Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
It is a puzzle: how can the same country have elected both Ronald Reagan (twice!) and Barack Obama within the span of a single generation? I think part of the answer must be that, in bringing down the Evil Empire, Reagan succeeded in making America safe for leftism.
Does anyone besides me suspect that the Soviet Union moldering on the ash heap of history since 1991 is the best thing that ever happened to the American Left? For years the Soviet Union acted as an effective damper on left-wing enthusiasm. As long as the country faced a deadly and implacable communist enemy, a national consensus dictated limits to how far left a politician of national stature could venture and still remain viable. More generally, the range of polite political discourse was constrained, especially, but not exclusively, where issues of foreign policy and national security were concerned. The existence of the communist menace even exercised a moderating influence on our intelligentsia’s natural leftward tendencies.
Then, the Berlin Wall fell and less than two decades later the country elects as its president a garden-variety campus radical, the pampered product of its clueless academic elites, thoroughly pickled in a lukewarm bath of Marxist pigswill. It should go without saying that no person with Obama’s resume or political pedigree could have been elected or appointed to any position of national prominence as recently as a quarter century ago. But an entire generation has grown up since then having no memory or understanding of what the great ideological conflicts of the 20th century were about. Mention the Cold War to them and you might as well be talking about the War of Jenkins’ Ear.
It is hard to shake the feeling that, despite the triumphalism of the “unipolar moment” of the early 90s, in the last 20 years the country’s political center of gravity has shifted inexorably to the left. Nobody any longer finds it odd that the leadership of one of our two political parties, openly embraces: deranged hatred of private enterprise; unrestricted warfare against class enemies; a menacing carnival sideshow Occupy Movement; punitive taxation; nationalization of whole sectors of the economy; industrial policy dressed up as environmentalist crackpottery; contempt for the middle class; sneering contempt for inconvenient constitutional impediments to state power; a vast and limitless expansion of the administrative state’s reach into every aspect of commercial and private life; DMV-quality healthcare; group victimology exalted as state religion; a racial spoils system that makes a mockery of the civil rights movement; social re-engineering of the electorate; unilateral disarmament; abject deference to foreign dictators; etc., etc.
So much for the party of the ruling class. Meanwhile, the other, nominally conservative party, is tongue-tied and impotent, seemingly unable or unwilling to make a principled, full-throated defense of conservatism, let alone take the fight to the other side.
What happened? Wasn’t 1991 supposed to mark the end of history and the permanent triumph of free market democracy? Is it too much to conclude that, although the Soviet Union most certainly lost the Cold War, a form of the ideology that it embraced not only survived, but flourished, precisely because it was cut loose from the dead weight of that failed, corrupt, blood-spattered experiment in machine-age utopian fantasy?
My question is, is the age of Obama a fundamental break with the past related to America’s Cold War triumph, or is it the seamless continuation of the leftward march of progress from Wilson through FDR and LBJ to today? Can it be that America’s erstwhile conservative exceptionalism is merely an artifact of the Cold War, itself a strange and aberrant historical period? And do we, a country founded on ideas rather than ties of blood and soil, really need an external ideological enemy to function with any degree of national unity?
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Jul '11
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
No, he just delayed its coming. After the 60's, Vietnam, both Kennedy assassinations, Nixon, Carter, we were a broke people, lost and not able to see our way forward, not knowing who we were, heading down this same socialist secular path we are on now. Then Reagon showed up, a kindly older gentleman, who reminded us that WE THE PEOPLE are a good people, with a destiny and a dream. A dream that our fathers dreamed, and their fathers, all the way back to the founders and before. A dream so audacious that it is known worldwide as the American Dream and so just that God stands with us in dreaming it. For a while we remembered and dreamed the dream and the shining city on the hill shined brighter. Then Reagon left us and others have not been able to rally the dreamers as well as he. Now the libertines in their hatred and ridicule have once again caused the dreamers to doubt. Thus the dream is fading, the city on the hill dims, freedom retreats, liberty recedes, fascism in the name of social democracy increases and the "Age of Obama" (which started before Obama) is born.
Dec '11
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
Because what people actually saw of Obama, was a socially conservative(ish) and a fiscal moderate that was going to end the wars, and return to normalcy.
Nov '10
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
I like Oblomov's thesis, but would counter that the conservative movement, starting with Buckley in the 50's, is a reaction to the Progressive movement that had started in 20's, or arguably in the 19th century with the advent of European socialism. FDR gave Progressives a tremendous boost of political power -- he restructured the federal government to achieve Progressive goals.
With two exceptions, every President since FDR has advanced the Progressive agenda; with two exceptions, every decade has seen our society move further toward the left socially. Eisenhower in the 50's did nothing to advance Progressivism, and Reagan in the 80's actively pushed it back.
