The Party of Reagan ...

How did conservatism go from where it was in the 80's with The Party of Reagan to where it is today?

I can't really call myself a true conservative, but I am definitely conservative-friendly. Every online political survey I've ever taken has labeled me somewhere right of center to varying degrees, but I find less and less alignment with our national conservative leaders.

I just read an opinion piece by conservative political commentator, Adam Kinzinger, on Why Republicans are turning against aid to Ukraine. Mr Kinzinger is a USAF veteran of Iraq & Afghanistan and was also a Republican member of Congress from 2011 through January of this year. In his piece he says:

Gone is the party of Reagan, which was steadfast in its stand against tyranny. In its place is rising a GOP that seems immune to the world’s need for American leadership and uninterested in the suffering of a country we should aid until the fight is over.

Obviously, Mr Kinzinger in his essay and I in my post here are talking about Ukraine and Russia. One is led by an authoritarian tyrant who invaded the other, a fledgling democracy trying to shed the systems and institutions put upon it after decades of Soviet rule.

The Party of Reagan would not have taken a nanosecond to decide who to support in this conflict. Sure, they would've approached Ukraine about cleaning up some things (which they are doing), but none of that would have deterred The Party of Reagan from supporting Ukraine to the successful end of this conflict.

So, to my conservative friends ... Help me understand the thinking here? And in your explanations, please avoid the words Trump and/or Biden. Both of them are short-term blips in the history of this great country and in the development of western civilization & democracy.

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pdqsailor1 · 61-69, M

I recall clearly the GOP convention in Detroit where negotiations between Reagan and Ford took place to try to engineer a "dream" ticket to run for President and Vice President.. As it turns out Regan was a great communicator and a really nice guy but a lousy president, National debt skyrocketed under his tax cuts and massive military spending... Did it cripple the Soviet Union? Yes but it also has imperilled America as those tax cuts for the wealthy have never been addressed or replaced and the fact is that Americans are dramatically under taxed.... and underspent socially..... Instead of deifying Regan I would study Dwight D Eisenhower's administration if you wanted to have an economic platform that actually WORKS for America - long term.. and in it top marginal taxation exceeded NINETY percent.. Eisenhower believed that there was a MAXIUM income that was permissible and NO MORE... fact is that the man was a visionary and ultimately correct.. He was not simply a great general - he was truly a great president.. but the whack jobs that are in charge of the GOP today - well Ike could never be A GOP president today... that is how far the principles of conservatism have drifted and been corrupted from the base line and success of the Eisenhower administration.. History poses interesting contrasts ... its NOT just politics - it has to be mixed with economic realities and FACTS...

sarabee1995 · 31-35, F

@pdqsailor1 Too bad this post is not about Reagan. If it were then I'd be interested in discussing him with you.

pdqsailor1 · 61-69, M

@sarabee1995 My response was related to YOUR response - you see Reagan as a benchmark - he is NOT... If you want the foundation ... you have to refer back to Eisenhower.

sarabee1995 · 31-35, F

@pdqsailor1 Where did I say anything about President Reagan? Where did I indicate that he was any sort of benchmark for anything?

My post referenced The Party of Reagan and discussed how it (not he) differed from the Republican party of today vis à vis confronting tyranny in the world.

YOU can discuss him all you want. I'm not interested.