I have a friend down the street, @biggercapital. He heard Reagan speak. He spoke no English, growing up in French speaking Canada. He heard him speak and he said, "I want that". He got a college degree, an MBA and wound up on Wall Street. He got that.
Ronald Reagan, who began his political career as a Democrat, was exquisitely prepared to be President plus he was a personable and gentlemanly individual.
He lived an American life on the edge of hard times early in his life from which he raised himself with that old fashioned antidote: hard work.
He was President of the Screen Actors Guild on two occasions (showing he had the respect of his peers and understood unions) and shepherded in the concept of residuals for actors -- a huge financial development.
He was also Governor of California twice and in those days could have run a third time which he declined to do. His actual performance as Governor was not what folks think and is worthy of one's study.
He toured the country giving speeches for General Electric and had an excellent sense of the mood of the country. He did his homework and knew the country.
He starred in that famous movie, Brother Rat, written about the Virginia Military Institute, my alma mater. He married Jane Wyman, another actor in the film.
I say all this because I think politicians -- professional politicians -- are simply unprepared and shallow. Reagan did the work.
The aged to perfection, well experienced political class has been leading this country for decades. It's not working. And it hasn't been working for a long time. Time for a change, and I don't think the experience that Nikki or Tim Scott offers represents the kind of change that's needed. This is why I take Vivek seriously.
Well, first, he's 3 years older than me so seems pretty wise in my eyes! :)
But more seriously, I think he has the right mindset on how to approach problems which greatly makes up for a lack of leadership on this scale... get the right people in the room and give a coherent direction.
One has to be 35 to be President which when that was written into the Constitution was a far greater percentage of one's expected life.
Geo NMI Washington was 57 when inaugurated, served 8 years, and died 2 years after stepping down as POTUS.
I'm 72 and have seen a lot of history. [I hope to see much more.] As I look back, I would not have been qualified to be President at 35 or 38. I didn't have the life experience or wisdom.
There is something to be said for mining wisdom which only comes with age and experience.
I would, however, preclude anyone from serving as President after age 70 -- 2X the minimum age.
Spot on about President Reagan. He above all else understood he was not bigger than the office and he was a true servant to his country. He also knew and welcomed different opinions, but if those opinions were emotionally centered and not factually grounded he would not have time for you. I am not sure we will ever see his like again in the oval office. For that matter, not sure we had seen it the prior presidencies either. You would have to go back a long ways to find a president that measures up to Reagan. Before Hoover in fact.
Had dinner with Darin LaHood last week, who might just be the most pleasant and optimistic person in Congress. He has that Reagan touch meeting someone once, and knowing them for the rest of his life. Staunch conservative, but leads with friendliness, rather than politics.
Jim Thompson had that same personality. Not very conservative, but way more conservative than today's Dems.
I recently watched a you tube of him on Johnny Carson, I think, before he was president. He was calling out the FBI being in cahoots way back then. I'm glad that he didn't have to witness what's happening now.
Nobody of the 20th century would recognize anything about the current era politics. It is truly nuts. Reagan was a man of his time and his time included strong institutions. Today the nuts have taken over and/or burned down all the party institutions on both the left and right. Remember that Reagan actually blew up the deficits (at the time), signed an immigration amnesty bill(!) that had broad support, had no problem working with Tip O'Neill. Milley was appointed by Trump. Lots of the military DEI silliness is based on legislation, and is not discretionary. Pretty sure Reagan would not be for the death penalty for Milley in any case. Of the current field the 2 people with the most characteristics in the list are Christie and Haley. Neither of them are a Reagan.
Milley was appointed by Obama, not Trump. Tip wouldn't be Speaker today! There are accounting deficits and economic deficits. Reagan ran an accounting deficit. He had to rebuild the military officer and enlisted corps, along with getting modern equipment.
Gen Milley served two terms as Chmn Jt Chiefs -- he was, in fact, appointed by Pres Obama and then, subsequently, re-appointed to a second 4-year term by President Trump.
Milley was, in fact, a woke general. He was educated at Princeton and was sort of a thumb in the eye of the professional officer corps of the Army -- West Pointers and other senior military schools.
Milley's actual track record is littered with dopey woke moves and he has no call on anything even remotely approaching Patton's combat record.
