Ronald Reagan to Vote for "any viable candidate opposed to Bush"

[louis c]

Unbelievable session with Larry King, still in progress. Said that Bush and Cheney Lied to start the War. That he's against it and that his father wouldn't have started that war. He also said that Bush is scary when he sites "God" as a pretext to war and likened him to Osama. He said he would vote for the viable alternative to Bush. When asked if he'd vote for Bush, he said flat out no. When asked if he would vote for Nader, he said he is not viable. The freepers must be shitting green beans.

[NMDemDist2]

1. ROFL what a great line louis

"shitting green beans"

[louis c]

3. My father used to use that one

I knew what he meant, but couldn't figure where it came from. I use that phrase when I get excited, and boy am I excited.

[2Design]

2. this is good news

[Tellurian]

18. Ron Reagan hawking a new book.."IF I Had Five minutes with the President."

proceeds go to the Creative Coalition

I bet this is an (am)bush sleeper..

[Justice]

39. He Did Say Most of the Letters Were to "This" President

[Dulcinea]

69. What about the rest of the family?

If Nancy & Patti endorse Kerry, I'll jump for joy! That will bury Boy George & his little posse of freaks!

[iamjoy]

4. This Apple Fell Far From The Tree?

From what I hear, Ron Reagan does not share his father's political views and the two did not share the warmest father/son relationship.

That said, from what I recall, Ron is not pleased by the tendency of many people to compare Dubya to our 40th President.

I won't say too much more because I don't know Ron Reagan personally and I'm too lazy to look for the articles right now, so this is all conjecture.

[Tellurian]

11. Ron Reagan is well qualified to speak for his father..

anything else is as they say, conjecture.

[iamjoy]

24. I Mean, I'm Using Conjecture

Ron is more than qualified to speak on his father, but am I qualified to speak on Ron speaking on his father?

Ron did not really choose to be a public figure, he just happens to be the son of a man who was President. So, I want to be careful what I say about him.

Politicians themselves do not get the same courtesy from me.

[Tellurian]

30. Of course not..

You said, you didn't think he reflected his father's policys..
Your statement feel a dime short of calling the man liar..

[hyphenate]

21. Ron is a known liberal

as is his sister, Patti. Ron made a few comments on the day of his dad's funeral that indicated he hated the BFEE. And Nancy hasn't been quiet either about them either, stemming from the Bush repudiation of stem cell research.

[GingerSnaps]

60. Reagan made fun of his son being a ballet dancer

The rumor that was going around is that Reagan called him a sissy.

I think that Ron Reagan Jr is an honest man that does have a bone to pick with the Republicans because he knows what they are about and doing to this country.

[KansDem]

65. I wonder if Reagan Sr. ever talked to John Wayne about acting...

If I recall correctly, according to William Holden's biography "Golden Boy," Wayne felt acting wasn't "manly" or something to that effect. However, the Duke kept right on acting.

I wonder if Reagan Sr. felt the same way...

[yellowcanine]

5. Time for "My name is Ronald Reagan and I approved this ad"

That should get the pubbies' knickers in a twist.

[mom cat]

7. Wonder if they regret the state funeral yet and trying to ride RR's

coattails. The Gipper's son might win this one for Kerry!

[Judi Lynn]

6. Beautiful! And it will be rerun later tonight, as well. Thanks a lot! n/t

[Leilani]

8. Stem Cell Research

He says the fact we are playing politics with this issue is SHAMEFUL!

[iamjoy]

26. Yes, It Is

But look at it from the Pro-Life viewpoint.

If you truly believe life begins at conception, and that an embryo at any stage of development is just as "valuable" as any person, than there is no justification for doing medical experiments on these people (embryos.)

The people who call themselves Pro-Life but support Stem-Cell Research are hypocrites.

[leesa]

32. I guess I'm pro-practical who the hell is going to care for these unwanted

or simply unaffordable children??

