Yeah, the Southern Strategy and how it shaped the modern Republican Party really messed with our country long term.
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Who did the most damage of the last 6 Republican Presidents?
- Thread starter Deleted member 31923
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It's GWB, but it is close for second because Trump is finishing off what Bush started and leading us into authoritarianism. If he gets two terms he could supplant Bush, even without a war. If he gets a war then he blows by Bush.
Reagan's up there, but y'all are really underestimating the long-term and largely irreparable damage being done to political culture, the judiciary, international institutions, and the environment under Trump. Not to mention the noxious precedent he's setting.
without Reagan do we even get trump?
Regean gave us HW and the Democratic Leadership Coalition
trumps legacy may not loom so large
Regean gave us HW and the Democratic Leadership Coalition
trumps legacy may not loom so large
I picked Reagan, as he is the reason Trump ever got in. He bulldozed the idea of what a politician needs to qualify by being a "Big Man" on air and on the Mic.
GWB caused issues that will continue having a ripple effect for the next 20-30 years AT MINIMUM.
And Trump is awful, no one can doubt that, but he's certainly not the "worst" the GOP has propped up, but he's fighting tooth and nail to get there.
Rot in hell, Reagan.
GWB caused issues that will continue having a ripple effect for the next 20-30 years AT MINIMUM.
And Trump is awful, no one can doubt that, but he's certainly not the "worst" the GOP has propped up, but he's fighting tooth and nail to get there.
Rot in hell, Reagan.
I went Reagan because he's where the rest of those dudes came from. But Trump, when viewed 30 years from now, has a pretty excellent shot at beating him out depending on how things go in November.
Nah. Reagan sucks but if we're using the logic that he's the start, then you need to go back to Goldwater or even the John Birch Society. You don't get Reagan without either one of those.
So that get's too complicated. If we look at each President in a vacuum then I think GWB is the worst.
It's Reagan because he made the chumps that came after possible, though special props to W to start a war his father refused to (and probably the biggest reason he's not considered as shit as the rest) and hiring on his dads cronies to push through shit even his father wouldn't touch.
Not that Herbert Walker was a paragon of virtue either.
And it doesn't matter what else he did or did not do Ford pardoned Nixon, fuck him.
Not that Herbert Walker was a paragon of virtue either.
And it doesn't matter what else he did or did not do Ford pardoned Nixon, fuck him.
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they weren't president for two terms and they haven't been canonized in the popular imagination. in terms of negative effects on the political sphere Trump is still just an aftershock of the Reaganquake.
IMO, its Trump.
With absolutely no hyperbole, he is literally unqualified to hold most stations of public office, let alone the most prestigious and most visible role in the US government.
He is an act of psychic vandalism against the people of the world, inspiring and emoboldening the worst of the public to be worse versions of themselves. He actively undermines faith in representative democracy, the prestige of public service, the integrity of his station, the accountability of his role, and the civility that keeps a country full of different hearts and minds working together for a common good.
I would have voted for Bush, who is a close second place, but you could argue that much of the evil he brought into the world was actually ushered in by Dick Cheney and his political machine. I also believe Bush feels sorry for what was done under his leadership, something I don't believe Trump is capable of.
With absolutely no hyperbole, he is literally unqualified to hold most stations of public office, let alone the most prestigious and most visible role in the US government.
He is an act of psychic vandalism against the people of the world, inspiring and emoboldening the worst of the public to be worse versions of themselves. He actively undermines faith in representative democracy, the prestige of public service, the integrity of his station, the accountability of his role, and the civility that keeps a country full of different hearts and minds working together for a common good.
I would have voted for Bush, who is a close second place, but you could argue that much of the evil he brought into the world was actually ushered in by Dick Cheney and his political machine. I also believe Bush feels sorry for what was done under his leadership, something I don't believe Trump is capable of.
I think you've gotta remember that he was pulling strings behind the scenes very recently to help get a rapist confirmed to the Supreme Court. He didn't need to do that and Cheney didn't make him do that, he did it because he wanted to do it. George W Bush isn't sorry; he just has good PR people.
He felt so sorry about it he advocated for a rapist to be in the Supreme Court a decade after his presidency.
I picked trump because i felt like picking anyone who came previous was just making excuses for his shit
The argument that Reagan is directly responsible for W., the broken executive, Newt Gingrich and Trump is actually pretty valid. Gerald Ford is not responsible for Reagan. Neither's Nixon although Nixon inspired shit like Fox News.
Within US -> Reagan
Effect on US + World -> GWB
Some of you all are just ignoring people outside the country, the ramifications of the choices he (GWB) and his cabinet made has altered the life of everyone in the world. IDK how he and Trump are tied in this poll.
Effect on US + World -> GWB
Some of you all are just ignoring people outside the country, the ramifications of the choices he (GWB) and his cabinet made has altered the life of everyone in the world. IDK how he and Trump are tied in this poll.
Reagan sorta led to Bush Jr so yeah. Either of those make sense.
Trump even now ain't been as bad as either, IMO.
Trump even now ain't been as bad as either, IMO.
