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The Remarkable resilience of Reaganite Ideas of Reform

Posted by B. Daniel Blatt at 7:04 pm - November 2, 2009.
Filed under: 2009 Elections, Big Government Follies, Conservative Ideas, Republican Rebuilding, Ronald Reagan

As I will doubtless repeat ad nauseum in the coming days in response to the endlessly biased coverage of the Tea Party movement and the related grassroots enthusiasm for Doug Hoffman’s Conservative candidacy in New York’s 23rd congressional district. the one thing missing from (most) media coverage is an appreciation for the resilience of the ideas which animated the rise of Ronald Reagan, an opposition to the seemingly endless growth of the federal government.

Even Barack Obama recognized the resilience of Reagan’s ideas.  He regularly reminded voters that he supported a “net spending cut,” emphasizing, in the third debate, his concern for fiscal prudence:

What I want to emphasize, though, is that I have been a strong proponent of pay-as- you-go. Every dollar that I’ve proposed, I’ve proposed an additional cut so that it matches.

Seems, however, that when GOP county leaders in upstate New York were looking for a candidate in the special election in New York’s 23rd congressional district, they attributed Obama’s election not to his campaign rhetoric, but to his actions once in office.

Which leads me to repeat the question I asked in my very first post on this election: Do GOP Leaders Get that Fiscal Conservatism is a Winning Issue?

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7 Comments »

  1. Why is fiscal prudence important? Why should government spending be kept under tight control, always? As Ayn Rand put it,

    The expansion of a country’s currency… consists in palming off, as values, a stream of paper backed by nothing but promises (or hot air) and getting actual values, the citizens’ goods or services, in return—until the country’s wealth is drained. A similar activity, in private performance, is the passing of checks on a non-existent bank account. But, in private performance, this is regarded as a crime—and most people understand why such an activity cannot last for long.

    Today, people are beginning to understand that the government’s account is overdrawn, that a piece of paper is not the equivalent of a gold coin, or an automobile, or a loaf of bread—and that if you attempt to falsify monetary values, you do not achieve abundance, you merely debase the currency and go bankrupt.

    $1.4 trillion annual deficits, as far as the eye can see. 0% interest rates. Corrupt entities, that dare call themselves “private companies” in some cases and “community non-profits” in others (but are neither), propped up by hundreds of billions in government money. Think about where Obama is leading us.

    Comment by ILoveCapitalism — November 2, 2009 @ 8:13 pm - November 2, 2009

  2. I was a young man when I heard Ronaldus Magnus say, govenment is part of the problem not the solution to your problems. He encouraged me to stand up, not wait around for others or the GOVERNMENT to help me, but to take charge and take responsiblility for my own life and my own success. Because of that direction, I’ve plowed forward during recessions and good times and don’t waste energy on what could have been. The sadest part of experiences like Katrina was the sheer pain of seeing AMERICANS standing around waiting for someone to take charge of their lives and help them. When with individual preparation, they could have done for themselves. Reaganism is mostly individual responsiblility. If 95% of us did for ourselves the other 5% wouldn’t be resented. But the producers are down to 40% of the populace. And Atlas is close to shrugging.

    Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — November 2, 2009 @ 9:20 pm - November 2, 2009

  3. BTW some news about Obamas hopenchange.
    The govenment run auto companies sales are down 25%.
    And Chrysler and GM are hemoraging cash.
    Privately held FORD announces a $1 Billion profit!! Whooop whoop.
    More power to private enterprise. Nice job Mr Obama.

    Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — November 2, 2009 @ 9:24 pm - November 2, 2009

  4. Cue some accounting or tax scheme to effectively loot Ford for the benefit of GM and Chrysler in 4… 3… 2…

    Comment by ILoveCapitalism — November 2, 2009 @ 9:30 pm - November 2, 2009

  5. (Government-sponsored, I mean. Strictly in “the public interest”.)

    Comment by ILoveCapitalism — November 2, 2009 @ 9:31 pm - November 2, 2009

  6. “Reaganism is mostly individual responsiblility.”

    Of course, American individualism, in part inextricably linked with the “Protestant Work Ethic,” has been systematically undermined and devalued in the last decade or so.

    Sadly, it seems that apathy, or sheer childishness is the rule of the age.

    Comment by Blake Flint — November 2, 2009 @ 9:35 pm - November 2, 2009

  7. Any smart Republican/conservative/Counter-Obama revolutionary will study the history of the GOP of the 1970s, including Rumsfeld + Cheney’s early turns in the executive branch, Reagan’s ‘76 challenge to Ford, and neoconservatives’ arrival in the conservative movement.

    Comment by Jeremayakovka — November 2, 2009 @ 11:46 pm - November 2, 2009

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