[Kimber Scott]

37. What children?

Stem cells are cells. Like Ron said, (paraphrasing) "No fingers. No toes. No heart. No brain. No organs. Just, cells."

[Pachamama]

50. Orrin Hatch is a Hypocrite... we knew that before he supported stem cell

...research....

They are all Hypocrites - are Pro-life and want to "save innoncent lives of the unborn" but are Pro-death penalty and Pro-War....

:grr:

[yardwork]

67. I think you misunderstand the nature of stem cell research

They're not talking about doing experiments on living babies. There are many, many spontaneous abortions (miscarriages) in the world. There's no rational reason not to use the cells from those miscarried embryos to find cures for illnesses.

Nobody is talking about experimenting on living babies.

[iamjoy]

75. What I Don't Understand

Is people who say life begins at conception, but support stem cell research.

There is a HUGE difference between a 3 month baby and a 3 week embryo.

Many pro-lifers try to act as if there isn't.

[wabeewoman]

71. I don't understand that viewpoint....

An egg isn't a chicken until it is a chicken. Do they realize how many people there would be if all the embryos became people? Another example of people with a lack of science knowledge trying to make a decision based on science. I do believe (and I can remember when it happened) that when science wasn't required in schools like in the past is when all this ignorance started.

[iamjoy]

76. I Try To Understand It

As some one who is strongly pro-choice, I try to see where Pro-Lifers are coming from.

And often, their own little hypocrisies ruin it, because I can't follow their logic. I understand being for the death penalty, because the "baby" is innocent and the person executed has (supposedly) committed a crime.

But other than that, they just baffle me...

[BattyDem]

9. I must say ...

I've been really impressed with Ron Reagan lately. He's an eloquent speaker. He gets his point across without sounding liking a rabid liberal, you know what I mean? You can't attack a guy like that because he's not "angry" ... he's forceful without being rude.

[Kahuna]

15. I love Ron, Jr... He's my new hero.

:loveya:

[iamjoy]

25. Any Chance He Would Seek Office?

man, maybe he should be Kerry's VP

talk about getting the "Reagan Democrats"

[huckleberry]

27. that picture and caption is absolutely hysterical!! Thanks!

I'm still cracking up over it and can barely type this post!

[riverwalker]

10. I heard repugs bashing Ron Reagan

on RW radio last week (Ingraham, Hannity, Savage.) They had the gall to say THEY knew Pres. Reagan better than his own son!! Then they went on joking about the ballet, and just plain bashing the guy who just lost his father. It was disgusting.

[young_at_heart]

13. Agreed..........completely disgusting

How they are able to continue to be paid for their name-calling and nastiness is beyond me!

[Justice]

40. But, But, But

Hannity and Ingraham are Christians, Catholics.....they are not nasty.....(I figure they must go directly from the radio show to confession each day).

[TNDemo]

12. Does anyone have an e-mail address for RR Jr?

I think he could use some pats on the back.

[GarySeven]

14. Kerry-REAGAN in '04

They would be UNSTOPPABLE

Imagine the Repugs running attack ads against the Son of God!!!!

[BattyDem]

20. Call me crazy ...

but I actually think that's a GREAT idea! I know it'll never happen, but it's nice to fantasize. :evilgrin:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

31. Has Ron ever run for office?

He's an excellent speaker with wonderful charisma. I'd like to see him in the political arena.

[playahata1]

64. Junior has said that he has no desire to run for office.

Check out his Salon interview. He seems like the type who prefers to work behind the scenes; in other words, there are ways besides elective office through which you can effect change.

[Hailtothechimp]

41. I'd love to see the wingers try to attack Ronald Reagan's son.

Not that I want Ron to come under that kind of attack. But it seems to me he would do it if asked.

[Pachamama]

52. Yeah, and if you think Nancy Reagan protected her husband, wait till you

...see what she would do protecting her baby....

hee hee....I think the DU is on to something here...

Kerry/Reagan 04 - has a ring to it...like VICTORY!!!!

