Does Bill have dementia?

cawacko said:
To each his own. You also don't like his politics. Acknowledging someone's ability as a good speaker doesn't mean you have to agree with what they are saying.
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I know this cawacko, I just never cared for Reagan as a speaker, I thought he was a bad actor as well.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
No but I have never seen a politician as skilled at communication and messaging as Reagan was. Reagans "Aw shucks" humble approach to oratory wasn't for everyone but his optimism, positive approach and his cheerfulness were critical tools he used to persuade others and though no one would argue that Reagan was a serious technocratic policy wonk...he certainly wasn't...he was great at distilling a message and using it to persuade others. I mean there is much to be critical of Reagan about but his ability to persuade others, mainly the war hawks in his own party, to change their attitudes and perception about the Cold War played a critically important role in ending the Cold War. America won the cold war ideologically...but hell everyone won the Cold War when it ended. It was a true win/win.

I mean I give credit where it's due and Reagans words have become part of our national culture and our modern image of ourselves.

"A shining city on a hill."
"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."
"If we love our country we should love our countrymen."
"Heros are not braver than anyone else. They're just braver 5 minutes longer."
"Life is one grand sweet song, so start the music."
"Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose your job."
"Hard work never killed anyone, but why take a chance?"

In this respect Reagan had orators beat. He could not hold a crowd enthralled for hours like MLK, Obama or Bill Clinton but he was a master of the modern sound bite. Hell he invented it and no one....but no one...does it as well as he did.

I always liked Reagan and I"m glad I voted for him but he, like Lincoln, is a far more interesting person if you try not to view him through partisan lenses or deify him. He's just one hell of a lot more interesting as a regular human being.
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Meh, your opinion and I never hear those phrases, with the exception of the first two. Reagan was a B grade actor, I never understood the fuss.
 
Rana said:
Meh, your opinion and I never hear those phrases, with the exception of the first two. Reagan was a B grade actor, I never understood the fuss.
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Well I think the fuss is, is that Reagan, like it or not, was a very significant President with very significant accomplishments and his greatest attribute was to use words to, as I previously said, to change peoples perceptions and to persuade. Which is an invaluable skill in politics.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
No but I have never seen a politician as skilled at communication and messaging as Reagan was. Reagans "Aw shucks" humble approach to oratory wasn't for everyone but his optimism, positive approach and his cheerfulness were critical tools he used to persuade others and though no one would argue that Reagan was a serious technocratic policy wonk...he certainly wasn't...he was great at distilling a message and using it to persuade others. I mean there is much to be critical of Reagan about but his ability to persuade others, mainly the war hawks in his own party, to change their attitudes and perception about the Cold War played a critically important role in ending the Cold War. America won the cold war ideologically...but hell everyone won the Cold War when it ended. It was a true win/win.

I mean I give credit where it's due and Reagans words have become part of our national culture and our modern image of ourselves.

"A shining city on a hill."
"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."
"If we love our country we should love our countrymen."
"Heros are not braver than anyone else. They're just braver 5 minutes longer."
"Life is one grand sweet song, so start the music."
"Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose your job."
"Hard work never killed anyone, but why take a chance?"

In this respect Reagan had orators beat. He could not hold a crowd enthralled for hours like MLK, Obama or Bill Clinton but he was a master of the modern sound bite. Hell he invented it and no one....but no one...does it as well as he did.

I always liked Reagan and I"m glad I voted for him but he, like Lincoln, is a far more interesting person if you try not to view him through partisan lenses or deify him. He's just one hell of a lot more interesting as a regular human being.
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He wasn't bad - I just think he's overrated. "The Great Communicator" - he lectured a lot. I didn't see that much connection w/ people in the actual audience.

Best Republican President speaker? I'd give him that, at least in what I'd call "modern times." But I'd put JFK, Clinton & especially Obama above him.
 
Thing1 said:
He wasn't bad - I just think he's overrated. "The Great Communicator" - he lectured a lot. I didn't see that much connection w/ people in the actual audience.

Best Republican President speaker? I'd give him that, at least in what I'd call "modern times." But I'd put JFK, Clinton & especially Obama above him.
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Well I'd say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and so much of what modern politicians do today is modeled on Reagans communication and messaging methods. There's no arguing his legacy and his influence as a communicator. For me it was hard not to like Uncle Dutch...even when I didn't agree with him...which was a lot.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
Well I'd say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and so much of what modern politicians do today is modeled on Reagans communication and messaging methods. There's no arguing his legacy and his influence as a communicator. For me it was hard not to like Uncle Dutch...even when I didn't agree with him...which was a lot.
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Wasn't he on the wrong side of the McCarthy hearings?
 
Mott the Hoople said:
Well I think the fuss is, is that Reagan, like it or not, was a very significant President with very significant accomplishments and his greatest attribute was to use words to, as I previously said, to change peoples perceptions and to persuade. Which is an invaluable skill in politics.
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There is a sucker born every minute and he fooled a lot of people!
 
Mott the Hoople said:
Well I'd say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and so much of what modern politicians do today is modeled on Reagans communication and messaging methods. There's no arguing his legacy and his influence as a communicator. For me it was hard not to like Uncle Dutch...even when I didn't agree with him...which was a lot.
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How can you overlook all the dirty dealings like Ollie North and the Contras?
 
cawacko said:
At the end of the day it means nothing but she gets $65K to give a speech if what I read is accurate. Usually you think someone getting that type money would be a better speaker
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OT but it cracks me up when people complain (not you, anybody) about the size of speaking fees. No organization has to offer $65K or $200K or whatever number people gripe about HRC taking. I mean, picture this: "Madame Secretary, we are offering you $150K to speak at our ____________ on October 11." HRC: "Oh no, I couldn't possibly accept that much. I'll do it for $15K."

What numbskull would turn down a big fee if offered? And what foolish organization would offer a fee of more than they could afford?
 
christiefan915 said:
OT but it cracks me up when people complain (not you, anybody) about the size of speaking fees. No organization has to offer $65K or $200K or whatever number people gripe about HRC taking. I mean, picture this: "Madame Secretary, we are offering you $150K to speak at our ____________ on October 11." HRC: "Oh no, I couldn't possibly accept that much. I'll do it for $15K."

What numbskull would turn down a big fee if offered? And what foolish organization would offer a fee of more than they could afford?
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Let's be clear about what I said. In my first post on the subject I congratulated her for getting that amount per speech. My point was for getting that amount of money for speaking she's not a very good speaker. I'm going to surmise that she isn't getting invited to speak and paid those type of dollars because she's a dynamic speaker it's because of who she is.
 
cawacko said:
Let's be clear about what I said. In my first post on the subject I congratulated her for getting that amount per speech. My point was for getting that amount of money for speaking she's not a very good speaker. I'm going to surmise that she isn't getting invited to speak and paid those type of dollars because she's a dynamic speaker it's because of who she is.
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I am clear about what you said, that's why I put OT before my comment. As a call out to the posters here (not you) who've been criticizing the size of HRC's and Bill's speaking fees.
 
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