Reagan: Not So Great

The Republicans love to idolize Reagan; to be honest, there weren't any Republican Presidents in the recent past who were apparently more successful than Reagan.

When Reagan debated Jimmy Carter, and Carter raised an important issue, Reagan shot back with the famous line: "There you go again ..."  It was a killer line, and it seemed come from nowhere.   But did it?

The Republicans had, the previous night, stolen Carter's playbook, in which there were all the points Carter had planned for the debate.  Reagan rehearsed his responses to each argument, and he had that gag ready.  The Republicans never shied away from dirty tricks, and they still don't!  This story is recounted by Andy Borowitz in his book 'Profiles in Ignorance'.  With diligence, conservatives have elevated Ignorance to the status of an admirable trait.  When the guys from Comedy Central interview MAGA folks at a rally, they are often ignorant of key issues that Democrats know well.  For instance that the Affordable Care Act and Obamacare are the same.  We have to wonder how these people voted, in their Ignorance. 

Arch

American Statesman: Jimmy Carter

Republicans often put forward Ronald Reagan as the modern Republican ideal for a World Leader.  But Andy Borowitz, in his book Profiles in Ignorance, shows how Reagan appealed to conservatives through ignoring some facts, twisting the implication of other facts, and misunderstanding the rest. It may not be quite fair to measure just how qualified Reagan was to be president—he was an actor, by trade, but he had been elected Governor of California—but compared with many others, he relied more on prejudice than knowledge and reason to make his decisions.  Luckily for him, his prejudices lined up pretty well with those of many Americans.

In contrast, both Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama were incisive thinkers.  Both of them must be considered statesmen.

Stay Ready

In two years, the Democrats—or whatever party is the successor to the Democrats—will have to organize again.  This time as an ãct of mercy. 

The antics of the Republicans will be too disruptive for even the handout- hating MAGA folks.  We have to be ready. 

Arch

Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Craftsman Style

I'm sure many of you have encountered at least one of these descriptions of style, of both architecture, and interior decoration.  Some of the earlier skyscrapers in New York, for instance, fall into one of these styles.  But just today I saw a description of these styles that stunned me by his much sense they made!