The Other Coyboy President

Do you mean Presidential Tailor? That would certainly give insight. Wouldn’t you like to be a mouse while they were talking during a fitting?

They are both (Bush & Reagan) cowboys in the mind because they’ve never had to do the work or live the life. It’s a romantic ideal and it pays them to communicate it to the public. We all love our Westerns!

They lived in very different times and the world was very different. You can’t grab someone’s ideas from the past and make them work today. You need to look at the ideas and try to fit them to the current situation and that means a lot of change. Bush is rather inflexible. At least Reagan was willing to admit his mistakes.

We’ve also just been through a week of Reagan as Mr. Wonderful. It was his funeral and he was being eulogized so I think it was appropriate. However, that past, it might be a good idea to remember Ollie North and the Iran Contra Affair. All was not sweetness and light during the Reagan reign.

I have no idea how the French viewed Reagan. I hope some of our French posters will elucidate.

I have no idea how the French viewed Reagan, however, I remember a Frenchman bringing up the Iran scandal and Oliver North. I would presume then that they remember his faults quite well.

I remember doing some business in LaFrance shortly after Dutch left office. The French seemed to think of him as a cowboy. And he was a cowboy. I think they were fascinated that we could elect a movie actor to be President. Although I have had nightmares over it ever since, I even voted for Dutch for his first term. Jimmy Carter was a little too far over the top for me. I didn’t repeat the mistake for Dutch’s second term. It was amazing the things that he and Sununu could get away with. I guess we were just as fascinated. Donerail

I don’t care what people think, you should respect Reagan, he moght have been one of the most influencial leaders and oneof the best President’s American has seen. The collapse of the Soviet Union ring a bell and he had close international ties with countries.

HollisterSurfer

HollisterSurfer: I agree that Reagan was very personable and quite likeable. Unfortunately, he was a right wing fanatic that caused great harm to the progress of the world. The Soviet Union was collapsing under its own weight. It was Reagan’s "watch" and I will even give him credit for that. Maybe. What a better world it might be today if we had a more purposefull leader. Donerail

HollisterSurfer, Don’t put Mr. Reagan on a pedestal. He’ll fall off. He was a man like any other man. The Berlin Wall would have fallen anyway. He was just the man in office at the time. Communism couldn’t sustain itself and economics brought it down.

When you start thinking of St. Reagan, dig out those history books and look up Ollie North and the Iran Contra Affair. Now there’s a scandal to read about!!

I’m not sure you can get to be President without a few skeletons in your closet. Despite the charming family scenario on tv for the funeral, he was a lousy father too. Dig up some old Time or Newsweek mags or some old newspapers. It’s very interesting reading.

People are talking about puting reagon on the $10 bill. Butthen some say don’t take Hamilton off. I say put Ray-Gun on a three dollar bill.

Sweird: Before you do anything, you may wish to learn how to spell the President’s name. Donerail

I was only asking what the opinion in France was about Reagan. Not your own opinion. Didn’t they like Reagan? At least a little better than Bush;.

I’m not sure that the term "right wing fanatic" applies to Reagan. He had Democrats in his cabinet. Even if he was a fanatic, fanatics aren’t wrong just because there’re fanatics.

Doerail I think that "Ray-Gun" was a pun. So what, can’t people have a little humar, even though it was a little corny. I’m not sure what that has to do with France though.

They’ve already put Reagan’s name on the old Dulles Airport (Washington DC). That’s enough as far as I’m concerned. I wouldn’t put Reagan’s face on any greenback. Washingon, Lincoln, those were great men and deserve to be on our nation’s currency. Reagan does not.

The French see Reagan as a cowboy president and they DO remember his faults, such as Oliver North situation and the Iran problem, among others. I do think that the Europeans tend to focus too much on US presidents’ faults, however if there are scandals or problems there then so be it. No politician is an angel, they all have skeletons in their closets, be it American, European, Asian or South American.

Amero-franc: Ok, I shouldn’t have used the term "fanatic." That was giving them too much credit for possessing a work ethic that neither of them had. I should have used the term "zealot." Does your spell check feature have a warranty? Donerail