Sigh.
Peter Robinson ·
Sep 26, 2011 at 8:37am
Emailed in by a Ricochet member, who snapped this shot in, of all places, Venice, California. (Since Rob was out of town this past weekend, we now have proof that at least one other conservative lives in his neighborhood.)
Edit ten minutes later: As you'll see in the comment thread, the fair Diane, our editrix, thinks this t-shirt is actually intended not to display affection and nostalgia for the Gipper but to mock present-day conservatives. I don't see it, but it could be that I'm simply proving obtuse.
Could we have a little help here? What think?
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Comments :
Re: Sigh.
Isn't this a shirt mocking Republicans? Couldn't it just as easily (or more easily) be worn by a liberal?
Re: Sigh.
How do you figure? I can't see that construction at all. But if I'm simply being obtuse--and it would hardly be the first time--then, Madame Editrix, please take my post down. Confused as I may be about this, I wouldn't want to give the other side the satisfaction.
Feb '11
Re: Sigh.
I read it as a commentary on the Republican field. We're likely to get a Romney or a Perry when we need a Reagan. I can see how Diane came up with her take, but that wasn't my initial reaction.
Edited on Sep 26, 2011 at 9:01amRe: Sigh.
Peter Robinson
How do you figure? I can't see that construction at all. But if I'm simply being obtuse--and it would hardly be the first time--then, Madame Editrix, please take my post down. Confused as I may be about this, I wouldn't want to give the other side the satisfaction. · Sep 26 at 8:51am
I'm just as confused as you are, Peter. I just understood the shirt to be mean that Republicans have grown so pathetic that they can no longer in good conscience invoke Reagan in hopes that that will make them more appealing to voters.
But maybe there's a different message there? No idea.
Re: Sigh.
I will out myself as the photographer here. Normally, given where the photo was taken, I would agree with Diane. But there was a street fair here yesterday with thousands of people visiting from all over Southern California, so I assumed (I didn't ask him) that it was a commentary on the current field.
Oct '10
Re: Sigh.
My immediate reaction was that this was a back door way of comparing Obama to Carter but, darn it, Diane makes a good point.
Sep '10
Re: Sigh.
Maybe it's a commentary on the Zombie Reagan meme from the "reality-based" community?
May '10
Re: Sigh.
It would be a rare liberal who would pay for a tee shirt with an attractive photo of Ronald Reagan on the back and an easy-to-misinterpret quotation beneath it. I think a conservative snuck into Venice for the day.
Oct '10
Re: Sigh.
I agree with TheOtherDiane.
For myself, the message is one of longing and sadness that we no longer have the Gipper, and there are no Reagans alive in American politics any more. We have muddled along for over 20 years now, and I guess the muddle will continue.
Aug '10
Re: Sigh.
Besides, it's too subtle to be interpreted as a liberal message. When it comes to mocking conservatives, liberals rarely display subtlety.
Re: Sigh.
Songwriter
Besides, it's too subtle to be interpreted as a liberal message. When it comes to mocking conservatives, liberals rarely display subtlety. · Sep 26 at 9:55am
Good point. For example:
Apr '11
Re: Sigh.
I'm with the Other Diane and Songwriter. It would be a rare liberal Fascist who would think to wear that shirt. Having Reagan speak sympathetically to Conservatives is far too subtle for liberals, and even one who would do it would know that his comperes wouldn't get it.
I would add another reason a liberal wouldn't be wearing it: When do liberals ever willingly go where there is a large target (Conservative) population?
When I think how often liberals have come up and whined that they don't understand my t-shirt or bumper sticker (e.g., "Pro-Child/Pro-Choice" = Pro-Pig/Pro-Bacon, or Visualize No Liberals), I think that if one did try something like that shirt, the caption would be "He can't help you this time", or "His discredited, dangerous, radical ideas won't wash anymore".
Oct '10
Re: Sigh.
raycon: I agree with TheOtherDiane.
For myself, the message is one of longing and sadness that we no longer have the Gipper, and there are no Reagans alive in American politics. We have muddled along for over 20 years now, and I guess the muddle will continue. · Sep 26 at 9:53am
Songwriter
Besides, it's too subtle to be interpreted as a liberal message. When it comes to mocking conservatives, liberals rarely display subtlety. · Sep 26 at 9:55am
Yes, yes, and yes. And so, yes to Peter's interpretation. T-shirt messages are like mutiple-choice, don't second guess.
Re: Sigh.
Hey, I saw a blatantly anti-Obama tee shirt in the overtly liberal village of Pacific Palisades this weekend. Sure, it isn't Venice, but it's close.
Mar '11
Re: Sigh.
I hate to bring this up, but there is a Reagan in the race - his name is Herman Cain.
Then there is Mrs Palin in Alaska.
The fact that we don't seem to recognize them as such is somewhat worrying - he doesn't have to be a movie actor from CA.
Sep '10
Re: Sigh.
Where can I buy it?
Apr '11
Re: Sigh.
I almost like this shirt from a different point of view. Take for example some of these Republican debates (especially the one in the Reagan library) where the candidates wave the incense in front of the Reagan shrine just to show us how conservative they all are, hence why I imagine Reagan saying "I'm Sorry I can't help you this time!" Republicans like to invoke Reagan, he had his time and it's done. So Stop! It seems like they are trying convince themselves more then us.
Jul '10
Re: Sigh.
Something like this is usually on the front of the shirt, not the back.
If We knew what was on the front that would be a big help.
Re: Sigh.
It was actually on both sides of the shirt. Don't know why.
Aug '10
Re: Sigh.
I prefer the term reanimated to zombie, not out of political correctness (aggrieved zombies can pound sand) but out of respect for the Gipper.
Reanimated Ronald Reagan will be how I write it in on the top my ballot.