Liberal Republican Presidents

[Gustaf]

TR- a great environmentalist, which I like.  Plus like truman he was boss, buck stopped with him too.

Got some great TR books, I should dig them out and get you guys the titles, very very good ones.

Are you an environmentalist, JR?

[Gustaf]

TR- a great environmentalist, which I like.  Plus like truman he was boss, buck stopped with him too.

Got some great TR books, I should dig them out and get you guys the titles, very very good ones.

Are you an environmentalist, JR?

I'm in agreement with Gustaf....completely flabbergasted.

I love the word flabberghasted, it's just so cool...

[Gustaf]

Would have been better if I had spelt it right, lol.

Yes, that's the case with most words...

[Gustaf]

Would have been better if I had spelt it right, lol.

Yes, that's the case with most words...

NEWMAN!!!
I was right the first time!
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/flabbergasted.html

I did spell it right!

Ehhh...no comment...

[Gustaf]

I don't think Gustaf watch Seinfeld, Mr. Fresh

Not regularly, no. I would like to, but it's seldom on at a good time.

[Gustaf]

I voted for Nixon. How in the hell can anyone vote for Teddy Roosevelt as a liberal??? His foreign policy was wayyyy to the right wing which more than offset his fascination with the environment and his anti-big business credentials. Teddy as a liberal??? Not with that expansionist foreign policy.

You do now that Republicans were anti-interventionist and isolationists for great parts of hte last century, and that the whole aggressive neo-conservatism is largly a product of 9/11?

[Gustaf]

I don't think Gustaf watch Seinfeld, Mr. Fresh

Ya, sometimes I don't even realize I say or type Newman.

I'm kind of lost...

[Gustaf]

Gustaf,

I am using the modern definition of "Liberal" which is very different than the historical defintion of the word. And under the modern definition, TR is not a liberal.

As for the "isolationist" statement you made, you are partially correct. The Republican Party was isolationist from the post-Teddy Roosevelt era into World War II.

However, if you think an aggressive foreign policy is strictly a post 9/11 invention of neo-conservatives, then I guess you missed Ronald Reagan's 8 years in office or the Presidency of the first George Bush. Or I guess you missed dedicated Cold Warriors like Eisenhower, Nixon and Ford...not to mention Kennedy who may as well have been a Republican and probably would be if he were alive today.

I doubt a Kennedy would ever be a Republican...

On the issue at hand, I said for great parts, not constantly. Most American wars have been started by Democratic presidents, unless I'm mistaken. Nixon made friends with the Chinese, so I wouldn't call him aggressive. That every Cold War president worked against the Soviets is a natural fact and doesn't have much to do with aggressiveness. Bush did lead the First Gulf War, that's true, but it was a limited war, fought to protect American oil interests, not a sign of a coherent foreign policy. GWB took a clear stand against nation building before 9/11.

[Gustaf]

I have nothing to add...besides,  should probably start to watch Seinfeld...

[Gustaf]

Ahhh, if that's the case I'm not so sure about Seinfeld as #1.  It's most certainly #1 in public opinion, but as for impacting the society in general, no.  I believe "I Love Lucy" would destroy Seinfeld in that.  I mean, it was the first time you saw a Cuban with a white American woman on T.V.  Definantly a landmarker in interracial marriages.

I saw a documentary about Lucy Ball once.