He tasked the Army War College to study the impact of climate change on the Army whilst overseeing a hopelessly half ass withdrawal from Afghanistan that was strategically and tactically unsound resulting in the death of several soldiers and Marines.
Soldiers should only be evaluated based on outcomes, victories. No style points.
Milley oversaw the inclusion of DEI in the Army when it was already a diverse force -- the Army was 27% black in 1985 and is currently 20% black indicating this is another area in which Milley failed to achieve the desired outcome. [The US is 13.4% black.]
The USA has a culture of "general worship" based on the exploits of the US Army in World War II. Those generals commanded divisions, corps, armies, and army groups in desperate combat for extended periods of time and, most importantly, delivered victory.
None of the current crop of generals commanded units in combat of that size nor did they deliver that most important of all outcomes: VICTORY!
The current bunch of poseurs worry about uniforms and not training. There are only two considerations in the soldiering racket:
1. Does this improve or increase the lethality of the force?
2. Does this safeguard the lives of our soldiers?
The Obama era general office corps is a bunch of political poseurs who are more politicians, left leaning, than warriors.
The Army threw men out who refused to take the bloody VAX and then when the VAX was proven to be baloney, meaning it didn't work, failed to do anything to reinstate those men who called it right.
"general worship" is a good way to describe it inside and out. Tuberville when criticized for putting a hold on appointments points out that during WWII there were 6 four star generals and today there are 44.
Government doesn't do accrual, it's cash based accounting. Clinton was the only one in recent times that didn't run a deficit. It's fine to run deficits some years, but only if you run surpluses other years.
He was already there....I listened to him give a talk at the National WW2 Museum in 2015...it's not as if the President interviews these guys and moves the chess pieces around much when it comes to the top of the military
Milley was chief of the Army as appointed by Obama. Trump appointed him Chairman. Milley is just another one of the great hires until Trump decided he was the worst. Remember that Reagan hired people like George Schultz, probably the best cabinet secretary of the 2nd half of the 20th century.
Agree with Reagan's appointments. Jeanne Kirkpatrick at the UN was good too. George Schultz and Baker were both Washington DC insiders. Schultz was a "Chicago Boy" and was colleagues with all the Chicago boys at U of C. Friedman gets the credit (he was the leader) but for Reagan I think George Stigler and Bob Lucas were more influential as far as policy.
Some of Trump's appointments were great. Some, not so great. Some hurt him. Some he exposed. They go on TV and talk a good game but when it is time to get into the arena they cannot perform. Ironically, Nikki Haley was a pretty damn good UN Rep.
Actually, any financial caution during the Clinton presidency falls to the credit of Newton Gingrich rather than Bill Clinton.
The Clinton performance never, ever, ever failed to run a deficit. He came close in the current account on gov't spending -- not even there was there a surplujs -- but when all other gov't and intra-gov't spending is added in, the national debt went up which is the ultimate test of whether there was a deficit or a surplus.
All the US has to do to balance the budget is to reduce the RATE OF GROWTH OF EXPENDITURES by half for 4 years. It isn't rocket science.
There are no silver bullets. There's no realistic mix of revenue increases or expenditure reductions that doesn't involve significant pain for some major interest group. 70% of the budget is "mandatory" social security and medicare. Nobody's cutting much of that. Current projections show a $3T deficit in the next decade.
There was over $200 Billion in COVID Loan fraud. Could have been easily prevented and while being a significant pain to fraudsters, completely warranted.
What's old is new again: https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/televised-campaign-address-vital-economy-jobs-growth-and-progress-americans
I have a friend down the street, @biggercapital. He heard Reagan speak. He spoke no English, growing up in French speaking Canada. He heard him speak and he said, "I want that". He got a college degree, an MBA and wound up on Wall Street. He got that.
No one is inspiring today.
Ronald Reagan, who began his political career as a Democrat, was exquisitely prepared to be President plus he was a personable and gentlemanly individual.
He lived an American life on the edge of hard times early in his life from which he raised himself with that old fashioned antidote: hard work.
He was President of the Screen Actors Guild on two occasions (showing he had the respect of his peers and understood unions) and shepherded in the concept of residuals for actors -- a huge financial development.
He was also Governor of California twice and in those days could have run a third time which he declined to do. His actual performance as Governor was not what folks think and is worthy of one's study.
He toured the country giving speeches for General Electric and had an excellent sense of the mood of the country. He did his homework and knew the country.
