On what would have been his 99th birthday, here are the Gipper’s lessons for restoring American greatness–and the keys to winning the next election.
What Would Reagan Do? What would our 40th President do if he became, through some miracle, our 45th President? Ronald Reagan, born on this day, February 6, 1911–Happy Birthday Mr. President, wherever you are!–passed away in 2004, but this question is still important to answer–as our thoughts turn to the future, to the next president after the 44th.
Because we know we don’t want Barack Obama in the Oval Office for more than a single term.
For conservatives and libertarians–and, after the recent elections, independents and independent Democrats–there’s not much more to be said about the incumbent. From the audacity of hope to the reality of deep disappointment, his decline and fall compressed itself into just a year.
We know that Obama and his liberal-left policies have damaged our economy, degraded our national finances, and insulted traditional values.[…]
Today’s Reagan would think long and hard about Islam, just as the original Reagan thought long and hard about communism. The original Reagan read Whittaker Chambers and consulted with Alexander Solzhenitsyn; the new Reagan would be similarly learning from experts and survivors. And so once he was in the White House, the new Reagan would gather the best and most clear-eyed advisers, before determining the best course of action.
George W. Bush thought he could change the culture of Islam through military force. Obama thinks he can change the culture of Islam through the force of words, including a lot of “I’m sorry” wording–and a little bit of bowing. Our Reagan would do better. Mindful of the stubborn realities of human nature, he would work with key allies to craft a comprehensive strategy for protecting the West. And he would seek, when and if possible, to advance security and freedom for the rest of the world.
To do so, he would cheerfully think outside of mental boxes he might have inherited from narrower-thinking predecessors. Always genial, but never naive, Reagan would dispense with illusion and credulity, pursuing instead missile defense and credible arms control. Indeed, in today’s proliferated world, it’s hard to think of a better idea right now than missile defense. Reagan thought so, too–and said so, from the Oval Office, back in 1983. If we had made steady progress on missile defense over the last three decades, America and her allies would be safe now from rogue regimes in Iran, North Korea, and Lebanon.
[…]
Read the rest: What Would Reagan Do?
Tags: Ronald Reagan
