# What did Reagan do that wouldn't please Republicans today? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 18, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-reagan-do-that-wouldnt-please-republicans-today/731695 "2015-09-18T19:02:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-reagan-do-that-wouldnt-please-republicans-today/731695/41 "2015-09-27T16:09:40Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Romney was pro-abortion and established socialized medicine as governor of Massachusetts. > > What would YOU call that? Oh, _that_ Mitt Romney. I thought we were talking about the Romney that ran for president. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-reagan-do-that-wouldnt-please-republicans-today/731695/42 "2015-09-27T16:46:23Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Boy, liberals sure do loooooove dead conservatives, don’t they? They’re the best kind of conservatives. In my opinion, Reagan was the second worst president behind W. But at least he displayed a buoyant optimism. Today’s conservatives sound like the prophets of doom and that Obama has brought about the End Times. Reagan had the practicality to raise taxes and the compassion to give amnesty to immigrants. You don’t see practicality and compassion in today’s conservatives. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-reagan-do-that-wouldnt-please-republicans-today/731695/43 "2015-09-27T17:07:18Z")
Reagan got along with Tip O’Neill. That kind of relationship between rivals would not be allowed today in most segments of the Republican Party. Look at all the crap Chris Christie got for giving a hug to Obama. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-reagan-do-that-wouldnt-please-republicans-today/731695/44 "2015-09-27T23:21:25Z")
I thought of another one, besides the example I gave a week ago. Not having ever visited Israel during his 1981-1989 presidency. If Barack Obama had not gone to the Jewish state since coming to office until now, you better be sure the GOP would have grilled him for that and used it as evidence that the U.S president is a Muslim who hates Israel and loves the evil, Arabs and blah blah. Bu their saint Reagan never did visit Israel. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-reagan-do-that-wouldnt-please-republicans-today/731695/45 "2015-09-27T23:47:42Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > [Op-ed: The Gay Truth About Ronald Reagan](http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/06/05/op-ed-gay-truth-about-ronald-reagan) > > Assuming that Reagan’s views moved roughly in tandem with the rest of the country, a lot of today’s Republicans would be quite disappointed with where he wound up on gay rights. You’re ignoring his handling of the AIDS crisis. Beyond that anyone who remembers the 80s would remember that he was despised by the gay rights community and certainly not seen as a friend due to his full throated endearment and support of the Religious Right. > [@](#): > > **Chacoguy** > Smuggling cocaine? Gary Webb was hardly the most reliable of sources and his reporting on that issue has been torn apart and caused his career to end in disgrace. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-reagan-do-that-wouldnt-please-republicans-today/731695/46 "2015-09-28T00:26:20Z")
Has anyone mentioned that Reagan raised taxes ten more times than Obama did? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-reagan-do-that-wouldnt-please-republicans-today/731695/47 "2015-09-28T02:37:34Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Has anyone mentioned that Reagan raised taxes ten more times than Obama did? I think you mean “didn’t veto tax increases passed by Congress”, right? How many times did Obama have the opportunity to do that? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-reagan-do-that-wouldnt-please-republicans-today/731695/48 "2015-09-28T02:54:51Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I think you mean “didn’t veto tax increases passed by Congress”, right? How many times did Obama have the opportunity to do that? Even trying to be charitable to the other side, that’s goofy. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-reagan-do-that-wouldnt-please-republicans-today/731695/49 "2015-09-28T02:59:31Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I think you mean “didn’t veto tax increases passed by Congress”, right? How many times did Obama have the opportunity to do that? Apart from tarnishing the legacy of St. Gipper, is there any difference between “didn’t veto” and “signed into law”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-reagan-do-that-wouldnt-please-republicans-today/731695.md?page=2)