Since the 1980's, however, we have merely returned to the same century long Progressive push. Our main error came in electing a GOP President who was not a "movement conservative" like Reagan, but a traditional statist Republican who grew the government and surrendered to the Progressives at every encounter. Had George W. Bush been a true movement conservative, BHO's election could not have happened.
Reagan's success did not set us up for BHO; it was GWB's failures that did.
Apr '11
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
Sorry, but I must disagree. Four years ago I likened Obama to a device from the first Harry Potter novel: the "Mirror of Erised." If you're not familiar with the reference...
David Brooks saw the Ivy League Intellectual Philosopher King he always yearned for. I had friends who thought voting for Obama would somehow wash away the stigma of America's Original Sin of slavery. A woman in a crowd thought she'd get a new kitchen. 53% of American voters convinced themselves they saw something that was not there and chose to ignore the plain evidence of what was.
Feb '11
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
"The leading cause of problems is solutions"
I think that solving the problem of the Soviet threat did indeed remove a check on the American left, and indeed the western left in general.
Aug '11
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
You ask, "It is a puzzle: how can the same country have elected both Ronald Reagan (twice!) and Barack Obama within the span of a single generation? "
The answer is in one word you can repeat twice, BUSH!
Which was the punctuation at the end of the Reagan sentence.
May '10
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
I think the answer is clear if you look at it from the other angle; put yourself in the other guy's shoes...
Leftism will flourish wherever it can find an opportunity.
Aug '10
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
I'd suspect it has more to do with the fact that the basic human condition is vulnerable to socialistic, redistributive tendencies. The ten commandments include a "thy shall not covet" provision for a reason. American society had historically succeeded in combating these urges by means of a strong reliance on traditional values, the establishment of an individualistic, self-reliant American ideal, and a widespread comprehension that the United States was exceptional. However, in the span of a couple generations all three were methodically undermined and uprooted by the progressive and cultural Left. Having peeled away this protective layer, we fell victim to the same base urges and desires that have plagued many a society and peoples. It just took some time.
Sep '10
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
"Does anyone besides me suspect that the Soviet Union moldering on the ash heap of history since 1991 is the best thing that ever happened to the American Left?"
Indeed yes. I'm glad you posted this--it's a much more articulate version of some thoughts I had a few days ago. The fall of the USSR finally allowed the American Left to get on the political stage without that Frankenstein's monster tagging inconveniently along.
Likewise, Obama's election allowed them to dream big. Remember how, before the 2008 election, the media shouted down any hint that Obama was a socialist? A few weeks after the election, an academic colleague said that she couldn't see what was so wrong about socialism anyhow. (I immediately replied that there was a LOT wrong with it, being the party pooper I am.)
Just imagine what it will be like if he gets a second term.
May '11
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
I've often said that the end of the USSR and the cold war allowed socialists and communists to resurrect their ideas without stigma from the example across the Iron Curtain.
Dec '11
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
Herkybird
Sorry, but I must disagree. Four years ago I likened Obama to a device from the first Harry Potter novel: the "Mirror of Erised." If you're not familiar with the reference...
I dont disagree that people who were paying rapt attention knew better; But what his commercials said and the face he presented during the debates was a socially conservative-ish fiscal moderate who was going to end the wars and return the nation to normalcy.
I said this then, that if Barrack Obama believed his own campaign, he would be a McCain supporter.
Sep '11
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
Guruforhire
Herkybird
Sorry, but I must disagree. Four years ago I likened Obama to a device from the first Harry Potter novel: the "Mirror of Erised." If you're not familiar with the reference...
I dont disagree that people who were paying rapt attention knew better; But what his commercials said and the face he presented during the debates was a socially conservative-ish fiscal moderate who was going to end the wars and return the nation to normalcy.
I said this then, that if Barrack Obama believed his own campaign, he would be a McCain supporter. · 12 minutes ago
Indeed. He ran as something he was not and the media were complicit. They showed no curiosity whatever about his past. Whether the majority inthe media are actual marxists or just thoughtless leftists eager to purge their racial guilt is immaterial. The reason Obama was elected is that most of the people who voted for him had no idea who he was. Many still do not.
Oct '10
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
Guys and gals, y'all're thinking too hard. How did Obambi get elected? It's simple. He's black. There's no way the Brooks and Noonans and Buckleys and Powells of the world would've voted for John Edwards. And yet Obama and Edwards are twin sons from different mothers.
They were equally far-left Liberal, loquacious, youthful and telegenic, and heck, Edwards even had better hair (and, it turned out, was a much better extemporaneous speaker). There was absolutely, positively no substantive difference between the two men.
