General Discussion

SnohoDem

(1,036 posts)

86. No,

Mon Jul 23, 2012, 11:18 PM

Jul 2012

I remember being shocked that Reagan won the election. I wasn't very aware of CA politics so I only knew Reagan from Death Valley Days and had been outside the US during the campaign and election. I could not believe he had been elected president.

From what I recall, it took about a year for it to sink in, how stupid and damaging his policies were. When he was re-elected, THAT's when I knew we were screwed. Until then I had assumed the country could survive a bad president for one term. It was Reagan's re-election that made it obvious to me that the 'pugs had figured out how to get millions to vote against their own self interests, so we were screwed.

I have long (like fifteen years) viewed Reagan's election as the turning point. It has only become more obvious through the years.

I would like to say I was that prescient, but I wasn't.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

159 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Did anyone else realize this country was finished on January 20, 1981? [View all] NNN0LHI Jul 2012 OP

What you said.... times 1000! nt Bigmack Jul 2012 #1

real sad oldhippydude Jul 2012 #2

Yes, pretty much. tosh Jul 2012 #3

I remember being at a party and a bunch of liberal activists said Reagan would be a one-term libinnyandia Jul 2012 #4

If Hinkley hadn't shot him pscot Jul 2012 #89

they should have made Hinckley a national hero datasuspect Jul 2012 #116

Raygun had "re-elect numbers" when Hinkley shot him? hughee99 Jul 2012 #128

I didn't realize how bad it would be but Carolina Jul 2012 #5

I'm with you, Lindsay Jul 2012 #19

Yep. Wrote a journal entry on that last year . . . . HughBeaumont Jul 2012 #74

a succint and elegant reflection of my own thoughts. bbgrunt Jul 2012 #103

May I suggest you start a thread with this? nt raccoon Jul 2012 #118

Here's the thing about me . . . . HughBeaumont Jul 2012 #154

That's a good collection of right-wing BS platitudes you have there. nt raccoon Jul 2012 #155

I did not cbrer Jul 2012 #6

Same here. ananda Jul 2012 #7

I remember thinking that Carter had been screwed by the MIC to Reagan's benefit. NYC_SKP Jul 2012 #8

Remember how the evening news carried the hostage story? KansDem Jul 2012 #111

ABC's Nightline and Ted Koppel turned it into a Cottage Industry NNN0LHI Jul 2012 #119

I remember expressly feeling that it was all engineered to embarrass Carter. NYC_SKP Jul 2012 #123

If you read the book, The Persian Puzzle the Iranians admit it was harun Jul 2012 #134

yes, I knew we were starting the downhill slide. northoftheborder Jul 2012 #9

The day that H.L. Mencken foretold. Tierra_y_Libertad Jul 2012 #10

and that came to fruition ldf Jul 2012 #157

I felt the mood of the country changing then, it was in the air, one could RKP5637 Jul 2012 #11

I heartily agree Art_from_Ark Jul 2012 #26

I realized it election day 1980 flamingdem Jul 2012 #12

I remember it was raining here in Cleveland... WCGreen Jul 2012 #46

I was in NYC flamingdem Jul 2012 #53

And so goes the fate of this country.... WCGreen Jul 2012 #62

Same here: Election Day, 11/4/1980. ecitraro Jul 2012 #72

Welcome to du even if it's about doom flamingdem Jul 2012 #76

I remember comparing it to the fall of Rome FiveGoodMen Jul 2012 #140

I realized it the previous summer cthulu2016 Jul 2012 #13

yes the propaganda was deep in middle America by then! lunasun Jul 2012 #91

Yes, but I thought it would take about 20 years longer to reach this point. n/t Egalitarian Thug Jul 2012 #14

Interesting that you should posit this PCIntern Jul 2012 #15

Funny you should say this... jaysunb Jul 2012 #16

Ronnie Raygun.... I foolishly thought he was the worst prez ever, then Bubba sold us downriver with peacebird Jul 2012 #17

Yes. I drank heavily that way. Was a grad student...even then knew disaster was upon us. NRaleighLiberal Jul 2012 #18

I (somewhat) remember the party... WestMichRad Jul 2012 #143

howdy, friend! NRaleighLiberal Jul 2012 #145

Concur. immoderate Jul 2012 #20

It took me a while my family is very conservative leaning... Kalidurga Jul 2012 #21