[Samurai_Writer]

66. Ron Reagan is not Nancy's son

He's the adopted son of Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman. From what I have heard over the years, Ron has been pretty much the outcast of the Reagan family, and Ronald and Nancy Reagan were not good parents to him.

[Cheswick2.0]

68. Ron is his Nancy's son

You are thinking of Michael.

[Endangered Specie]

16. links?

[GarySeven]

33. here you go ...

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0406/23/lkl.00.html

Read past the Falconer interview.

[finecraft]

17. I loved his comment about Darwinian Evolution!

His comment "and some in this administration don't even believe in Darwinian evolution".....and his eye roll that went with it was priceless! I love this guy!!!!!!!!

[PROGRESSIVE1]

19. FReepers must be crapping in their pants to hear that Ronald Reagan...

believes in....in..in...evolution!

The FReepers must be :scared:

[LeighAnn]

55. See for yourself (link)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1159026/posts

bwwwwwwahahahahaha

[louis c]

62. Boy, they really

have to eat their own.

[DesolationRow]

77. I love that picture in your signature.

That is hilarious.

[amazona]

22. whoo hoo! NT

.

[Zhade]

23. Wouldn't "shitting jelly beans" be more appropriate?

:evilgrin:

Seriously, I'm lovin' RRJR's slams at the traitor squatting in the White House. The "no longer an obnoxious drunk" comment is priceless!

[louis c]

28. Give me the origin of that quote, please

[TacticalPeek]

29. Ron's barbs are almost as delicious as Wesley Clark's.

KING: Do you ever think of running for office?

REAGAN: No...

KING: You've got a pretty good name going in.

REAGAN: It seems to work for some people.

------

Smack Fn Down! :evilgrin:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1846197

[DFLer4edu]

34. Reagan's son said that?

Does anyone have a quote?

[rawstory]

35. LINKS?

Anyone got links to a transcript, or to a story? You'd think CNN would file something, but I can't find anything. Damn them!

[shanti]

36. that's the ticket, ron

anybody but bush!!!!! ABB!

[Tight_rope]

38. Somebody slap me...I can't believe what I read!

"Say it's so"! I need to see the pic of Bush going down the toilet!:nuke:

[neuvocat]

43. It is so:

KING: Do you have thoughts on the war?

REAGAN: Sure, I have thoughts on the war.

KING: And what do you think?

REAGAN: And I think we lied our way into the war.

KING: You think it's a mistake?

REAGAN: Absolutely, a terrible mistake. Terrible foreign policy error. We didn't have to do it. It was optional. And we were lied to. The American public was lied to about WMD, the connection between Osama bin Laden and Saddam, which is virtually nonexistent except for fleeting contacts. But they're still trying to pull that one off now, Cheney and all are out there flogging that.

KING: Can I gather from that, that you will not support this president?

REAGAN: No, I won't.

KING: Will you support his opponent?

REAGAN: I will vote for whoever the viable candidate is who can defeat George W. Bush, yes.

[Charlie Brown]

42. The "compasionate conservatives" at Freep

are all over themselves smearing and libeling Ron. I'm sure Ron, Sr. would be overwhelmed by this heartwarming attitude toward his son. I can't say I agree with Reagan politically. If Ron's sentiments about his father, however, are accurate, I'd certainly say he's a better PERSON than the current occupant of the WH.

[notbush]

44. I wouldn't make too much out of this.

He's said, he's not a republican, and never has been. He's an avowed atheist. Both Ron and Patty drove their parents nuts with public comments through Reagan's presidency.
Ron jr. isn't going to change any Repugs minds. We at DU will cheer him. But in the long run, I don't think he can help the Democrats or hurt the Republicans.

[AnnitaR]

45. Some of my fav parts of this interview:

REAGAN: "No. , I think that she gets a little nervous sometimes when I go off on our -- the current occupant of the Oval Office but she just wants people to get along and be nice. But no, neither of my parents would ever stand in the way of any of their children speaking their minds."

He stopped before he called Shrub "President"! Love that!

