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Obama - Better than Reagan

The 2008 Presidential Election is over, but many people are already blaming Obama before he moves into The White House. One lingering condescension from the campaign is the condemnation of his experience as a community organizer.

It is evident that most people who joke about him being a community organizer do not realize that he was a community organizer at 23 years of age. So, what did Reagan do when he was 23? Ronald Reagan was a disc jockey for a low watt radio station in Iowa. And many of the same descriptions that were once applied to Reagan have been applied to Obama in a negative manner... "celebrity", member of the "Hollywood/media elite", and just a good "public speaker".

Following his early 20s, here is a very brief recap of Obama's acolades in chronological order... J.D. magna cum laude, President - Harvard Law Review, Senior Lecturer in Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago Law School, Illinois Senator, United States Senator, and President United States.

Therefore, if you are someone who still thinks of Obama as just a community organizer, then from now on, think of Reagan as just a disc jockey. I prefer to think of them both as Presidents.

What are your thoughts?

Best regards,
Jay

Jay Allen
MovieVoice
jay@movievoice.net

Posted by Jay Allen - MovieVoice on 11/08/2008 02:07 PM

Comments (32)

Politics in the ActiveRain Channel

barack obama, president, ronald reagan, election, community organizer, disc jockey, jay allen, movievoice, blatant politics

Post is included in group: Blatant Politics
Post is included in group: Club Chaos
Post is included in group: Dissent
Post is included in group: EXPRESS WITH WORDS AT ACTIVERAIN
Post is included in group: Silent Majority

32 Comments on Obama - Better than Reagan

NOV

2008

Jay ~ Another lame post with no substance. Ronald Reagan was also a Governor of the State of California before he became President.

Obama has no experience, and still you try to compare him to a President who had more executive experience than Barak Obama and Joseph Biden all put together.

Hi Jay, I don't mean to burst your bubble but I was watching tv this morning and they said that President Elect Obama looks up to Ronald Reagan as a role model for his presidency. Reagan brought about real change.

So, you are saying that people should be defined by what they were doing at age 23? Is there any room in your schema for personal growth or for a late bloomer? :-)

Obama- Better than Reagan? Sounds like the new 2012 re-election campaign slogan to me.

You're reaching here Jay! Let's look at what we don't know. We don't have his school transcripts; we don't have his medical records. In fact we know less about this President than any before him. That's a little worrying. I have said before I want him to succeed and I do. But let's not start to compare him to one of the greats just yet. Oh and 2012 slogan for Obama? I predict "We're not done yet"

Nicholas, are you just reading my titles again?

Shirley, the point of my blog is to say that people should not be judged by what they did at 23. But, many people still believe that the only thing Obama has done was to be a community organizer.

Above All, now might be a good time to buy the domain name!

Simon, I think your prediction's pretty accurate.

NOV

2008

Jay ~ No, Jay I have read your far reaching post on how Obama who has never run a thing in his life to Ronald Reagan who was a two term Governor of the State of California.

We have just elected a man with little to no experience, and you are so glee about it. God help us all.

Nicholas, the fact is that many people still dismiss Obama as being nothing more than a community organizer. Also, what do you think of the double-standard for Reagan's celebrity and media elite status?

Jay, I'd like to see a list of Reagan's accomplishments. Ummmmmmm, ummmmmmm, I can't think of any. Oh yeah he summarily fired all the air traffic controllers thus busting their union, so guess he gets credit for union busting. And of course we all know he takes credit for bringing our hostages home from Iran, but then we also know Jimmy Carter brokered their release. Oh and he started "trickle down economics." Yeah that really worked great didn't it? And oh yeah, deregulation of the mortgage industry started during the Reagan years. Great president. NOT!

NOV

2008

Hi Jay...For me there is so much more that matters than just prior "experience". President Bush had years of executive experience as Governor of Texas. I did not believe he was intellectually engaged enough to become president and I have not changed my mind after eight years.

Arnold Schwarzenegger became Governor of California with what experience? Why was that OK with so many.

I do not buy the fact that just because you have been a governor for 18 months you necessarily have what it takes to be Vice-President or President.

For anyone wondering how well Sen. Obama did while at Harvard, only those at the very top of their class get to edit the Law Review.

None of this really matters as nothing will ever convince those that do not want to believe in him or any other Democrat.

Thank you for the post.

Kate

P.S. Pres. Reagan is not a hero to all.

Oh good god almighty Jay Allen... You are Reaching so very far...quit embarrassing yourself.

This blog was not even worth my comment.. Come on.... I usually enjoy reading them.. you are letting me down tonight.... :)

Terry, it's amazing how some people have such a selective memory when it comes to Reagan.

Kate, I agree, Bush was a prime example of why simply being elected governor does not necessarily translate into being an effective VP/President.

Tana, I'm glad to hear that you enjoy some of my blogs - specifically what was wrong with this one?

