Juan Williams Fired from NPR

One more thing, and then I'm going to leave this slot alone, for a while.

Reagan's administration was a marked game-changer in one vital area -- and not for the better.

Through most of the history of the GOP, the Pubs were relatively fiscally-conservative.
Dems tended to spend more, over the years -- in part, because they got saddled with the first two
World Wars, and in part because of their greater belief in J. M. Keynes.

That all changed with Ronnie. He spent like a drunken sailor, and the country and the political
landscape has never been the same.

 

Yeah, a second Carter term followed by Mondale would have been better than 8 years of Reagan.

I think the people who got rich during the Reagan years think he was pretty good too. And they're not the only ones.

 

W altered his speech patterns to better connect with his base.

Palin is an isolated, simple, self-centered bitch.

Both are pathetically uncurious about the real world around them.

Later.

 

Reagan wasn't stupid, but he was adept at acting like it. But it was effective; it made people underestimate him.

Bush ... eh. He wasn't a genius, but I don't think he was a moron. He was just too easily influenced by Cheney and others.

Palin is a gaping nincompoop. She may be politically savvy (I don't agree she is, but I can see the argument), but that doesn't mean she's not a complete fool. And until she proves otherwise, in writing, that's the way many people will see her.

And if you want to go on the record and say Bill Clinton, a Rhodes scholar, and Barack Obama, who graduated with honors from Harvard Law and taught at the University of Chicago, are not intelligent, be my guest. It will be interesting to see you try and prove it.

 

All spending originates in the House. The Democrats controlled the House of Representatives all 8 years of Reagan's Presidency. (And, actually from 1954 through 1994.)

Reagan's spending priority was defense spending -- which had been neglected under Carter and other previous Presidents.

The payoff of the spending was winning the Cold War -- pretty good return on investment.

Buy hey, I'd be willing to look at cutting current Federal spending back to the Reagan years -- adjusted for inflation of course. It would still be far lower than what we're spending now. Spending has only accelerated since he left office.

 

I never said that Clinton & Obama weren't smart. They undoubtedly are. (Though I've never seen Obama's grades or read anything he wrote at the Law Review.)

And Palin's not in Reagan or Bush's league either. I'm just recommending that you not buy the conventional wisdom.

 

Maybe W learned that trick from Hillary.

 

The conventional wisdom that Palin's not too bright?

If she's not, then she's brilliant at appearing so.

 

The conventional wisdom might be right in Palin's case.

I'm just saying you shouldn't just accept the conventional wisdom. It's not always right & is frequently wrong.

And does anyone really think that Barbara Boxer or any number of Dem politicians are any smarter than Palin?

There's plenty of dumb ones. It would be nice if the press pointed out more of them in fact.

 

Ann Landers wasn't really Ann Landers, nor was she really qualified to be an advice columnist.

Assuming one can actually become qualified for such a thing.

 

So ... Juan Williams?

 

Nancy Pelosi is dumb as a fence post.