Reagan's Liberal Legacy

[mendeleev 68]

If one did an honest job comparing the healthcare reform that Obama signed and the reform that Nixon proposed, one would conclude that Nixon's proposal was a little to the left of Obama's accomplishment.

To those with any sense of historical perspective, that fact speaks volumes toward the hard right shift in American politics in the last 30 years. We all know that, for example, Kennedy and Johnson were to the left of Nixon. If Nixon is to the left of Obama regarding Obama's most important issue to date -- how can this make him the most liberal president in history?? Yet the wingnuts on this forum and elsewhere make precisely this preposterous claim.

Edited June 9, 2010 by novotul

[one...two...tree 2,762]

If one did an honest job comparing the healthcare reform that Obama signed and the reform that Nixon proposed, one would conclude that Nixon's proposal was a little to the left of Obama's accomplishment.

To those with any sense of historical perspective, that fact speaks volumes toward the hard right shift in American politics in the last 30 years. We all know that, for example, Kennedy and Johnson were to the left of Nixon. If Nixon is to the left of Obama regarding Obama's most important issue to date -- how can this make him the most liberal president in history?? Yet the wingnuts on this forum and elsewhere make precisely this preposterous claim.

Which was the OP's whole point.

[mendeleev 68]

To further this point, Nixon also advocated a welfare reform package that, among other things, would have provided a guaranteed minimum income to all people living in this country. Liberal opposition (because the reform was not generous enough) killed the proposal late in Nixon's first term.

Now, has anyone heard Obama proposing that the poor have a government-guaranteed minimum income? (That's a rhetorical question, by the way.)

[alienlovechild 75]

If one did an honest job comparing the healthcare reform that Obama signed and the reform that Nixon proposed, one would conclude that Nixon's proposal was a little to the left of Obama's accomplishment.

To those with any sense of historical perspective, that fact speaks volumes toward the hard right shift in American politics in the last 30 years. We all know that, for example, Kennedy and Johnson were to the left of Nixon. If Nixon is to the left of Obama regarding Obama's most important issue to date -- how can this make him the most liberal president in history?? Yet the wingnuts on this forum and elsewhere make precisely this preposterous claim.

No one said Nixon was conservative on economics as he imposed wage and price contols and dropped the gold standard. You know it's getting silly when you hear praise for Nixon as moderate or liberal.

No surprise as it's the usual as whoever most recent Republican president is considered more conservative than the last. No doubt we'll read how Bush wasn't that conservative compared Pres. X. Yet no Democratic president is ever considered at all liberal by the Left at least for the last 30 years.

What;s more important is whether voters identify with liberal, moderate or conservative viewpoints on the issues of the day rather than fantasy league politcal matchups.

Edited June 9, 2010 by alienlovechild

[DEDixon 39]

Obama is not left wing, not even in the American context. Apart from that, the OP post is pointless. I think Meg Whitman could prove to be a good governor - but we shall see.

might be president too....

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Obama is seriously left wing in the American context. Even compared to Nixon, who was a pragmatist who could hold his nose and propose programs that he thought were best for the country. Obama could not care less if his far left agenda is best for the country, he's an ideologue who isn't interested in the long term consequences of his agenda. At least we got the opening of China and greater sovereignty for Native Americans out of Nixon. I don't see anything good coming from this president, who is ashamed of his country, more comfortable in the company of dictators than allies, and who prefers golf to governing.

[Texanadian 10]

You are politically off kilter if you think Obama is left wing. What exactly has he done that persuades you that he is left wing? Health care reform? As I said, even in the weird context of American politics Obama is a long way short of left wing.

He said his preferred health care system was single payer system.

Nationalization of banks, automobile makers.

Wants to raise taxes on the wealthy. (income tax brackets)

Did raise taxes on the poor. (cigarette taxes)

Thinks we need small cuts in the budget rather than large ones.

To further this point, Nixon also advocated a welfare reform package that, among other things, would have provided a guaranteed minimum income to all people living in this country. Liberal opposition (because the reform was not generous enough) killed the proposal late in Nixon's first term.

Now, has anyone heard Obama proposing that the poor have a government-guaranteed minimum income? (That's a rhetorical question, by the way.)

The negative income tax is what you are referring to. That was designed to replace (eliminate) welfare, food stamps, section 8 housing, medicaid etc and replace all them all with a minimum income so that people could buy their own regular health care plan, food, rent etc......Unfortunately it got watered down by the time it went through congress.

The modern day implementation of it is the earned income tax credit. The problem of course is that people get that and it has no bearing towards income standards relating to qualifying for welfare, food stamps, etc.

But getting back to Reagan. I'll admit, he wasn't perfect. Some things worked out great. Some things didn't. But to get elected into office, you ultimately have to pull the left and right voters in simultaneously. This is how Reagan could count on blue collar union voters during the '84 election. But go back to '80. People were flat out tired of the status quo of the 70's. People wanted a breathe of fresh air. Somebody who thought big. He was the guy.

Somebody who is considered a far right candidate today would have been too far right to have gathered the left vote back then. Even looking at the last election, the most left candidate would have been Kucinich. The most right candidate would have been Romney. Neither of them did too well. So who did we get? Mr in the middle McCain and Mr in the middle Obama.