NOV

2008

Jay

Personally, I know for a fact that you don't want any thoughts that do not agree with your own.

Get over it..............I did..........my team lost..........so I'm getting back to business. Still amazing how many like you are around still touting your soap box.

Let the new guy do his job, and let me know in four years what he has really accomplished.........then you can if he did well enough compare him to Reagan.

Like it or not, he is my President. He hasn't done squat yet, so until he does, get off your soap with all the intellectual B.S.

Thor, this blog was in response to several post-election blogs that still claim that Obama has been nothing but a community organizer. If I didn't want to hear opposing view points I wouldn't blog - I am as interested in reading criticisms as I am compliments.

Jay - one correction, Obama is not the president of the United States, he is the president elect. There is a tremendous difference. There are already those out there calling him the best president in history, which has as much basis as calling him the worst president in history. We will see where he lands between those two ends of the spectrum.

What I think is that I can not remember Reagen as I was too young. I've seen his movies.

I don't know if I would have voted for Reagen either.

I still don't think Obama has proven he is the guy for the job.

It's too early to tell.

Let's talk about it in a year after we see what he does in the first year.

Jay,

I just had to respond to this title. How can you compare Obama to Reagan. He hasn't served a day as president yet. I will agree though that he probable has Reagan beat as a community organizer!

Mike, perhaps I should have used the word presidential instead of president. I haven't read anything that has stated or suggested that he is already the best president.

Cheri', I was ready for you to attack! But your comment is very good - just like any other president, it will be after he leaves office before we can accurately determine his impact.

Mike F., as I commented earlier today, I realize that he hasn't served as president, but I wrote this blog in response to all of the negative blogs I still read about Obama being nothing more than a community organizer. Those same people and same blogs, that reduce his achievements to simply a community organizer, fail to disclose that he was 23-years-old when he began that role.

Jay - I didn't say that he said that, but there are those that are saying it. Some even want to declare Nov. 4 Obama Day as a national holiday.

I think the point people were trying to make Jay was that he didn't have much political experience.

Fine Jay, He was a community organizer when he was 23. But what has he accomplshed bewtween then and now, other that having a knack for finding golden opportunities to get elected to office, which qualify him to be president of the US?

Michelle

NOV

2008

Well, let's see....since he was 23.....he organized 64,000,000+ in our community to rise up and vote for him. That's one damn good community organizer.

Tchaka - I could remind you of other historical figures who organized millions to put them in power that didn't turn out so well. Getting elected means just that, getting elected. It is no indication of whether or not the person will be good, bad, indifferent, beneficial, evil, etc.

Jay - under the terms of your post, that President-Elect Obama had an impressive list of accomplishments in his early years, I agree with you. He has many gifts including intelligence and charisma.

His election as President is a remarkable accomplishment. While events in the media and economy conspired to lift him over John McCain, he also ran an excellent camapign against the Clintons to obtain the Democrat nomination.

But before I form my opinion about Barack Obama as President and compare him to others who have occupied the Oval Office, I would like to see him take office and do something to create a record that can be objectively discussed without hype or innuendo. We will talk about Mr Obama as President at some future date when we have something to talk about.

Excellent words, Ted! Then again, I'm not surprised anymore when you write something meaningful.

Jay, I am not an unfair person. Obama now has the opportunity to prove himself and I hope he does a good job.

NOV

2008

You are asking ME what is wrong with this blog... Comparing Obama who has not even served a day in office yet to Reagan who did so much for our Country (like him or not).... This is SPECIFICALLY what is wrong with this blog, but you REALLY don't care what I think...... it was just dumb....

Patientlly waiting for a better blog from you,

Tana... :)

Tana, you're missing the point... I am comparing the 23-year-old Obama to the 23-year-old Reagan. As I stated in the blog and on several comments - many people think that Obama's only experience was from his time as a community organizer. Most of those same people do not realize that Obama was 23 when he started as a community organizer.

When did you learn that Obama was only 23 when he started as a community organizer?

NOV

2008

Who cares.. Thats my point... goofy comparison.. thats all.. Be good!

"Goofy" is insulting - you'd probably think the same thing if I said that your post "Obama/Biden...........OSAMA BIN LADEN" was "goofy".

NOV

2008

Naaaa.... I'm not insulted....It WAS goofy!!!!! :) Not one of my better blogs...

I think the real point that's missing is what was in the MIND of Obama vs Reagan at ANY AGE:

One believed in INDIVIDUALISM, hard word, self sufficiency and low government interference.

The other believes the government should start out changing our diapers, and keep on doing it until we need them again as elderly citizens.

- Matthew

NOV

2008

Hi Jay, thanks for inviting me to the Blatant Politics group.

I just hope that Obama was really sincere when he said we need to reduce the number of abortions. Let us all reach out to those who are pregnant and guide them to better choices.

Peace

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