He starred in that famous movie, Brother Rat, written about the Virginia Military Institute, my alma mater. He married Jane Wyman, another actor in the film.
I say all this because I think politicians -- professional politicians -- are simply unprepared and shallow. Reagan did the work.
JLM
www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
Reagan's 11th commandment has been violated so many times, it's not just dormant, it's dead and buried.
What's your answer to that last question, Jeff?
If I had to pick, Glenn Youngkin.
Thanks.
IMO, To your last question... Vivek
How does one get comfortable with his age and lack of experience to say nothing of his novitiate status as as politician?
JLM
www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
The aged to perfection, well experienced political class has been leading this country for decades. It's not working. And it hasn't been working for a long time. Time for a change, and I don't think the experience that Nikki or Tim Scott offers represents the kind of change that's needed. This is why I take Vivek seriously.
Whilst agreeing on the problem, I do not agree on the solution.
Term limits and an age limit of 70 seem prudent to me.
I think Trump seems to be the pick of the electorate. Not saying I endorse him as I think he's way off base on Ukraine.
JLM
www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
Well, first, he's 3 years older than me so seems pretty wise in my eyes! :)
But more seriously, I think he has the right mindset on how to approach problems which greatly makes up for a lack of leadership on this scale... get the right people in the room and give a coherent direction.
One has to be 35 to be President which when that was written into the Constitution was a far greater percentage of one's expected life.
Geo NMI Washington was 57 when inaugurated, served 8 years, and died 2 years after stepping down as POTUS.
I'm 72 and have seen a lot of history. [I hope to see much more.] As I look back, I would not have been qualified to be President at 35 or 38. I didn't have the life experience or wisdom.
There is something to be said for mining wisdom which only comes with age and experience.
I would, however, preclude anyone from serving as President after age 70 -- 2X the minimum age.
JLM
www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
Which Vivek? The guy a scammer, at least half the time. https://twitter.com/AGHamilton29/status/1696689352301056260
My wife is a mental health therapist in purple state Nevada. What Vivek is saying about a national identity crisis is spot on...
https://www.vivek2024.com/video/a-national-identity-crisis-is-plaguing-millennials-let-me-show-you-the-way-out/
Spot on about President Reagan. He above all else understood he was not bigger than the office and he was a true servant to his country. He also knew and welcomed different opinions, but if those opinions were emotionally centered and not factually grounded he would not have time for you. I am not sure we will ever see his like again in the oval office. For that matter, not sure we had seen it the prior presidencies either. You would have to go back a long ways to find a president that measures up to Reagan. Before Hoover in fact.
Had dinner with Darin LaHood last week, who might just be the most pleasant and optimistic person in Congress. He has that Reagan touch meeting someone once, and knowing them for the rest of his life. Staunch conservative, but leads with friendliness, rather than politics.
Jim Thompson had that same personality. Not very conservative, but way more conservative than today's Dems.
I recently watched a you tube of him on Johnny Carson, I think, before he was president. He was calling out the FBI being in cahoots way back then. I'm glad that he didn't have to witness what's happening now.
Nobody of the 20th century would recognize anything about the current era politics. It is truly nuts. Reagan was a man of his time and his time included strong institutions. Today the nuts have taken over and/or burned down all the party institutions on both the left and right. Remember that Reagan actually blew up the deficits (at the time), signed an immigration amnesty bill(!) that had broad support, had no problem working with Tip O'Neill. Milley was appointed by Trump. Lots of the military DEI silliness is based on legislation, and is not discretionary. Pretty sure Reagan would not be for the death penalty for Milley in any case. Of the current field the 2 people with the most characteristics in the list are Christie and Haley. Neither of them are a Reagan.
Milley was appointed by Obama, not Trump. Tip wouldn't be Speaker today! There are accounting deficits and economic deficits. Reagan ran an accounting deficit. He had to rebuild the military officer and enlisted corps, along with getting modern equipment.
Gen Milley served two terms as Chmn Jt Chiefs -- he was, in fact, appointed by Pres Obama and then, subsequently, re-appointed to a second 4-year term by President Trump.
Milley was, in fact, a woke general. He was educated at Princeton and was sort of a thumb in the eye of the professional officer corps of the Army -- West Pointers and other senior military schools.
