I consider Reagan the second most evil person of the 20th century. Hitler beats him in that regard.
:rolleyes:
-XT
I would say it’s a tie between Nixon and Clinton. This is not based on polls or elections, just my memories of what average people said about their president. (I was born in 1959).
A few people hated Nixon from the start. He was stiff, and not a charmer. Being a congressman since the 40s, he also had baggage (McCarthy alignment; the ‘Checkers’ speech; “You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore”, etc). Things got worse after Watergate – people gave vent to their feelings, no doubt influenced by what they’d heard others say. Reporters uniformly didn’t seem to like him.
Clinton had a really rough first 2 to 3 years in office. Whether it was due to a lack of competence, or determined efforts by entrenched inside-the-beltway enemies, I don’t know.
But the ensuing six years (which were probably a blend of luck, learning how to do the job, and being a charmer) resulted in much diffused antipathy.
It’s too early to tell where GWB ranks.
Of course you have a right to your opinion, but are you serious?
Just Stalin alone should blow past Ronnie no matter how much you hate him.
How about Idi Amin or any other leaders associated with Genocide?
What did Reagan do that was that awful?
Let’s see, he won the cold war. Great
He put the country into a level of debt never seen except by the current Bozo. Bad
He put James Watt in charge of the Dept of Interior. Very Bad
Economy hit records highs and job creations was near record highs. Seems Good
Iran Contra & “I do not recall”. Very Bad, almost Nixon bad.
He consulted Astrologers via crazy scary wife. Very scary but at least provided new links to “Stranger in a Strange Land” if you can Grok this.
He gained back the respect for America’s military might around the world. I think very good, many disagree.
He deregulated many businesses. I think bad, but I am not 100% sure.
He crushed the Air Traffic Controllers Strike. I** think very positive**
Nancy Reagan’s high-profile “Just Say No”. **Truly horrible ** and non-effective at the same time. Just 1 big joke.
Despite being Pro-Life, 2 of 3 of his Supreme Court Justices; Sandra Day O’Connor and Anthony Kennedy, voted to uphold Roe v. Wade. As they did this because it was judicially correct and did not allow personal feelings to sway their judgments, I call this a positive. He appointed good justices.
He had several little wars, which were executed swiftly and surgically and never got entangled in occupations. **Very good ** (Yes this is another knock on current Idiot in charge)
His very Election scared the shit out of Iran so badly that the hostages were sent home as soon as they were sure we were really putting the Eccentric in charge. Good Thing.
Reagan’s support of apartheid South Africa, which involved the condemnation of Nelson Mandela as a communist terrorist. **Incredibly Stupid and Bad **
So I can easily see some considering him a terrible president, but the second most evil person of the 20th century. A little strong, no?
I think so, I stand by my statement that the most hated will also be the most loved. Love and hate are not true opposites, and the best opposite to both is appathy.
Also going back to HRC, if elected, one point that I see I didn’t make is she will be starting out with a big contigency of haters, Though this thread will be long forgotten by the time, if she gets in, and then after potentially serving her term. It would be an interesting person of compairson.
Good Morning, Kanicbird. Why did you reply to my quote which was directed at rfgdxm?
I think the phrase you are looking for here is, “The Soviet Union finally collapsed under his watch.”
Reagan’s near recklass ramping up of the Cold War military buildup, tipped the Soviet Union over. Even the Ex-Soviet Bloc acknowledged this I thought.
If you notice from the rest of my post, it not as if I am a right wing hero worshipper of Reagan. I think it is fair to give his administration credit for the end of the cold war and that he helped pushed them over the edge.
MacTech: If this is too much of a Hi-Jack please elt me know and I take this to a new thread if needed.
When you listen to the invective from the Clinton haters, it’s so over the top that you’re inclined to say he’s the most hated. But although it’s deep, it’s not at all that wide. On the other hand, I think Dubya and Nixon are the most widely reviled. Dubya may pass Nixon ultimately, but there are many of us who hated Nixon’s nasty, vindictive ways, and who simply hate how he changed the image of the presidency and politics in general, but that’s a national issue. But I think that Dubya’s influence in world affairs will be felt for decades and decades. That he has energized anti-US hatred around the world depresses and angers and pisses off many of us here, pubs and dems, and god knows how it’s all going to turn out. A small minded, mean spirited man, he out-Nixon’s Nixon by miles for my money. I hate what he’s done to our country. I believe he will go down as one of the absolute worst.
I can think of several billion reasons.
For you or me, yes. But she was set for life anyway.
[hijack]While definitely wealthy, Jackie was that rare case of a rich person whose fame was even greater than her wealth. Ari’s level of wealth provided protection from the paparazzi and other afflictions of her hyper-celebrity.[/hijack]
That’s certainly one way to look at it.
In a related vein, a new poll shows that GWB is now less popular than Nixon during Watergate.
In all honesty, I believe Iran did not trust Reagan not to use Nukes. They truly thought he was a crazy cowboy. They may have been correct. I remember a popular joke from after the election results came in.
What big and glassy and shape like a bowl and glows all over?
Iran on Election Day.
I wouldn’t say the Iranians feared Reagan so much as they disliked Carter. The release was all but a done deal immediately before Inauguration Day, but it was delayed until Carter left office just to deny him the satisfaction of seeing it completed.
Whether or not Reagan ended the cold war (or even contributed to its ending), saved democracy and made all our teeth brighter or not, I’d think that statements like ‘I consider Reagan the second most evil person of the 20th century. Hitler beats him in that regard.’ would at least get some comment. I mean come on guys…whether you liked or hated RR to put him over Stalin, Pol Pot, or even Little Kimmy is kind of…well, out there. I’m fairly confident that if someone from the other sides wacked area said something similar about Clinton it would warrent at least a few rolley eye’s…no?
The most interesting part of that was the comments at the bottom. 
You guys do realize that Bush could be the most hated and despised president ever…today (I tend to doubt this…I seem to recall other presidents dropping below 30% popularity during their administrations). But 20 years from now his whole reputation could change radically depending on events…and also depending on how folks then view things, how their own world view shapes their perceptions. As I said earlier, look at such presidents as Lincoln and Jackson and see how they were felt about in their day…and how they are viewed today. History is a funny thing…and it has a way of taking strange courses. As I also said earlier we are too close in time to every one of these presidents to really make any but a partisan judgement on them.
-XT
I’m at work and don’t have access to the book, but recall reading in an authorized biography of hers that she readily admitting to marrying him for his money.
That’s incorrect. LBJ won every state but 6
I was born during IKEs’ last few months. So I don’t personally remember public disdain for him, JFK, or LBJ. I DO remember how much some people hated Nixons guts, both before & after Watergate.
I didn’t exactly “hate” Carter, though I got up extra early that crisp November day in '80 so I would be first at the polls to help boot his ass out of office.
I recall great disdain for Reagan. My liberal friends hated his guts, and were outraged that I actually had the gall to vote for him twice.
All in all, I have to give it to Tricky Dick. While many (including me) hated Clintons guts, it was nothing like the hate I remember back in 74.
There’ve been other rumors that Old Joe gave Jackie a million dollars in the Fifties not to divorce JFK (and scuttle his political career). Her family was quite well-to-do, but not Kennedy-wealthy, and she did have to spend a lot to keep up with the lifestyle.
How big a miracle do you think that will take?
Depends who you ask. Americans, probably so. Nicaraguans, Guatemalans, Angolans, even Grenadans, probably something different.
That was certainly the impression they left, and probably not by accident. But that may not have been what happened.
Reagan’s arms-for-hostages trade may well have had its genesis there.