tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354819.post114666688609061295..comments2023-10-28T10:12:35.184-04:00Comments on Big Tent: Obvious But TrueStephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14620478836945715498noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354819.post-1146762319449101922006-05-04T13:05:00.000-04:002006-05-04T13:05:00.000-04:00Yeah -- had Goldberg read any of the serious schol...Yeah -- had Goldberg read any of the serious scholarly historical literature on the rise of Reagan (Lisa McGirr would be a good starting point, as would Schoenwald or Schneider) and new Conservatism (NOT neo-conservatism) he'd be unable to make that "reaction to Nixon" argument. This is why I am very wary of Goldberg's new book. I suspect that it will only be half-informed historically, the half dcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09921385244556780254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354819.post-1146755818060844222006-05-04T11:16:00.000-04:002006-05-04T11:16:00.000-04:00I think we are having a debate over semantics here...I think we are having a debate over semantics here. Here is an honest question (which showed up in a different form on my comprehensive exams): In what way was Nixon conservative--especially as president (when even his anticommunism had softened)? <BR/><BR/>I will certainly concede that the Family Assistance Plan was not liberal, as some people contend (paging Gareth Davies), since it was Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12616206952252181603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354819.post-1146753341024060662006-05-04T10:35:00.000-04:002006-05-04T10:35:00.000-04:00Only Nixon could go to China.Only Nixon could go to China.g_robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12486379048583197723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354819.post-1146705974674709082006-05-03T21:26:00.000-04:002006-05-03T21:26:00.000-04:00Nixon was dealing with a liberal congress which wa...Nixon was dealing with a liberal congress which was responsible for the legislation. Much of the liberal legislation that Hoff and others have given Nixon credit for was legislation that he neither initiated nor really wanted--it was about accepting the least noxious (or least liberal) pieces of legislation. <BR/><BR/>It was similar to when Clinton signed the 1996 Welfare Reform Act--that didn't Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354819.post-1146703760431159272006-05-03T20:49:00.000-04:002006-05-03T20:49:00.000-04:00I think we are talking about degrees here. Nixon ...I think we are talking about degrees here. Nixon was a very liberal Republican; he was certainly more liberal as president than JFK was when he was president. Bush is less liberal than Nixon, but still pretty liberal for a Republican. Reagan talked a bigger game than Eisenhower, but I think they were pretty close in their conservatism.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12616206952252181603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354819.post-1146699524824458712006-05-03T19:38:00.000-04:002006-05-03T19:38:00.000-04:00So, let me get this straight b/c Bush lacks (accor...So, let me get this straight b/c Bush lacks (according to the author) core principles---this makes him a liberal Republican? I can understand an arguement that would claim that Bush has violated conserviative principle too many times to remain in conservatives' good graces---but Bush is not a liberal. Indeed, just b/c Nixon signed liberal legislation into law that doesn't make him a liberal. He Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com