Karl Rove takes on the Tea Party

"Makeup! Makeup!"

The radical right's gussied up version of the Gippy is, fittingly, a purely Hollywood-style confection. Not surprisingly, such a fractured fairy tale asserts its required willing suspension of disbelief into the future, a future in which the corporate interests that now lead the TPs around by the snout will either bring them to heal or let sad mortality o'ersway their demographic fate.

So, it's the Silk Shirts vs the Wrinkled Skins. Let's get down and dirty, Lads!

 

As much as his record as Governor, the Rightwing History Revisionism of Reagan's record as President is mythologized too. You've actually got rightwingers who believe "Reagan fought to control spending"....or "Reagan never raised taxes".....or "Reagan refused to sign arms treaties with the untrustworthy Rooskies".....or "Reagan appointed 'pro-life' Justices".

The reason for the Myth is obvious. The Right needed "their FDR"....a rightwing version of a popular and ALSO ideologically effective President...even if they had to make it up. They didn't need to make up Reagan's popularity....any President with a good economy would have that. But they had to "gloss over" or even re-write some of his "RINO" moments to give the impression the IDEOLOGY was popular and being implemented as well.

It's pure Orwell. You can even SHOW some rightwingers Reagan's record...especially as Governor...and they simply won't believe it. Or in most cases, say "Well...Reagan was FORCED to do those things by a Democratic CA state legislature" (similar to the excuse they give for his deficits as President).....but in doing that? They undermine their own case that Reagan was a "leader" or effective as an ideological conservative.

But naturally the contradictions don't matter to them. Again...read your Orwell.

 

Reagan is their token. Otherwise, today's aberrant berserkers write off all traditional Republicans. Their paranoia casts them as a righteous little clique in a hostile world of either "liberals" or "RINOs." (Read "eloi" and "morlocks.")

Regarding the mythical Reagan, one would think they would feel shame at refusing to raise any questions concerning Reagan's Beirut Barracks Bombings of 1983 in which 241 U.S. military personnel were killed by terrorists in the deadliest single-day death toll for US military since the first day of the Vietnam War's Tet Offensive, and the deadliest single attack on Americans overseas since World War II.

Why was there not adequate security in such a volatile deployment?

Why did Reagan cut and ran after he vowed that the terrorists who went unpunished would not go unpunished?

After all, this was not primarily a CIA covert operation needing to maintain a low profile that resulted in the tragic death of four Americans, but a deliberately high-profile one that resulted in the tragic deaths of two hundred and forty-one.

 

Beirut....Iran-Contra....the ideological surrender on Robert Bork....Reagan's support of amnesty for undocumented immigrants (see my Signature below)....the signing of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty.....raising taxes to save Social Security with Tip O'Neil.....

all have been re-written at the Ministry of Truth: Fair & Balanced & Unafraid....and the actual historical facts flushed down the "memory hole".

Today? Reagan running as "Reagan the Myth" could easily win the GOP Nomination.....Reagan running on the ACTUAL Reagan record (Governor or even President)....would be called a "RINO".

Reagan would even shake hands with and smile at President Obama.....the kiss of death for poor Chris Christie.