How much of a boost will the moron-in-chief get from Reagan?

[coloradodem2005]

We all know what the GOPOS and Shrub will do, but how effective will it be? How much of the Reagan teflon will stick to Shrub?

[Neecy]

1. remains to be seen

He'll try to wrap himself in Reagan's mantle for the next week, but I doubt that the Reagan family will allow him to go overboard during the public ceremonies.

I'm sure we'll hear a LOT, though, from the media about how Reagan was 'strong and resolute'...hint hint...expect a lot of subliminal bullshit in the days to some.

[Virginian]

3. Already heard "Strong and Resolute"

on Matthews Wall to Wall Reagan on MSNBC.

on edit:
The difference between Reagan strong and resolute and shrub strong and resolute is that Reagan read a lot and actually had some knowledge of what he was being strong and resolute about.

Shrub, on the other hand, is more inflexible, don't confuse him with the facts, his mind is already made up based on what God told him to think.

I wonder if kids are using his excuse. I can imagine a kid turning in the sloppy first rough draft of a term paper, because that was what God told him to write. No revision allowed, because that would be messing with the word of God.

The last part of Bush's comments on Reagan sounded like a preacher. It really gave me the creeps.

[Kool Kitty]

5. Shit, I wish I had a dollar for every time

that W said those words in the past month. They must be the "secret words" for the month. (Cue the Duck from "You Bet Your Life", please.)

[Don_G]

2. Not Much

Rove's evil minions dosen't have the smarts nor the skills to pull it off for long. Remember, they're much better at hate than empathy.

[tritsofme]

4. He might get his head above 50% approval for awhile,

I think his absolute ceiling at this point is 55% regardless of who shows up in caves.

Most people have already made up their minds, and we're all fighting for 5-10% of the voters.

[IXLNXS]

6. Give it a week.

He wasn't George Bush.

Give it a week of respect.

Then you'll already know the defenses, and be better equipped to ask the hard questions.

[stopbush]

7. It will help *...until the media starts giving Ron JR face time,

at which point, Ron Jr will take the shrub apart. I saw him a while back on TV when he said, "the difference between my dad and George Bush is that my dad was a man. Bush couldn't carry my dad's socks."

Go Ron Jr!!

[troublemaker]

8. Minimal benefit if any

Lots of people comfort themselves that Reagan wasn't too bright either so maybe it's okay that Bush is a little slow and gets us into assinine wars and such.

Seeing Reagan so much will remind them that 1984 dumb was being a shallow glib spokesman, and was nothing like 2004 dumb, being a shallow stuttering incoherent graceless dolt who can't even read the words stuck in front of him.

The world around and throughout history (until recently in the USA) people have had one basic requirement of politicians. They should be able to talk.

[Touchdown]

9. I doubt he will.

In fact, I'll go so far as to say it might hurt Shrub...

Reagan knew how to talk, he gave a good plastic, sloganeering speech. He was after all, an actor. Shrub can't even do that. For all Reagan's greediness, and destructive policies, people will remember him for his fake optimism and his speeches, and look at Shrub's ineptness in even those in comparison. Just as most of us relize how much we miss Clinton, when he gives a speech, lots of Reagan democrats, and a few natural conservatives will watch these Love fests going on over the week, and see something lacking in their current occupant in the White House.

I could be wrong though.

[coloradodem2005]

10. add...

...a comparison of Reagan's optimism versus the overwhelming amount of negativity in Bush's speeches. That ought to make Bush look less desirable too.

11. 5 Words - "Win one for the Gipper"

Will it work? It may, on Reagan Democrats. The best we can hope for out of this is that Kerry will decide to come on strong, and that Bush will appear pathetic in Reagan's shadow.

[Leilani]

12. I think Bush suffers from the comparison

Reagan was brilliant at what he did...Bush is a failure.

Reagan earned everything he had...Shrub was handed everything.

Reagan played to our hopes...Bush plays to our fears.

And Reagan really rode horses on his ranch...Bush can t ride.

[Daisey Mae]

13. I don't quite see what one thing has to do with another........

BUT I am sure Bush co will try to take the sympathy card out for a SPIN.....Bush was going to already get all the support of the RAY GUN die hards anyway. So he won't have in RAY GUN"S death anymore net support......Bush has driven his own pResidenty into the ditch....with out the help of RAY GUN..... He may have a little relief but It doesn't help, in the long run...... his June 6 photo op in Normandy is scheduled for tomorrow anyway....Bush has at least one photo op a day since he slithered into the Oval Office.... He is down by 10 points in some polls with all the advertising and photo ops...So He goes to California for "farce" time in front of TV cameras.....We were gonna see him any way....The only Bush advantage I can see from the RAY GUN demise is that it might take the attention off Iraq for a day or so. He was in the process of trying to take the heat off already by running around Europe, " like a chicken with its head cut off " and falsifying that the huge protests were taking place by making "nicety- nice" pictures with the POPE and Chirac (two of his most favorite people.)... BUT, I am cynical. I think that our little terrorist playmates in Iraq will ratchet up some New Horror in Iraq to get back into the headlines....So Bush will only have a short lived reprieve, if any.......Bush won't be able to Play the sympathy card very long, though I am sure he will try......

[Andy_Stephenson]

14. Zip

nada
zilch

[Zinfandel]

15. Honestly, a big jump. Thanks to the 24 hour corporate media...

But it will be short-lived, because Bush is a fuck-up, it's part of his nature.

[Awsi Dooger]

16. Zero to tiny long term, since Reagan's timing was superb

For literally a decade I worried Reagan would die on the brink of a toss up presidential election. Timing that would rival only his incompetence and destruction.

When I heard Reagan had severely regressed the last week, my up front reaction was, "good, let's get it over with." The Republicans will have time to fashion a pathetic convention tribute, otherwise any impact will be easily trumped by reaction to our VP choice, etc.

Really, this was exquisite timing. Clarke's book, Woodward's book, the 9/11 hearings and the prison photos have run their course or are in a lull, and Clinton's book plus our convention are dead ahead, so to speak.