A useful talking point (winning the cold war)

[troublemaker]

This is how I've argued this for years and it may help some other DUers in a time of spin-control distress.

If a man runs for office saying "I will do X" and it's all he ever talks about and then it happens, I say give him some credit. The world is a complicated place and no President does anything in a vacuum, but if we get to weaselly or abstractly philosophical about campaign promises then the whole political world becomes meaningless.

So here's what I tell Republicans:

Reagan's central theme was beating the Russians. The Russians got beat. There were many factors in play, but give the guy some credit.

Clinton's central theme was creating economic growth and jobs and eliminating the deficit. The growth and jobs and balanced budgets all happened. There were other factors in play, but give the guy some credit.

If they want to get weaselly with that formulation and talk about Newt Gingrich or some shit then they'll just look silly. (How do we know the Democratic congress Reagan had to deal with wasn't really the hero of the cold war, right?)

[sundancekid]

1. PERFECT, troublemaker