Except skin color. John Edwards was out of the primary race by the end of January 2008, Obambi went on to become POTUS. Why? Skin color. No white left-wing Lib would've garnered the votes of Powell et al, nor the votes of enough other brain-addled voters to become POTUS, the way the black left-wing Lib did. I think it really is that simple.
Oct '10
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
And yet...halfway through September 2008 McCain led Obambi in the polls. Even with GWB's failures, less than 2 months out the Republican led the race. And would've continued to lead, even with the financial meltdown, if he were facing a white opponent. Too many voters who wanted to vote for a black president, no matter his lack of qualifications or ability, would NOT have voted for John Edwards or Billary.
May '10
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
I have to say that I agree with most of what Herkybird and Doug Lee have said. It's sad to see it happening to our country, and yet it is not surprising: the ascendancy of Obama is a natural consequence of the progressivism which threatens us all, from which we had but a brief respite during Reagan's years.
Any consistent progressive will insist that the problem with the Soviet Union was that the CPSU was not truly consistent with leftist principles: they didn't do enough or somehow go far enough. Just as the proponents of Keynesian stimulus are never satisfied.
It reminds me of Proverbs 30.15
The leech has two daughters:
Edited on March 17, 2012 at 4:12amGive and Give.
Three things are never satisfied;
Four never say, “Enough”:
Sheol, The barren womb,
the land never satisfied with water,
and the fire that never says, “Enough.”
May '10
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
Agreed.
It's important to realize that at the heart of American culture is a radical preference for free will over security. That trait has always been exceptional. America was always swimming against the tide.
While I agree that Obama was elected primarily because he was black and that Bush Jr's Presidency turned many folks in the middle against the Republican brand, it's clear that American culture is not the same as it was at this government's founding. Even reliable Republican voters who believe they themselves are against big government often support extra-Constitutional government intervention when presented with specific circumstances rather than general principles.
The Constitution only ever worked because it represented widespread beliefs of various Americans. It is now becoming irrelevant in part because of undemocratic politics but also because American culture is gradually changing into something less exceptional than it once was.
Reagan was elected as much for his manner as for his political views. And elections are only ever about a few issues at a time.
Apr '11
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
Many, many excellent points are contained in this discussion. Obama's ascendancy can be traced to many trends, all worthy of examination. But for me it has been summed up best by Dennis Prager, who said that to fight leftism is to fight human nature.
Feb '11
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
I think the left is and has been the left. What changed was the coalition that had elected Republican presidents from 1952 through 1988. Part of that coalition was based on foreign policy while they didn't agree at all with Republicans about social issues or the economy. Think of Jean Kirkpatrick. I knew plenty of people like that. When Clinton rolled around and the Soviet Union was gone, then they voted Democrat for the first time since 1964 and have not voted for a Republican since (the ones still alive). Bush was never able to attract these people back. There are people entering and leaving the voting population as well through aging in, death, and people just deciding they aren't interested this time around.
So I don't think it's a matter of the left changing. I think it's a matter of the coalition that has to be put together for each election. Obama had the good fortune of having Bush's poor handling of everything. So he had an easier time building a coalition.
Edited on March 17, 2012 at 4:13amFeb '12
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
The Left is truly embedded in the West. The Soviet bloc were brilliant at undermining the West. Go back to the Frankfurt School for how PC got started.
But these two reads are explanatory. The first on the origins of the occupy movement.
The second by Ion Pacepa on how the UN and US interests are not on the same wavelength.. Worth remembering too that Obama's mentor Frank Marshall was a communist as was his friend Harry Bridges..
http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-94-year-old-frenchman-behind-%e2%80%98occupy%e2%80%99/?singlepage=truettp://pjmedia.com/blog/wake-up-panetta-un-u-s-have-opposing-interests/?singlepage=true
Mar '12
Re: Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama?
The communists and socialists in this country never went away, they went underground. We saw it in the changes in Hollywood and the messages in movies when patriotism went out the door and hatred for anything capitalism came in...a recurring theme in movies these days. Academia was another place the silvertails, as Breitbart so accurately called them, took refuge. Bill Ayers was very instrumental in changing the course of the American academic structure and dialogue. And, of course, the media has been hand-in-hand with it all. By controlling most of the microphones, the media controlled the national conversation. We simply were asleep at the wheel as they lay low, waiting for their opportunity. Political correctness was one of the weapons they used to silence conservatives and we went along with it.
But all of that is changing. Hopefully people, now that they recognize the real threat to our society, will have the backbone to see this through. If conservative national leaders run for cover, the people are the ones that will have to take up the battlecry, which is what we are seeing everywhere now. Time to stand and act for what we believe in.