Reagan vs Trump

It has been a little difficult this election cycle.

A lot of people-and I do mean a lot of people-that I like are big supporters of Donald Trump.

This is difficult for me because I basically see Trump as an insincere jerk with a big touch of douche in him. His appeal is totally lost on me.

Some people see a strong leader. I see a dope with a big mouth. Some people see a business genius. I see a relentless self promoter who's as sincere as a lap dance and wrong about as many times as he is right.

But one of the things that has bothered me is the comparison some have made between Trump and Ronald Reagan. Craig Shirley, who worked in Reagan's campaigns said, "In the '60s and '70s he(Reagan) was often derided by the eastern elites, by academia, by the establishment of the Republican party. He was considered the George Wallace of the Republican party, a grade B actor with premature orange hair."   

Yeah, but...

Reagan:  He was born in poverty.

Trump:    He was born very rich.

Reagan:   He worked his way up the Hollywood ladder on his own.

Trump:    He proudly tells audiences that he started out with a mere "million dollar loan" from his dad.

Reagan:   Started out as a Roosevelt/Truman Democrat but left the party in 1962. He said,"I didn't leave the Democratic Party. The party left me."  Basically, he began his shift in the 50's when he was a spokesman for General Electric.

Trump:     May/may not have been a Democrat or Republican. Not sure. He's given a lot of money to Democrats over the years. He says he's changed his position on several issues. He's been pro/anti abortion, pro/anti second amendment.  His basic theme is everyone is stupid except for him and he's the only one that can make "good deals" to make America "win".

Reagan:    Believed in The 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.

Trump:      Believes the last Republican President should have been impeached. Believed the party's nominee in 2008, John McCain, a Vietnam POW, was not a "war hero". Trump said he liked people that "weren't captured" and that McCain's experience was "irrelevant."   Trump called the last Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, "a dope".  He made derisive personal comments about Carly Fiorina, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, and just about every other Republican not named Jeff Sessions, Chris Christie, or Sarah Palin.

Reagan:    Gave great speeches. "A Time For Choosing".  The Fortieth Anniversary of D-Day. "Mr. Gorbachev: Tear Down This Wall". The remarks on The Shuttle Disaster.  "A shining city on a hill".

Trump:      Most of his speeches seem off the cuff.  Spends a lot of time talking about polls. "Really amazing". "Totally unbelievable".  Says "I" and "Me" about four hundred times more than President Obama, the previous winner of the "I'm The Messiah You've Heard So Much About" award.

Reagan:     Two marriages. The first marriage died due to irreconcilable differences. The second marriage lasted over fifty years.

Trump:       Three marriages, trading in the old one for a newer model. The current Mrs. Trump has posed nude making her the first potential First Lady to ever appear naked in a magazine.

Reagan:      Memorable debate performance-"Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

Trump:        Memorable debate performance- felt the need to defend the size of his penis.

Reagan:       Had the support of all of the conservative infrastructure including The National Review  and George Will.

Trump:        Does not have the support of conservative intellectuals. He has the considerable support from a lot of radio talk show hosts and Ann Coulter.

I could go on and on. All I can say is Donald Trump is no Ronald Reagan.