Also this:

REAGAN: "It's hard to say. I mean, it says something awfully good about people, I think, that they would, you know, be willing to put up with that kind of thing. Waiting in the heat for hours and all that, really for just two minutes walking around a wooden box. But I think it speaks volumes of both his character, and how that was perceived by people. And again, what they have to compare it with now. I think people have -- just feel like something's not right here in this country right now. You know, I hate to keep going back to the pictures of Abu Ghraib, but they're just, you know, they're emblematic of this, there's something wrong. And that the people in there right now are not like this guy we had then. This was a standup guy. This was an honorable guy. This is not a guy who would put the end run of the Geneva Convention so he could dunk somebody in the water until they thought they were drowning. You know, that's just -- yuck. You know, you really you just want to wash yourself off when you think of that. You didn't get that feeling with him."

He impresses the hell out of me. I hope he continues to speak out against the wrongs that are going on in this country today. He has a voice that many will take time to hear and maybe then more people in this country will wake up to the horrible mess that we are in now.

[merci_me]

46. Give him a platform!

I think we should all contact the DNC and ask them to offer Ron Reagan an opportunity to address the Democratic National Convention in support of the stem cell research legislation that is wilting on the vine.

Many years ago, they gave Elizabeth Glaser an platform to address the convention in support of pending legislation regarding AIDS/HIV.

If the DNC made the offer quietly, behind the scenes, no publicity and allow Ron Reagan to decide without any publicity or pressure, it could be a powerful moment. They could even buffer it, if necessary, by having him there with others like Michael J. Fox and Mary Tyler Moore and others who suffer from diseases that could possibly be cured with stem cell research.

[tainted_chimp]

47. I LOVE this man!

:loveya:

He is fucking kick-ass!

And obviously a gentle soul, whos intellect and sensibilities have (also) been raked over by the utter ignorance and self righteousness of the current imposter-in-thief.

(forgive my run on sentence! Im feeling it here!)


I want to see and hear more from RRjr!!! :bounce:

[Barkley]

48. I Just Luv Those "Reagan Democrats" - n/t

[FrankBooth]

49. Gotta love the Karma in a democratic Reagan

Could you imagine if he some day won the presidency as a Democrat?

That would be truly amazing and the greatest of ironies.

[gauguin57]

51. He doesn't WANT to go into politics ...

he's said so repeatedly.

... because he likes being able to say what he thinks without the usual consequences. Also, he admits he's an atheist, and knows an atheist can't get elected to high office right now in this goofy country.

As is, he can do his dog-show commentary and do his hilarious political color reports for MSNBC, work for stem-cell research, and work with the nonprofit arts organization he mentioned on Larry King tonight (Creative Coalition), and just enjoy his life in Seattle with his wife and three cats.

As I've said before, I fell in love with the guy when he did the "Risky Business" dance in his underwear, on Saturday Night Live, while his father was in the White House. Too cool. I love him still! He's living proof that the same-named son-of-a-president doesn't have to be a total braying JACKASS!!!! Like YOU KNOW WHO!

[Pachamama]

53. I believe he is Buddhist...he does yoga, meditation

...used to live in his hood in Seattle...he is a standup guy, really nice...

I forgot about the risky business dance on SNL...that was great...

[dolstein]

54. Why couldn't he just say "I'm voting for Kerry"?

What is he -- a wuss?

[Pachamama]

57. A lot of reasons...and its better that he doesn't....

...one reason is not to be "labeled" as a Kerry supporter by the right....much more effective to send the message "Anybody who can whip the A$$ of *....

Another important reason, is that he is on the board of a "non-partisan" group (Creative Coalition) that can't risk its non-profit tax status and he can't show endorsement for a candidate....

[IndianaGreen]

59. He did say that!

Ron Reagan is opposed to Bush's reelection and he said that he would vote for the most viable candidate against Bush. When Larry King pressed him on that point, Reagan said that Kerry is the most viable candidate against Bush.