I kept watching the news with my jaw dropped Warpy Jul 2012 #22

Yep, he was an actor, with a "smooth talking corporate pitchman's voice." n/t RKP5637 Jul 2012 #32

YES Skittles Jul 2012 #23

Wisdom teeth out that day! Freddie Jul 2012 #77

THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT Skittles Jul 2012 #82

I was 10 years old stopwastingmymoney Jul 2012 #95

Hang in there Don: the Gipper's deification indepat Jul 2012 #24

I read that as "defecation" HubertHeaver Jul 2012 #61

I go back to election day when Reagan won MrScorpio Jul 2012 #25

I remember waking up on November ? 1984 mattvermont Jul 2012 #27

I am kinda slow. I didnt realize it until the SCOTUS gave the presidency to Bushy rhett o rick Jul 2012 #28

Oh, yeah. Blue_In_AK Jul 2012 #29

I did PlanetBev Jul 2012 #30

I agree 1980 was probably my favorite year. ArnoldLayne Jul 2012 #68

Yes! I saw the Judy's at Raul's in Austin. salib Jul 2012 #141

Yes...It was the beginning of the oligarchcy The empressof all Jul 2012 #31

My night of horror was election day 1980 nichomachus Jul 2012 #33

i had the same reaction, watched the returns with friends & couldn't believe reagan won. still HiPointDem Jul 2012 #58

Living near Rightwing asshole inlaws at the time Tsiyu Jul 2012 #34

I have often tried to pinpoint mattvermont Jul 2012 #35

Yes. I was in college and could not understand why none of my friend were as concerned as I was. I pam4water Jul 2012 #36

Nothing is over until we decide it is! pintobean Jul 2012 #37

My thought was, "This guy's an empty suit -- how could the country elect him?" Auggie Jul 2012 #38

I knew it on election day. femmocrat Jul 2012 #39

He could have been Politicalboi Jul 2012 #59

SO true. Musicians helped ease the insanity somewhat... FailureToCommunicate Jul 2012 #40

This country was finished in 1968 everthing after just added to the misery. craigmatic Jul 2012 #41

"Finished" is too big a word malthaussen Jul 2012 #42

The middle class took it's first steps downward when numbnuts Reagan fired the TC's demosincebirth Jul 2012 #43

I knew it would be bad hifiguy Jul 2012 #44

I remember wondering how so many liberals got fooled into electing that man. graywarrior Jul 2012 #45

I knew it on a Tuesday in the previous November Blecht Jul 2012 #47

Yes - I was so depressed KT2000 Jul 2012 #48

I remember that same revelation. MuseRider Jul 2012 #78

Yes - "try to be better" KT2000 Jul 2012 #104

My Dad told me he would disown me if I voted for Reagan. He told me Reagan wrecked our state kimbutgar Jul 2012 #49

I was too young but I grew up in Georgia when Carter was my governor. When I hear Democrats Liberal_Stalwart71 Jul 2012 #50

No, I was 11. MrSlayer Jul 2012 #51

I was 6 1/2 months old at the time. Initech Jul 2012 #85

at that time laruemtt Jul 2012 #52

Began to suspect it on 4 May 1970 and was pretty sure by 8 September 1974 struggle4progress Jul 2012 #54

My dad knew, I didn't. Greybnk48 Jul 2012 #55

I was 26 at the time and remember telling my kids the same thing NNN0LHI Jul 2012 #56

Absolutely. bowens43 Jul 2012 #57

It was a Dark, Dark Day! mckara Jul 2012 #60

Me Umpteenth. /nt localroger Jul 2012 #63

Yeah. Mr Nay and I did. We tried to emigrate to Australia. Didn't make it, got stuck here, and Nay Jul 2012 #64

Yeah, you're right. We're finished. randome Jul 2012 #65

Yup SteveG Jul 2012 #66

I did and I have said it a million times gopiscrap Jul 2012 #67

Oh yes. MuseRider Jul 2012 #69

And then, with great fanfare, he took the solar panels off the roof of the White House NBachers Jul 2012 #70

A lot of people thought it would be a Hollywood Era for Washington. Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2012 #71

Yes, sadly TuxedoKat Jul 2012 #73

I was only 17.. We are Devo Jul 2012 #75

see if you can find a book called "ronald reagan: political chameleon" unblock Jul 2012 #79

Me too. I sat down and wrote a letter to President Carter, apologizing for the American people. Zen Democrat Jul 2012 #80

