Editor’s note: A longer version of this article first appeared at American Spectator.
With Barack Obama’s second inauguration, liberals are touting an altogether new epoch: the end of the Reagan era.
Unfortunately, I believe they are largely correct. We are witnessing a period of left-wing ascendance, marked by gay marriage, forced taxpayer funding of abortion, an exploding government class, and big government. As to the latter, Ronald Reagan had declared in his first inaugural: “government is not the solution … government is the problem.” The first Democrat to follow Reagan, Bill Clinton, similarly stated “the era of big government is over.” Clinton’s affirmation was also an affirmation of the Reagan era.
Then came Barack Obama. Just days after his 2009 inauguration, Obama proclaimed: “the federal government is the only entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back into life.” He said “only government” could alter our “vicious cycle.”
Obama had repudiated Reagan, and the electorate would again reward him four years later. What Obama called for in 2009 seems to be the new American spirit in 2013.
But is it? Well, the answer is complicated.
For one, Barack Obama is undoing the Reagan era courtesy of an American public that exhibits utterly schizophrenic voting behavior. Let history record a confounding reality that will baffle future historians: The Obama era supplanted the Reagan era thanks to a voting public that adores Reagan, judges him our greatest of presidents, and overwhelmingly calls itself conservative rather than liberal. All unbelievable, yes, but true. Consider the facts:
For a long time now, starting with the Reagan presidency, Americans have described themselves as “conservative” rather than “liberal” by margins of roughly two-to-one. Generally, self-identified liberals have hovered around the 20 percent level, while conservatives have ranged in the upper-30 percent, sometimes above 40 percent.
Surely this must have changed in 2008, with Obama’s election? No; despite Obama winning the presidency by 54 to 46 percent, 21 percent of Americans who voted said they were liberal vs. 38 percent who said they were conservative.
If that seems contradictory for a nation that voted for a man from the far left as president … well, it is. But it gets worse.
A major Gallup poll conducted from January to May 2009, at the height of “Obama mania,” found more self-described conservatives than liberals not only by 40 percent to 21 percent but in literally all 50 states. That’s correct, all 50 states, from California to Massachusetts. And that electorate chose Obama.
It also chose Reagan. During that same period, a remarkable survey was done by Clarus Research Group, which asked Americans which president should be the model for Barack Obama in shaping his presidency. Their top choice was America’s most conservative president: Ronald Reagan.
How could that be? Answer: it cannot. It is impossible.
And yet, it isn’t a shock that Americans would look to Reagan as their model. Two years after the Clarus survey, a Gallup poll released for Presidents Day 2011 ranked Reagan the “greatest president” of all time, garnering 19 percent of the vote among 44 presidents (beating Lincoln fairly soundly, who finished second at 14 percent). Gallup began asking the “greatest president” question in 1999. Of the 13 times Gallup has done the survey, the public placed Reagan first four times—2001, 2005, 2011, and 2012.
How does that same citizenry twice elect Barack Obama? That’s a very good question.
Well, maybe this long admiration for Reagan conservatism suddenly changed in November 2012?
No, though liberals did draw a little closer. According to CNN exit polling, 35 percent of voters on November 6, 2012 described themselves as “conservative” and 25 percent chose “liberal.” This was identical to a Pew poll.
Importantly, some observers dispute these self-designations, insisting that many of those who call themselves conservative really aren’t. Here and there, that may be true. Overall, however, I think the designations are fairly accurate. When you break down the data and ask questions like whether voters prefer more taxes and more government, they generally don’t—even when they vote that way.
So, what does all of this mean?
It means that a self-described conservative, Reagan-loving electorate has twice voted for a hardcore leftist, Barack Obama, to, in effect, end the Reagan era. That wasn’t the intent, but that’s the result.
I’ll end with a dose of Reagan optimism: It also means that the Reagan ideal is not over. I believe that most Americans (for now) still prefer Reagan’s principles and view of government over Obama’s. The Reagan principles are ultimately time-tested and true; they are the universal, unalienable principles of the Founders, rooted in eternal Judeo-Christian beliefs and Natural Law.
