Reagan wasn't a great president, he was a great actor who fooled alot of people

[LynneSin]

While the idiots drooled over a guy who probably had advanced dementia, people like Rumsfeld and Cheney and others could get away with destroying our country.

How soon will this giant Reagan Orgasm last so we can move on with our life. We are STILL trying to pay for the messes he created. But since he was so 'lovable' the rightwingers get hard-ons when they talk about him.

[a kennedy]

1. Exactly.....

[Faygo Kid]

2. Actually, he wasn't a a great actor, either.

Pretty good in "Kings Row" and "Santa Fe Trail" (loved that movie), but he was a pedestrian actor at best with a nice smile when young.

[no_hypocrisy]

14. + 1

[LeftishBrit]

3. Oliver Sacks had an interesting chapter on 'The President's speech '

in 'The Man who Mistook His Wife for a Hat'.

He reported a group of patients with severe aphasia, but normal (indeed, probably enhanced, due to compensation) nonverbal commuication, who watched a speech by Reagan -and ROARED with laughter over the ridiculousness of his tones and gestures.

Another patient, with the opposite problem of impaired perception of tone, but intact verbal abilities, was similarly unimpressed by Reagan. She commented that he was 'not cogent' and must be either lying or suffering from brain damage (perceptive lady - he was undoubtedly both).

Sacks commented that Reagan's speeches could fool most people by his combination of verbal and nonverbal cues; and those who could only perceive one type of cue were actually less vulnerable to the deception.

[oldlib]

4. I wouldn't qualify Reagan as a great actor.

He was second rate at his best. He did know how a president should act and he managed to fool a great number of people.

[immoderate]

5. I would say "great spokesman." I saw "The Speech."

His best performance was his speech for Barry Goldwater. I was in high school at the time and entering a "libertarian" phase. As it turned out, John Lennon was an even better spokesman. :hippie:

Ever wonder how much political judgment is based on aesthetics?

--imm

[AsahinaKimi]

6. He is the GOD of the Republcan and Tea Pary...

well maybe a Semi-God. If they erected a statue to him, no doubt some would fall and kiss his feet.

[snot]

7. He was a great puppet.

[seabeyond]

8. actually, he was not a great actor either. fool? like rove and bush fooled?

not their actng skills. ability to feed into the hate and bigotries and talking to the choir in a way, the people allowed themselves to buy it.

[K8-EEE]

9. He was actually a pretty dreadful actor too more like

A neocon prop, like Dubya.

[Jokinomx]

10. He was the "Great Deceiver" n/t

[dtotire]

11. Will bunch has written a fair minded critifque of his legacy

I would recommend this book

Tear Down This Myth: The Right-Wing Distortion of the Reagan Legacy


Tear Down This Myth: The Right-Wing Distortion of the Reagan Legacy
Will Bunch (Author)



3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (60 customer reviews)



http://www.amazon.com/Tear-Down-This-Myth-Right-Wing/dp/B004J8HXCC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296933036&sr=1-1

[pacalo]

12. The GOP puppetmasters picked Reagan because he was an ex-(B-rated)actor & an ex-SAG president

who had proven himself to be capable of turning on his fellow actors during the McCarthy period, a time today's Republicans admire. As a "team player", he could be counted on as governor of the largest state & as president of the country to toe the GOP line.

During Reagan's presidency, it was the first time huge employee layoffs were introduced in my industrially-rich area. It was the beginning of the "greed is good" Gordon Gecko era.

[housewolf]

13. Love the way you stated that!

How very true! Thanks for a little reality on this all-reagan-all-the-time weekend