or many other matters. But he told us, “It was on my watch,” and was man enough to take the heat. That was an important part of his appeal.

 

His famous “11th Commandment” was that Republicans never speak badly of other Republicans. I’m wondering what Ronald Reagan has to do with any of the candidates in this campaign.

 

On the other hand, this idol of fiscal conservatives left our country with the largest deficit in history until, well, you-know-who. His law-and-order administration had the most criminal investigations and indictments in many years. Remember? He was the Teflon Don of Republicans. I think that’s mostly what candidates want a piece of.

 

One of the unstated messages in the Republican courting of this legacy is the dissing of the Bushes – the current president, with whom candidates identify only when pressed, and then with significant reservations; and also George Sr., who doesn’t often get even a mention, despite being a quite effective president, especially by current standards. Listening to the current candidates, it’s hard to believe there is a sitting president from their party, and a former president, who happens to be his father. I can almost hear the Bushes thinking, “Hey what am I – chopped liver?”

 

People who like sincerity, consistency and integrity are turned off by mean-spiritedness. Perhaps those qualities remind people too much of themselves. In this area, Sen. McCain and Governor Huckabee seem to reflect Reagan’s spirit – McCain in age as well. He slipped a few times in the last debate. I’m sympathetic. Not being mean-spirited around Mitt Romney is a special challenge.

 

The ghosts of JFK and a very-much-alive Bill Clinton are also haunting the Democrats. JFK appears in Obama ads, since he received the endorsement of Ted Kennedy last week – a better fit for Barack than his earlier Reagan references. Given his quite-alive status, Bill can actually speak for himself – a dangerous situation for people trying to represent what he says and thinks, or keeping the former Democratic president under control.

 

It seems people are looking toward the past a lot these days for inspiration and role models. I hope present candidates will provide similarly desirable models for future generations of leaders.