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Friday, February 10, 2012

Bob Edwards responds to Reagan post

(Gazette Editor's note: Former Payson Mayor, fellow former resident of Flint, Mich., and good friend Bob Edwards sent the following in response to the post about Ronald Reagan below.  Although intended as a personal message, Bob has graciously granted permission for me to post it. It proves that a reasonable, intelligent dialog is actually possible in these divisive times.) 

Jim... I understand your sympathies for the liberal cause.  I too have sympathies for their desired result but totally disagree on their approach.  But, to put your name on an article by likes of Charles P. Pierce will, I suspect, lose you a lot of readers on your blog. 

The discussion of politics is healthy, but blind support of a cause and nonfactual name calling is a turn off. It is like the TV news programs that put a robot Democrat and a robot Republican on to talk about an issue and expect to receive insightful information.

We are currently faced with a world financial crisis that Washington has not yet noticed, failing cities that are drug cesspools and crime workshops that neither party has taken the time from there junkets to address, and government programs that have ruined lives and put people into poverty prisons with no discernible ideas from our pols to resolve the problem.   This it the type of discussions that should happen on a political blog.

I watched Flint and Detroit go from places you wanted to visit to war zones brought on by often well meaning government programs but continued by politicians that use the demise for their political purposes.

His vicious attack on Reagan gave little insight into his presidency. Reagan gave me heartburn many times but took on a bad economy and communism and won.

Regarding the Bushes, senior was one of the kindest men I have every met in politics but it was his kindness that made him a weaker president than I desire.

Bush Junior took on the threats to America and kept us safe, he fought the radial Muslim war on the world with vigor but his efforts at regime change I question. He proved to be yet another politician, in the Katrina crisis, that chose to throw money at a problem without thought vs. a thoughtful approach. While he warned the Franks and Dodds of Congress of the pending housing crisis, he did not show strong leadership to stop it, resulting in the current crisis and set the stage for the uncontrolled spending of the Obama administration. 

Bob Edwards 

3 comments:

If you can't say something nice.................................. said...

It's interesting the Keith Olbermann type of mocking in the Reagan article that followed right after the "conservatism thrives on low intelligence" article.
The intelectual class seems to have a difficult time expressing themselves without mocking or degarding.

Noble said...

I have always had the greatest of respect for Bob Edwards, even when he was fending off the slings and arrows of small minded turncoats after his revolutionary leadership as mayor. Much of the progress Payson has made in the last six years can be traced directly to the intelligent and open approach to government he brought to office.
I know him as a thoughtful, progressive thinker who is always looking for better ways to do things. In this regard, I can cut him a lot of slack when we disagree.
Both Bob and "anonymous" (I just love people who won't reveal their name!) have reacted to this post in a much more visceral than reflective manner. The author is quite obviously using satire and overstating some points, but his overall issue is this, I think:
Ronald Reagan has taken on the level of Saint in the minds of most Republicans and certainly the Tea Party. It is as if all can be forgiven of the past by invoking his name. The truth is far less celebratory.
Reagan certainly played a large part in acting correctly when Gorbachev finally realized that detente' was much more preferable than a debilitating cold war. Rightly or not he gets the credit. Great.
He also played the part of the kindly old uncle when America had doubts about its future. Great
His direct involvement in illegal activities such as arms for hostages and the blatant denial to the American People was only one of the better known fallacies of his "administration," however. In retrospect, his fiscal policies were a disaster laying the ultimate groundwork for the horrible mess today.
Calling out the author of the satire for the angle of writing is perfectly legitimate.
Facts are facts, though.

If you can't say something nice.................................. said...

Noble writes, "Both Bob and "anonymous" (I just love people who won't reveal their name!)"

Just couldn't control yourself could you.
I rest my case.