[dolstein]

74. Thanks for the info

NT

[IndianaGreen]

56. Ron Reagan also said he was an atheist and that he would vote for Kerry

Ron Reagan said that part of the reason for the expression of sympathy and love by the public for his late father was the contrast between the Bush regime and President Reagan. Ron said that his father would had never approved of torturing prisoners and would not had invaded Iraq.

It was a quite impressive interview, despite the softballs that Larry King threw at him.

[moondust]

58. He's brave.

I doubt that comments like this make life any easier for him. I respect the fact that despite the overwhelming influence of his parents he makes up his own mind about things and has become himself rather than the product of someone else's imposing political mold.

[Piperay]

61. Go get em Ron!

He's TERRIFIC and he is driving the freepers ape-shit!

[Zolok]

63. If Bush goes down...then a name like Ron Reagan Jr.

might count for something in the snows of NH come January 2012...but first La Famiglia Arbusto must be broken hence all MiniRon's huffin' and puffin'.
It is ironic because Bush himself is president due to a family name and RR Jr. seeks to supplant on the basis of HIS glittering family connections.
Oh if George Washington could see us now...he'd be so proud.
Politics reduced to a pissing match between competing sectors of the celebrity economy...the very embodiment of the founding father's dream.

www.chimesatmidnight.blogspot.com

[gauguin57]

70. Uh, check post 51 again.

He doesn't want to go into politics; he freely proclaims himself an atheist and knows an atheist still won't be able to be elected anything significant by 2012. And without running for anything, he can say anything he wants about anything -- including this illegitimate Iraqi war, stem-cell research and attempted Fundie control of the universe. He's the beloved Ronald Reagan's son who gave a kick-ass eulogy for his dad -- so people might turn on the tube to see him talk. AND THEY'LL HEAR THE TRUTH ABOUT THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION. Let the guy talk!

He wants to be a broadcaster, not a politician!

[Zolok]

72. Point taken...

but I don't believe him. As RR's son he has to know that a b-list hollywood actor getting elected president was once a laughable notion....
And in my book most broadcasters are politicians of one type or another.
:)
www.chimesatmidnight.blogspot.com

[gauguin57]

73. one last try

Flashback, from great interview with Ron Reagan in Salon from April 2003. Get the day pass if you're not a member. I'll be happy to eat my words if he decides to run for something. I just think he knows better.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/04/14/ron_reagan/print.html

Here's the germane snip:

"Has Reagan ever considered running for office? No, he insists, "I have no political ambitions. For one thing, I'm not interested in raising all that money. It's just not the life I want to lead. When is the last time you heard a politician speak his mind? McCain? Yes, he came close. But I once asked him at a Creative Coalition meeting, 'You talk passionately about this nexus of money and influence that is corrupting our democracy. Why don't you name names?' His response was a demurral.

"I have no problem with public service. And yes, better people should be running for office. But personally I just can't see myself doing it, to live in Washington D.C., the whole package. I was immersed in that my whole life. I saw politicians up close and there were so many who just repulsed me."

What if a group of concerned citizens approached him and helped raise money for his entry into politics -- would that make a difference? "You mean like they did with George W.? 'Hey, you've got name recognition, that's all that matters -- we'll give you millions of dollars to run!' Imagine coming to a man with just two years' experience in public office, and a ceremonial one at that. Imagine installing such a blank slate in the presidency of the United States! This is a regency, not a presidency.

"And they told us, 'Don't worry about W. not knowing anything, good old Dick Cheney will be his minder.' Dick Cheney? And this was going to be compassionate conservatism? Dick Cheney is to the right of Genghis Khan, he wants to drill in your backyard, he wants to deny black people their rights --it was all there in his voting record for us to see. What were we, rubes?"

While Reagan rejects a political career, he clearly doesn't shy from speaking out. What if GOP conservatives, who still lionize his father as the greatest president of the 20th century, pressure him to shut up? "That wouldn't be a smart thing for anyone to do."