Milley's actual track record is littered with dopey woke moves and he has no call on anything even remotely approaching Patton's combat record.
He tasked the Army War College to study the impact of climate change on the Army whilst overseeing a hopelessly half ass withdrawal from Afghanistan that was strategically and tactically unsound resulting in the death of several soldiers and Marines.
Soldiers should only be evaluated based on outcomes, victories. No style points.
Milley oversaw the inclusion of DEI in the Army when it was already a diverse force -- the Army was 27% black in 1985 and is currently 20% black indicating this is another area in which Milley failed to achieve the desired outcome. [The US is 13.4% black.]
The USA has a culture of "general worship" based on the exploits of the US Army in World War II. Those generals commanded divisions, corps, armies, and army groups in desperate combat for extended periods of time and, most importantly, delivered victory.
None of the current crop of generals commanded units in combat of that size nor did they deliver that most important of all outcomes: VICTORY!
The current bunch of poseurs worry about uniforms and not training. There are only two considerations in the soldiering racket:
1. Does this improve or increase the lethality of the force?
2. Does this safeguard the lives of our soldiers?
The Obama era general office corps is a bunch of political poseurs who are more politicians, left leaning, than warriors.
The Army threw men out who refused to take the bloody VAX and then when the VAX was proven to be baloney, meaning it didn't work, failed to do anything to reinstate those men who called it right.
JLM
www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
"general worship" is a good way to describe it inside and out. Tuberville when criticized for putting a hold on appointments points out that during WWII there were 6 four star generals and today there are 44.
When I was in the Army, we had 3MM soldiers and fewer generals of all ranks compared to today when we have 460,000 soldiers.
JLM
www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
Trump appointed Milley Dec. 8, 2018. https://www.npr.org/2018/12/08/674930438/trump-appoints-general-mark-milley-chairman-of-the-joint-chiefs-of-staff
Government doesn't do accrual, it's cash based accounting. Clinton was the only one in recent times that didn't run a deficit. It's fine to run deficits some years, but only if you run surpluses other years.
He was already there....I listened to him give a talk at the National WW2 Museum in 2015...it's not as if the President interviews these guys and moves the chess pieces around much when it comes to the top of the military
Milley was chief of the Army as appointed by Obama. Trump appointed him Chairman. Milley is just another one of the great hires until Trump decided he was the worst. Remember that Reagan hired people like George Schultz, probably the best cabinet secretary of the 2nd half of the 20th century.
Jim Baker? Pretty tough to decide which one was better.
Baker ran 5X presidential campaigns, served as undersecretary of commerce, chief of staff to 2X presidents, sec of treasury, and sec state.
Pretty damn accomplished man.
JLM
www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
Agree with Reagan's appointments. Jeanne Kirkpatrick at the UN was good too. George Schultz and Baker were both Washington DC insiders. Schultz was a "Chicago Boy" and was colleagues with all the Chicago boys at U of C. Friedman gets the credit (he was the leader) but for Reagan I think George Stigler and Bob Lucas were more influential as far as policy.
Some of Trump's appointments were great. Some, not so great. Some hurt him. Some he exposed. They go on TV and talk a good game but when it is time to get into the arena they cannot perform. Ironically, Nikki Haley was a pretty damn good UN Rep.
Actually, any financial caution during the Clinton presidency falls to the credit of Newton Gingrich rather than Bill Clinton.
The Clinton performance never, ever, ever failed to run a deficit. He came close in the current account on gov't spending -- not even there was there a surplujs -- but when all other gov't and intra-gov't spending is added in, the national debt went up which is the ultimate test of whether there was a deficit or a surplus.
All the US has to do to balance the budget is to reduce the RATE OF GROWTH OF EXPENDITURES by half for 4 years. It isn't rocket science.
JLM
www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
There are no silver bullets. There's no realistic mix of revenue increases or expenditure reductions that doesn't involve significant pain for some major interest group. 70% of the budget is "mandatory" social security and medicare. Nobody's cutting much of that. Current projections show a $3T deficit in the next decade.
There was over $200 Billion in COVID Loan fraud. Could have been easily prevented and while being a significant pain to fraudsters, completely warranted.
Pain is always part of the answer.
JLM
www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
Here comes the pain: 4.5% 10 year treasuries.
https://twitter.com/Brian_Riedl/status/1706433747971690983
I hate that but it's true.