I can't see how GWB or Trump would have had the impact without Reagan, but Reagan's setup and the switch to catering to racist Democrats happened under Nixon. It's bad all the way down.
But Reagan is the aftershot of Nixon and the Southern Strategy, which were only made possible because of the thinkers that got their start with Goldwater and JBS. As a rhetorical thought exercise, I think it's best to look at the Presidents in a vacuum so that you're comparing apples to apples. Don't mistake this as a defense of Reagan in any uncertain terms.
I think it's also helpful to remember that we would kill for Reagan right now, but not for GWB.
Reagan bush trump - corporate welfare
Obama drone strikes
trump is playing mind warfare though. His mark on America's mental health is more than the rest combined. Ultra partisan politics due to the internet being used a weapon for misinformation is a huge deal
Obama drone strikes
trump is playing mind warfare though. His mark on America's mental health is more than the rest combined. Ultra partisan politics due to the internet being used a weapon for misinformation is a huge deal
Which you cannot. Don't get me wrong a lot of the ideas were theirs, but they already had outlined those plans, and his father said no. Than the minute he is president he hires all those people and actually implements all those ideas, so yeah acting like he was hoodwinked doesn't work, he knew what he was doing.
Uhhhhh... fuck. I guess HW is the least, but the others are each so fucked up in their own special way it's hard to choose...
Republicans costing evangelicals and Southerners didn't just fall out of the ether with Reagan -- the process started before the war and Eisenhower enabled a lot of it when he became president. The Dulles brothers were rather fervent true believers, and fucked up a lot of world through their half-cocked endeavors.
Nixon became the marytr figure and knew how to play that shit. There are some deep southern counties where he went from 10% to 90% in four years.
Nixon became the marytr figure and knew how to play that shit. There are some deep southern counties where he went from 10% to 90% in four years.
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I don't think anybody alive has a bigger body count than Bush
Eh, the oil companies had a very good idea by then what rising temperatures would look like, and Reagan saw no problem in letting that dog off the leash. Part of that was people fed up with the Carter-era energy crisis but boy howdy did they pick the wrong solution to that one
Reagan worse than Trump? What are you guys smoking? Trump literally sold out your country to Russia.
The Reagan administration had a shitload of corruption involving other countries too if you want to go down that route
Reagan is responsible for the war on drugs which fucked up large portions of Latam and the US, and also did Iran-Contra.
The damage he did is immeasurable.
Reagan and W have a far bigger body count and damage total to this country's infrastructure than political interference.
When you think about it, he sold everyone out to everyone else, as long as the left got fucked over.
W no contest. Hopefully no president will ever do as much damage as him
You could make a case for Buchanan being the worst ever, but as far as the last 6 republicans definitely GWB
You could make a case for Buchanan being the worst ever, but as far as the last 6 republicans definitely GWB
It's Ronald Reagan. Look at economic trends like wages against inflation, and wages against productivity, as well as the marginal tax rate. He started the wealth transfer to the rich that is still going, 40 years later, and gutted the social safety net.
Honorable mention to George W. Bush for two disastrous wars and unconstitutional domestic surveillance, as well as an official policy of torturing prisoners of war. Very legal and very cool!
Honorable mention to George W. Bush for two disastrous wars and unconstitutional domestic surveillance, as well as an official policy of torturing prisoners of war. Very legal and very cool!
In terms of tone, attitude, speech, symbolism, etc., Trump is the worst, followed by Nixon and then Reagan.
But in terms of creating real human misery, it's GWB by a long damn distance, then probably Reagan, then Trump and Nixon are tied, maybe?
But in terms of creating real human misery, it's GWB by a long damn distance, then probably Reagan, then Trump and Nixon are tied, maybe?
I voted Trump purely because his post Truthism has escaped US borders and formed a perfect storm with the abuse of social media - God knows where THAT is all leading
But Reaganomics and Reagan, everything that follows from it, the war on drugs, insurance racketeering, exploiting the non-moneyed classes in favour of lowering obligation and regulation for the privileged few, the partisan weaponisation of the media, cosying up to the gun lobby and interminably concerned and outraged religious fanatics... Theres a straight line from there to here and the culture war behind all of it. If there is a genuine evil to capitalism and US politics, the modern GOP turns around and tells you it's what's good for the country, what keeps you safe, and what Jesus wants.
I'd love them to rediscover some sanity and stand up for normal people.
But Reaganomics and Reagan, everything that follows from it, the war on drugs, insurance racketeering, exploiting the non-moneyed classes in favour of lowering obligation and regulation for the privileged few, the partisan weaponisation of the media, cosying up to the gun lobby and interminably concerned and outraged religious fanatics... Theres a straight line from there to here and the culture war behind all of it. If there is a genuine evil to capitalism and US politics, the modern GOP turns around and tells you it's what's good for the country, what keeps you safe, and what Jesus wants.
I'd love them to rediscover some sanity and stand up for normal people.
Reagan and it's not even close. Trickle down economics is such utter nonsense and he helped brainwash an entire country into giving up more and more power to the rich and corporations. Not to mention all the other shit. Trump is simply a symptom of his damage.