Yep, me too. potone Jul 2012 #81

for me it was 1976-77 when the IAM elected william winpisinger madrchsod Jul 2012 #83

It was a very bad day for me too lunatica Jul 2012 #84

No, SnohoDem Jul 2012 #86

Yes, I remember feeling that way, and we were right. yardwork Jul 2012 #87

Worse ThoughtCriminal Jul 2012 #88

I rooted for Reagan for the R nomination beacause I thought he would lose 60%-40%. trackfan Jul 2012 #90

Nope, I didn't really feel that way til Poppa Bush was elected. raouldukelives Jul 2012 #92

Shortly after that, N... MrMickeysMom Jul 2012 #93

Darrell Issa wants to rename coastal water zones after Reagan young_at_heart Jul 2012 #94

Yeah AndyTiedye Jul 2012 #96

How about December 8, 1980... dogknob Jul 2012 #97

And to make it even worse, frogmarch Jul 2012 #98

Actually August 5, 1981 was the death knell (when Reagan coalition_unwilling Jul 2012 #99

That's what a lot of people never realized -- breaking the unions was the loudsue Jul 2012 #129

Grammar\usage Nazi here: 'coup de grace' (meaning the final coalition_unwilling Jul 2012 #130

I, for one, appreciate grammar\usage nazis on DU. I've learned a great loudsue Jul 2012 #156

It made me physically ill. Strangely enough, it was worse than the Duyba theft for me. freshwest Jul 2012 #100

January 21, 1969 leathm Jul 2012 #101

Not by a longshot jberryhill Jul 2012 #106

Correct. Nixon's demons were personal to Nixon. hifiguy Jul 2012 #133

The Checkers Speech is really breathtaking in some respects jberryhill Jul 2012 #135

Strike, but thanks for playing leathm Jul 2012 #153

that election was the first time I was totally dumbfounded by bbgrunt Jul 2012 #102

The first time my union contract came up for renewal. doccraig67 Jul 2012 #105

The Raygun years began the jihad against Unions. progressoid Jul 2012 #120

No, I was 2. glowing Jul 2012 #107

Yes, I knew back then it was the beginning of the END! YOHABLO Jul 2012 #108

Mourning in America. leveymg Jul 2012 #109

Society seemed to have lost interest in listening to the better angels of its nature since then. Douglas Carpenter Jul 2012 #110

Not sure I went that far quaker bill Jul 2012 #112

Yeah pretty much. Warren Stupidity Jul 2012 #113

No, I didn't then. Recd. nt raccoon Jul 2012 #114

I was stunned by the election of 1980, I dam near cried 1-Old-Man Jul 2012 #115

I sure did and I'm sure many of us here did madokie Jul 2012 #117

I realized we were scrood eShirl Jul 2012 #121

Didn't know it for sure, but... 99Forever Jul 2012 #122

No. I didn't. bvar22 Jul 2012 #124

I was in 11th grade and remember being very saddened by the election deutsey Jul 2012 #125

OMG I do I do! and I was 9 yrs old... bettydavis Jul 2012 #126

The day they snuffed JFK nolabels Jul 2012 #127

The Lost World Hydra Jul 2012 #131

It was finished for 99% of us. 1% is doing quite well from then on. harun Jul 2012 #132

So glad to hear someone else say what I had thought at that time. glinda Jul 2012 #136

it was over when Herbert Hoover deaniac21 Jul 2012 #137

I think it started it was diagnosed as terminal on Jan 20, 1981... DearHeart Jul 2012 #138

Yep. It was unfathomable to me that Reagan got elected/selected/whatever. valerief Jul 2012 #139

My first election, and yes, I knew exactly what had happened to us. byronius Jul 2012 #142

My mom did duhneece Jul 2012 #144

Yep. lastlib Jul 2012 #146

I remember begging my parents to not vote for that fuckwad Reagan. Arugula Latte Jul 2012 #147

I remember the day well. Go Vols Jul 2012 #148

No, I have to admit it. caseymoz Jul 2012 #149

I was born in 1958 mick063 Jul 2012 #150

i didn't. barbtries Jul 2012 #151

Not finished, but injured DonCoquixote Jul 2012 #152

It wasn't really his election as POTUS in 1980, Brewinblue Jul 2012 #158

11/22/63 shut the coffin, 1968 nailed it shut. VOX Jul 2012 #159