Ronald Reagan Would Back McCain

[Liberty]

In 1976 the Ford vs. Reagan campaign for the Republican presidential nomination got so heated it looked as if my father and Jerry Ford would never again talk to one another.

When it was over and Ford had won, what did Ronald Reagan do? He simply went all-out to help Ford win his re-election, as did I and as did my sister Maureen. My dad simply followed his rule of backing the Republican candidate no matter who he was.

Assuming that John McCain will be the Republican nominee, you can bet my father would be itching to get out on the campaign trail working to elect him even if he disagreed with him on a number of issues.

Unlike my father, a lot of conservatives stayed home in 1976, and we got four years of Jimmy Carter, whose main legacy was to drive the Shah of Iran from power and create the Islamic Republic of Iran with a bunch of wild-eyed mullahs running the show. He also gave us 20 percent inflation and long, long lines at the gas pumps. And don’t forget 440 days of Americans held hostage by the mullahs.

Michael Reagan

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[Taxman]

Maybe. However: 1) this isn't 1976 and 2) even Gerald Ford was more conservative than John McCain.

The bottom line, though, is that each individual is going to have to decide if it's more important to elect a Republican or to support conservatism. Unfortunately, they're not the same thing at this moment in time.

[Warhawk1982]

I think Ron would be condemning McCain for being too weak.

[Liberty]

Probably privately. I don't think he'd do it publicly.

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[politicalboy]

Originally Posted by Liberty

Probably privately. I don't think he'd do it publicly.

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I think if President Reagan was say, in his eighties and of sound mind today he wouldn't think twice about backing John McCain. For a couple of reasons. Which are Barrack and Hillary. He wouldn't opt for the left, no way. There is no other option on the right, I think early on he would've endorsed Fred Thompson, Fred was closest to his idealogy, but with the choices whittled down the way they have been, he'd back McCain and probably have some fairly harsh comments to and about republicans that are blindly cruising the beltway saying they'd opt for Hillary in an attempt to strengthen the gop for the next four years, thats just silly.

[Batcivic]

Originally Posted by Warhawk1982

I think Ron would be condemning McCain for being too weak.

I DO NOT THINK McCain would be weak if Reagan was still around. This is all a result of no leadership from the Republican party since Newt cheated on his wife.

[seven waves]

Reagan was a party man when all's said and done - he'd hesitate, then probably ending backing him unless he wondered why Juan was writing immigration bills with Ted Kennedy now after his min-amnesty reform bill was gutted by the Democrats back in 1986.

[maranello]

I think Ronald Reagan would indeed back McCain.

Firstly because he is obviously a Republican but I also think that Reagan would have enormous respect for what McCain has done for his country through his national service and for his years as a Senator. I absolutely believe he would see McCain an American Hero, as a man with vast experience and deserving not only of his party's nomination but of the Presidency.

Aside from 'deserving' I do believe Reagan would see him as the most qualified. Reagan was a conservative, just like McCain, but he was also a realist and a man who loved the American people. McCain is a realist and shares this belief in the American people and the American system just as Theodore Roosevelt did at the beginning of the 20th Century. We have a great opportunity here.

[politicalboy]

This morning GHWB said Ronny would back McCain, if anyone knows what the Ironhorse would have done it would be his Vice President.

[maranello]

GHWB, like James Baker, Brent Scowcroft, G Ford, Nixon, Theodore Roosevelt and of course Reagan have all been great Republicans. Lets bring the Republican party back to a time when it was the party that could be most trusted to manage the economy responsibly and to have the most practical and truly effective foreign policy.

We are missing the 'wise men' in today's world. People like T Roosevelt, like Churchill, like Lincoln. McCain is the only person that offers this.