Saturday, March 01, 2008
What if they asked it in 1980?Much has been written about Slate’s John Dickerson's question to the Clinton campaign: “What foreign policy moment would you point to in Hillary’s career where she’s been tested by crisis?” Because it was explicitly mentioned in the now-famous 3:00 am phone call campaign ad. Fair enough. But what if this was asked 28 years ago? “What foreign policy moment would you point to in Ronald Reagan’s career where he’s been tested by crisis?” What would they say? Fighting the Panama Canal Treaty hardly counts.
posted by Quiddity at 3/01/2008 02:45:00 PM
10 comments
Well, there was that crisis in 1942 when Reagan was called up to active duty in the Army Air Force, but then learned (no doubt to his relief) that his nearsightedness precluded him from serving overseas.
Talk about dodging a bullet! Whew!
I think as governor of CA he did stuff to try to crush university demonstrators.
Um, the second he took office, you may have heard of a hostage crisis.
Ahem.
They'd probably say, "GOVERNOR Reagan would have overstepped his authority if he intervened directly in foreign affairs."
On the other hand, Hillary was in office when 9/11 happened. She's been asked to give her advice and consent to dozens of ambassadors, treaties and she's on the Armed Services Committee (as well as the Emerging Threats and Capabilities subcommittee).
She's surely faced many foreign policy crises. The fact that they can't come up with one is a little disconcerting.
Pres. Ronnie late at night in bed:
One ringy-dingy,
Two ringy-dingy,
Three ringy-dingy,
Four ringy-dingy,
Nancy: "Ronnie, pick up the F*****g phone, it's for you!"
There are a lot of things they don't admit. See the latest news exposing hte wrongs at Representative Press's Channel Guide #1
"Um, the second he took office, you may have heard of a hostage crisis."
Are you suggesting that some backroom deal was made between agents of the Reagan-Bush campaign and the Iranians to dela release of the hostages until after the lection was resolved?
Jimmy Carter was tested, not Reagan.
Yes. The backroom deal was that if the hostages were released, the United States would not unleash its full military power against Iran.
In other words, Reagan made it clear that he was ready to go to war.
Only Reagan could credibly make that threat. But you are right. Carter was tested. He completely failed.
The backroom deal was that if the hostages were released, the United States would not unleash its full military power against Iran.
LOL!
Have you ever heard of the phrases "Iran-Contra" and "arms for hostages"?
Have I heard of the Iran-Cotra-Israel Affair? Sure, but it's tough to play naive and call it by name. The pro-Reagan Anonymous is a tool who thinks Reagan, and not Bush Senior (the first Dick Cheney type vice-president) was behind the deal. The only tests Reagan had between 1975 and 1980 was crafting a concessin speech to Gerald Ford and choosing a vice presidential running mate. The Reagan legacy consists of conservative demagoguery, ballooning debt, bad economics, and blowback from ham handed foreign policy.
The most relevant event from his Governorship of California was using the highway patrol and National Guard to occupy the City of Berkeley.
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