The Next Time a Republican Bashes Obama While Praising Reagan, Just Show Them This

by Allen Clifton

To listen to Republicans talk, you would think Ronald Reagan was the end all be all of conservatism. He is without a doubt their legend – their hero. The party should really be renamed the Grand Old Party of Reagan.
The biggest problem with this, of course, is the fact that they’re worshiping a myth. The reality of Reagan isn’t anything close to the fiction I often hear spewed from the mouths of almost every conservative I encounter.
Right now Republicans are fear-mongering against the Obama administration for trying to use diplomacy to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Negotiations, by the way, that many of our allies are currently involved in as well.
Well, if President Obama is “weakening” America by trying to use diplomacy with Iran, then what would they say if he had sold illegal arms to Iran and negotiated for the release of hostages? Because that’s what Reagan did. Could you imagine if the Obama administration was caught selling illegal weapons to Iran?
Then there’s always illegal immigration and the word “amnesty.” While it’s true President Obama has pushed for a bill that would offer a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants, did you know it was actually Ronald Reagan in 1986 who passed a full-on amnesty bill? In fact, the president’s bill is basically the same thing Reagan passed almost 30 years ago. Only one is considered a “conservative legend” while the other is called “un-American.” Funny how that works.
So, if President Obama’s vacations are “disrespectful and appalling,” what exactly would Republicans say about Reagan’s?
The last one I’ll cover (though there are many more) is the infamous executive order. To listen to Republicans talk, President Obama uses executive orders almost every day. He’s been called a dictator, a king, an emperor – all based on this notion that he’s abused the power of the executive order.
Funny thing though, he’s on pace to issue fewer executive orders than both Bush and Reagan – especially Reagan. So, if President Obama is an “unconstitutional tyrant” who is constantly trying to bypass Congress, what was Reagan considering the fact that he issued more executive orders than any president since Eisenhower?
So the reality is, if Republicans want to keep trying to slam President Obama for the things I’ve listed in this article, then it’s time they denounce their love for Ronald Reagan. Because when it comes to these issues, “Saint Reagan” should be considered worse for conservatives than President Obama on every single one.