*sigh*

[kyburg]

Some food for thought.

So many of you only remember Reagan as your "first" president.

Mine?

John F. Kennedy.

I really feel sorry for you. I have all those other men to compare Reagan to, and frankly - he just doesn't hold up.

I want Gerry Ford back, if you don't mind. If I have to have a Republican, that is.

Comments

[elfwench.livejournal.com]

There is unfortunately this tendency to nearly canonize those who have recently passed on.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

*cackles* What a lovely choice of words - there were many days I would have liked to "cannon-ed" Reagan - as in, stand him in front of one!

[http://users.livejournal.com/ass_/]

I vaguely remember Carter, but, yeah, Regan was the 1st president I have a decent memory of (ironic, eh?).

[our-meg.livejournal.com]

I'm in the same boat. Carter was there, and I remember when Regan was sworn in and all, but since I wasn't interested in Politics (still aren't) there wasn't that much recognition.

Still, I remember my 'rents talking about some of the 'older presidents' like Eisenhower, Roosevelt (Teddy) and Kennedy.

Still, the first thing I recall about any election was my father and his 'Vote for Darth Vader' button in 1980.

[mdlbear]

Eisenhower -- I remember watching the convention on our family's first TV.

[pagawne.livejournal.com]

Bless you, that makes me feel better. The first election I really am sure I remember was the Kennedy/Nixon one, I was in the 5th grade. I very much remember Ike as a President, and I when I woas born, Truman was President. I sorta have vague memories of listening to the election with my mother just after my younger brother was born when Ike was elected, the first time, in 1952.

Reagan was a better actor than a president, but as things go, he wasn't too bad. He wanted Amarica to believe in itself, and he accomplished that.

[solidkz.livejournal.com]

Reagan was the second greatest Politician ever, right after Rufus T. Firefly. The fact that he was an actor helped immensely, especially on the international scene. Now if only his Republican successors could tell the difference between when he was acting and when he wasn't.

He did win the Cold War without firing a shot and started from behind, which is more than Kennedy almost did on several occasions.

Ford, for all of his perceived faults did some excellent and wonderful things for the people of this country, I have to admit, though.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

The cold war was won by attrition; he was the lucky sod in office when the whole thing collapsed.

I think we can thank Gorbachev and Yeltzin for doing the hard part.

What Reagan was good for was providing the fire to the feet of complacency by saying a nuclear war was winnable; I think that was the wake-up call everyone needed. "WTF, he's SERIOUS!"

And they got their shit together.

What I thought was remarkable was how fast Clinton/Gore tore apart anything nuclear once they got into office. Yeah, that was good. Good grief.

[dpaul007.livejournal.com]

Mine was LBJ.

Nixon was the first one I remember, so look what *I've* had to deal with all my life.

I even remember the Watergate hearings, even though I was merely a tot of 6.

[kusoyaro.livejournal.com]

Yep...I wasn't old enough to remember Carter, so by the time I was actually aware of things, it was Reagan.

Nope.. thank god

[tomlemos.livejournal.com]

It was LBJ for me.

[miwasatoshi.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid I have all of you beat on this one.

My first president was Ferdinand Marcos.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Ewwwwww.

Um....

[tomlemos.livejournal.com]

when was he ever a President of the United States?

that's what she's referring to.

[unclejimbo.livejournal.com]

I believe it was because he was born in the Phillipines...~~

She didn't say president "of the United States", only president.

Of course, Marcos was never elected either.

well, between

[tomlemos.livejournal.com]

the names of the US Presidents listed, and the mention of the Republican party, I took it to mean US presidents.

besides, Marcos was a dictator.

[unclejimbo.livejournal.com]

besides, Marcos was a dictator

Not if you asked Ronnie Reagan back in the 80's.

Still, Marco's official title was 'President' even though that was a bad joke.

[wednesday]

I have an excuse: I didn't realize that Pierre Trudeau only ran Canada.

[miwasatoshi.livejournal.com]

That reminds me of a joke my dad's friend Geoff from Montreal taught me when I was a kid.

What does PETROCanada stand for?

Pierre Elliot Trudeau Rips Off Canada.

[zyrc.livejournal.com]

JFK was in office when I was born. My first recollection of anything political was Nixon, however.

Whatever. Reagan still sucked.

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

I remember Carter, though it was more the big grin and the tan and all those teeth than for any political stuff.
Do they always make such a big fuss when presidents die, btw? It seems to be such *huge* news all of a sudden, is that normal? I didn't think Reagan was that popular, though I guess compared to the current pres anyone looks good...

[unclejimbo.livejournal.com]

I don't think there would be this much of a stink if it were either Ford or Carter who died. The Neo-cons have made Reagan their icon since the day he left office in 1988.

The flip side of this is, if it had been Ford or Carter who had died, I seriously doubt there would be a State Funeral for them. There wasn't one when Nixon died a when Clinton was in office.

[moonwalker.livejournal.com]

Born 1964. LBJ/Nixon. I thought all presidents were shot at the end of their terms.

Mary MMM

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

JFK was my first president, but I don't remember him. I do remember LBJ.

Reagan was the first president I voted against. ;)

[unclejimbo.livejournal.com]

I was born during LBJ, I remember Nixon mainly because of Watergate. I liked Ford, he seems to be a stand-up kind of guy. He really took it in the shorts for pardoning Nixon.

[murphymom.livejournal.com]

Born during Truman's presidency, I vaguely remember Eisenhower as Pres, clearly remember the Kennedy-Nixon campaign, remember even more clearly whatI was doing when I heard that JFK had been shot. I remember LBJ and Nixon more clearly, and, yeah, as Republican's go, Ford was definitely the best of a bad lot . At least the man had a sense of humor about himself. Whatbugs me mostabout this whole thing is that Reagan was very likely in the early stages of Alzheimer's when he was in office. (The damn disease has a very long fuse.)