The Reagan vision and values are already here, ready to be tapped and again prevail. They merely require the right spokesman (and Barack Obama’s exit from the presidency.)
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With voter fraud being so rampant in 2008 and 2012, I’m not so sure the majority of the American people voted for Obama. I believe he stole the elections and I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to go back to the Reagan era, again. I mean he and his minions mean to destroy our country as founded by our Founding Fathers if they haven’t already done so. If Americans are stupid enough to put a usurper in our White House twice, then it’s true when they say, “We control the stupid Americans.”
Hate to be pessimistic but I have to be honest. If there can ever be a resurgence of Reagan conservatism it has to start immediately. Obama’s designs are to so corrupt and destroy America that she will never be able to recover. Conservatives were asleep as they went about their productive, taxpaying, family rearing, God worshiping, patriotic ways for decades, ignorant of the scumbag underbelly of the nation setting up systems that piece by piece tore our nation apart, morally, spiritually, financially. Ted Kennedy in 1965 helped change the common sense immigration policies that had gone on before into a policy that permitted an overabundance of unskilled, third world and Eastern European immigrants, who for the most part did not want to become Americans but did want to drain our resources. This has been repeated at our southern border by G.W. Bush type RINO’s and Democrats alike. The education system in government schools was taken over and has brainwashed and demoralized our children. Johnson, Carter, Clinton, Bush and Obama have all built on FDR’s, Wilson’s and Teddy Roosevelt’s destructive progressivism. Voter fraud was rampant and may have stolen the election for Obama and not a word from the “opposition” party. Are they both on this together. It cannot go on forever; it must collapse. Will there be a people knowledgeable and prepared to step up when the nightmare begins? God help what is left of the true Americans. If you voted for Obama you are NOT a conservative no matter what you say or think.
[[[ How does that same citizenry twice elect Barack Obama? That’s a very good question.]]]
It’s called ” The Power of Persuasion” —- It was his ‘PROMISES’ of — Food Stamps — Legal immigration — Stopping the War — More jobs for everyone — Rooting out Corruption — (Selling of a Soul ) the Preacher who he says was his mentor and best friend — the Art of Lying (which he’s a master at) — Blaming of Bush –which he constantly did for 4 plus years — Shoring up the Unions — his masterful art of getting young voters under 25 (who probably didn’t know who was running much less who they were voting for) — But he had ONE art that no one ever had before….. one that took him to new heights…. the art of LYING — Yup.. he was the Master of all Liars — Then of course… he was ever so wise in the stalling of his Birth Certificate, and all his Hidden Accomplishments – which the country has yet to see..
You’ve just met the Master of all Masters…. Masters of what, you say — Stealing….!!!!!! He has stolen the Presidency from the people of this country through thefts, lying, and ‘give aways.’ He was very generous with the Government’s money… not his own money.. but the Taxpayers money….. yet John Q Public has once again allowed him to do it for another 4 years… so we really can’t blame Obama… we must blame the people who are so blind they can’t seem to see a ‘Con Artist’ even when he’s standing right in front of them !!!
[[[ How does that same citizenry twice elect Barack Obama? That’s a very good question.]]]
How, you Say???? Cause he has them fooled… He chooses his people like a man at an auction… he wants one type of person who is gullible, young, and a go getter with an impressionable mind. Naturally, that kind knows the same kind.. till it built into an ARMY of the same type… It was quite impressive. He portrayed himself as someone he is not… and they believed him. If all the people now who voted for him back them knew about his past and present… they would still vote him in again. Like I previously said in another post… he reminds me of that movie called the stepford wives.. or something like that where their minds are being controlled by one man… they were more like zombies… and did what they were told…. thus his loyal followers… and it doesnt matter what others say bad about him.. they will not believe it.. no matter what it is…