I know, Ronald Reagan’s dead, but hang with me here.
Years ago, in response to then president Bill Clinton’s indiscretions with Monica Lewinski and beyond, Evangelical pastor and conservative politician Mike Huckabee wrote his smash hit Character IS the Issue: How People with Integrity Can Revolutionize America. Huckabee felt strongly, as most of us religious folk do, that people with weak moral character have no business running our country, or weilding half the influence that the president does.
In the same vein, with regards to Donald Trump, many in the US believe that his character faults far exceed those of Clinton, but a great many others believe he’s a wonderful man – the very one needed to save our country.
Since Donald Trump took office, many have come forward accusing him of lies, racism, collusion, and lately, serial laziness; and he’s the only president to go on record in defense of, well… that thing he said in the now infamous Access Hollywood video.
But that was just friendly banter, “locker room talk” that Trump issued an apology for. And the multiple sexual assault allegations were just allegations. No proof. Collusion with Russia? Mueller’s been on that one for a long time and seems to be rolling nothing but donuts.
CNN spins the presidency like Trump’s the worst thing to ever happen to America. Fox News can find nothing but good. One of these mainstream media outlets has gotten things horribly wrong. Both are making a huge gamble. If Trump turns out to be the demon so many believe him to be, say goodbye to Fox News, and vice versa for CNN and the legion of others if Trump’s administration actually goes MAGA.
But the question remains. Does Donald Trump have character issues? More importantly, is he fit to be president? Is he a good one or a bad one?
Millions have their opinions.
Who should we listen to: mainstream media outlets who’s bread-and-butter subsists in carefully curated stories solely aimed at leaving their congregation nodding, “See, told you I was right?”
Should we listen to the stay-at-home dad, ranting on Facebook, still in his pajamas at noon – absolutely no clue as to what the office of president requires? That’s me by the way, and the answer is a resounding “no.”
There is however one, very small group of people who a) know exactly what kind of character is required to run our country and b) have absolutely nothing to lose.
Former US presidents.
But let’s not ask past Democratic presidents. What do they know about the value of conservative politics? They’re jaded.
Let’s ask former Republican presidents. They’re part of Donald Trump’s camp. Their economic, foreign, civil liberties, and social policies were almost a carbon copy of the Trump administration’s. They love our country, and believe that their party was/is the best thing for it.
Here’s what they have to say:
George W Bush.
During a speech in New York, Bush commented on the impact of Trump’s presidency thus far.
“We’ve seen nationalism distorted into nativism, forgotten the dynamism that immigration has always brought to America… We see a fading confidence in the value of free markets and international trade, forgetting that conflict, instability and poverty follow in the wake of protectionism. We’ve seen the return of isolationist sentiments, forgetting that American security is directly threatened by the chaos and despair of distant places.” He went on to denounce “bigotry” and “white supremacy” in any form as “blasphemy against the American creed…”
With regards to leadership and moral character, Bush said:
“Our young people need positive role models. Bullying and prejudice in our public life sets a national tone, provides permission for cruelty and bigotry, and compromises the moral education of children. The only way to pass along civic values is to first live up to them.”
While the former president never metioned the current one by name, nobody was left guessing who Bush was referring to.
In The Last Republicans: Inside the Extraordinary Relationship Between George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, commenting on Trump’s fitness for presidency and the growing political anger in the US, Bush stated, “you can either exploit the anger, incite it, or you can come up with ideas to deal with it.”
As a pastor, and a human being trying to be more human, I can attest that leaders with weak character who have no business leading, usually take the “exploit the anger” option. If your followers are angry, their anger makes them weak, and much easier to “lead.”
“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?” ~ Donald Trump
But, hey, George W wasn’t the most popular guy when he left the White House, right? Maybe his perspectives, which are very recent I would add, are some attempt at rescuing his image.
George Bush Sr.
Bush Sr said, “He’s a blowhard,” and voted for Clinton.
After The Last Republican came out, Sarah Sanders rifled back at the Bush’s with her perspective:
“The American people voted to elect an outsider who is capable of implementing real, positive, and needed change – instead of a lifelong politician beholden to special interests… If they were interested in continuing decades of costly mistakes, another establishment politician more concerned with putting politics over people would have won.”
I had a different take on why Trump won. Of course, just like anyone else’s, my perspective is biased, but everyone I talked to felt that it would be immoral to put someone like Hilary Clinton in office. Over and over again, I heard from my friends “I just couldn’t vote for Hilary,” not, “let’s get an outsider in there.”
I’m left, again, from my limited vantage point, feeling that Sarah Sanders doesn’t know the American people very well, at least not as well as two generations of presidents.
Ronald Regan
Sadly, we can’t query the Gipper’s opinion here. but his kids have some things to say:
“He [Dad] would be appalled and heartbroken at a Congress that refuses to stand up to a president who not only seems ignorant of the Constitution but who also attempts at every turn to dismantle and mock our system of checks and balances.
He would plead with Americans to recognize the caustic, destructive language emanating from our current president is sullying the dream that America once was…
… He would point to one of the pillars of our freedom – a free press – which sets us apart from dictatorships and countries ruled by despots. He didn’t always like the press – no president does… And if someone else had done so, he wouldn’t have tolerated it…
… There is a difference between immigration laws and cruelty. He believed in laws; he hated cruelty.”
~ Patti Davis in an opinion piece for the Washington Post
“This most likely would be the 1st time if my father was alive that he would not support the nominee of the GOP @Reince @newsmax ~ Michael Reagan (@ReaganWorld) June 6, 2016
People from the Regan administration, responding specifically to the recent opinions attempting to compare Trump to Regan had this to say:
“Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan.” Anyone who thinks there’s a comparison sounds “desperate and historically illiterate.” ~ Peggy Noonan, Reagan speech writer.
“Number one, Reagan was a Republican. Number two: Reagan was a conservative and it’s clear Trump is not. Number three: Reagan was a very, very decent person…. And number four: basically, Reagan was very competent.” ~ Kenneth Adelman, Reagan advisor and director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.
Some won’t agree with the above assessments. Our country is truly divided on whether Trump is a great president, or the antichrist. Few are on the fence.
But don’t rush to dismiss the thoughts and opinions of our former republican leaders. They know more about what’s on the line here than you or I, even the press.
I think everyone’s opinion matters, especially the ones born from experience, who have nothing to lose.
