General Discussion

SheilaT

(23,156 posts)

65. As awful as Ronnie was, W was infinitely worse

Tue Dec 10, 2013, 04:11 AM

Dec 2013

if you ask me.

I was already an adult when Reagan came along. I was horrified at what he did, and knew he was the worse President of the 20th Century. Sigh. I only had to wait a decade or so for an even worse one.

Read the book Time on My Hands by Peter delaCorte to really get it. A travel writer, on a visit to Paris, is contacted by an older American who has a time machine. He'll give the time machine to the travel writer only if the writer will go back and keep Ronald Reagan from becoming President, because Reagan was clearly the worst President ever.

I first read that book when it came out in 1998 and found it disturbing and good. I re-read it a few years ago, toward the end of the George W. Bush Presidency. There was a very different vibe for me, as we now had had a President far worse than Reagan.

It's an excellent book and I wish more people would read it.

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Simple poll: who was worse, Ronald Reagan or George W Bush? [View all] Nye Bevan Dec 2013 OP

I think Ronald Reagan was the Gateway drug for all the hell that has followed him Heather MC Dec 2013 #1

+1 liberalmuse Dec 2013 #6

Exactly. Bush was the rotten fruit of alsame Dec 2013 #8

if Reagan was pot, Baby Bush was crack, meth, and bath salts all rolled into one yurbud Dec 2013 #31

+1. nt bemildred Dec 2013 #36

you got it. hobbit709 Dec 2013 #38

Without a doubt. tosh Dec 2013 #50

Certainly. Dawson Leery Dec 2013 #61

Man, that's a GREAT way to put it, Heather MC! calimary Dec 2013 #62

Wow... how to even answer that. 1awake Dec 2013 #2

I agree. BlueMTexpat Dec 2013 #27

Reagan made greed and idiocy fashionable Skittles Dec 2013 #3

Raygun ... he made what has come since possible. nt Raine Dec 2013 #4

The way I phrased it before... Scootaloo Dec 2013 #5

Excellent! eom BlueMTexpat Dec 2013 #28

!!! Ruby the Liberal Dec 2013 #56

Reagan was the start of the end of the U.S. as a viable democratic republic. Arugula Latte Dec 2013 #7

Reagan begat Bush. PeteSelman Dec 2013 #9

+100000 YoungDemCA Dec 2013 #19

Not really a tough choice. Benton D Struckcheon Dec 2013 #10

True, but... GoCubsGo Dec 2013 #37

GWB is my all-time worst, followed by St. Ronnie in second based on my perception that a goodly indepat Dec 2013 #11

"but most of the harm inflicted by junior is irreversible." It's possible that Junior might look Cal33 Dec 2013 #17

Pretty much how I feel... Hekate Dec 2013 #30

Couldn't agree with you more: my first immigrant ancestor didn't reach these shores until 1650 indepat Dec 2013 #53

YES. lastlib Dec 2013 #12

Reagan set the stage, W delivered the hoped for catastrophe. baldguy Dec 2013 #13

A poop sandwich or a doody milkshake Warren DeMontague Dec 2013 #14

Hmmm... shit or vomit? Hard to pick. calimary Dec 2013 #63

That's like asking... Bobbie Jo Dec 2013 #15

RayGun was one of the most racially antagonistic presidents since Andrew Johnson uponit7771 Dec 2013 #16

Ray gun opened pandora's box that led to republican dominance in this country kimbutgar Dec 2013 #18

Hmm... That's a tough one. davleuv Dec 2013 #20

I'm giving you an "A" moondust Dec 2013 #21

Still, without reagan there is no shrub... Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #54

Welcome to DU, davleuv! calimary Dec 2013 #64

I'm very surprised at the results BainsBane Dec 2013 #22

Reagan catapulted some of the worst crooks from the 1970's... Wounded Bear Dec 2013 #23

Reagan convinced many of Americans and much of the world that selfishness was a virtue, Douglas Carpenter Dec 2013 #24

Who was responsible for killing the most people? bush.. and with Cha Dec 2013 #25

This could be Reagan if you count the American lives lost because of the results of his social kelliekat44 Dec 2013 #40

So far, every response in this thread is brilliant. nt MADem Dec 2013 #26

Reagan was a worse person, Bush was a bigger disaster as PRes, Reagan was worse in long term JI7 Dec 2013 #29

in a perverse way, Baby Bush did us all a favor... yurbud Dec 2013 #32

I'm going to go with W davidpdx Dec 2013 #33

Reagan destroyed the American Dream, so I had to vote B Calm Dec 2013 #34

Reagan by a landslide. stevenleser Dec 2013 #35

I wonder LWolf Dec 2013 #39

GHWB and Ted Kennedy made Reagan possible. why is Poppy being relegated to the shadows again? reddread Dec 2013 #42

I survived both...after Reagan, I still at least had a naive hope deutsey Dec 2013 #41

Same puppet, new paint job. Coyotl Dec 2013 #43

Reagan. look at all of his people who continue to infest our government and mulsh Dec 2013 #44

Reagan was a monster with political power nevergiveup Dec 2013 #45

Reagan SEVERELY disliked GHWB reddread Dec 2013 #47

I have to go against the majority view, and here's why. Nye Bevan Dec 2013 #46

is there a Central American body count in there? reddread Dec 2013 #48

and then there is this (think of the children!) reddread Dec 2013 #49

The question is, who was worse, Reagan or Cheney? tularetom Dec 2013 #51

The fool who leads or the fool who follows? Motown_Johnny Dec 2013 #52

They were both idiotic puppets who listened to evil people Ruby the Liberal Dec 2013 #55

Reagan was a Hollywood B-movie actor - Bush, on the other hand, was evil and manipulative derby378 Dec 2013 #57

GW was a frontman, Reagan had Alzheimer's reddread Dec 2013 #59

HIV is the tie-breaker for me. Reagan=worst. nt geek tragedy Dec 2013 #58

Dumbo was worse, but the Idiot Reagan laid the groundwork for someone as bad joeybee12 Dec 2013 #60

As awful as Ronnie was, W was infinitely worse SheilaT Dec 2013 #65

GWB quaker bill Dec 2013 #66