Channeling Reagan

Obama Seeks to Channel Reagan as Democrats Prepare for Election, reads a headline on this morning’s Bloomberg.com. Meanwhile, Governor Crist of Florida is quoted in Politico as saying “If I’m a RINO, then so is Ronald Reagan.” It appears that Channeling Reagan is, or is at least perceived to be, a good way to bait conservatives. The hope is that by associating oneself with the political ideologies of the 40th President, one may safely appeal to those pesky fundamentalists that still believe in things without coming across as too over-the top. This is unfortunate, because it distracts from the actual issues by allowing politicians to focus on abstract policies (I.E. ‘fiscal responsibility,’ ‘responsible spending,’ etc.), rather than articulate the means intended to accomplish such goals and enact such policies.

In short, association with public figures is nothing more than another cheap way to dodge substantive questions about what one truly believes and desires.