What happens when a former President dies?

[Michigander4Dean]

What kind of media attention does the death of a former President get? ABC, CBS, NBC, etc., I’m sure would break in and have special coverage for several hours, i.e. the blackout in August. Can you recall what they did when Nixon died?

I’ve been thinking about this because Reagan seems to be on his deathbed, and I want to know what I will have to endure when his time comes. Obviously, I will feel sad for his family, but I’m worried about the commentators saying, “He pummeled Carter and Mondale” “He made a bold decision to switch to the GOP,” etc.

Also, what if he dies before next November? You know they’ll say, “Bush/Cheney – Win One More for The Gipper” or something like that. What should we do about it? We gotta do SOMETHING!

[Syrinx]

1. God, can you imagine Fox coverage of Reagan's death?

I'm feeling queasy even now thinking about it.

[mlawson]

2. He can be given a state funeral in DC.

Assuming the family wants it. That means the body is flown to DC, lies in state in the Capitol rotunda, andthen is strapped to a caisson, and dragged down Pennsylvania in a cortege. And that is just the basic formula; the ceremonies can be hours long, many foreign dignitaries attend, etc etc.

All in all, it would give Dumbo a perfect 'vehicle' to honor, say, Ronnie, and get tons of SYMPATHY votes in 2004!

[Andy_Stephenson]

3. They Bury him

and he rots.

[xJlM]

7. Still waiting to make a trip out to California

Just so I can dance on Nixon's grave. I think it's on private property, though.

[PlanetBev]

43. Hey xJlm

To tell you the truth, if I thought he could beat Bush, I'd dig up Richard Nixon right now.

[Scairp]

47. He's buried on the grounds of his library

It's not private property. Anyone can go there and see his grave. As for Reagan, I am quite sure it will be the same for him, burial on the grounds of his library.

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. Mega obits heaping on praise.

They are made and in the can. The film can, that is, so to speak, not the toilet can.

[Michigander4Dean]

12. They do, don't they?

They have obituaries all ready for when they die. They released one earlier this year saying that Ford had in 2001!

[kayell]

5. They rename the US

The Republic of Reagan. After all, they've renamed everything else.

[karlschneider]

21. Or adopt a new national motto: "In Ronnie We Trust"

:grr:
:puke:

[kayell]

23. They solve the whole pledge controversy

and we pledge allegiance to one nation under Ron.

[Padraig18]

6. I'm nauseous

Imagining the spectacle makes me ill. :puke:

On edit: Let's not forget that Ford is no spring chicken--- 90-something and has had 2 light strokes... Could be a 2 for 1 year for the Repukes...

[AntiCoup2K4]

13. Poppy's pushing 80 and not in the best of health from recent pictures

Damn, Junior could hit the Trifecta AGAIN

[arwalden]

32. You And Me Both...

I'll have to unplug the cable TV and cable modem and choose 100 hours of DVD's to watch again. That or a good book or two.

Watch them "fast-track" to remove Hamilton from the $10 and put Reagan there instead.

-- Allen

[RetroLounge]

8. In public we show respect for the office and feign a bit

for the man (Reagan).

In private we dance a little jig and hope hell isn't too hot for him.

[izzie]

9. Well for Reagon I am sure we will name some GD thing for him

May be Reagon, D.C.?

[rasputin1952]

11. I am renaming my toilet...

"The Ronald Reagan Memorial Throne". I have the golds letters, and a pice of nice wood; will have it done tomorrow. I want to name something after Reagan too!.

:kick:

[izzie]

17. E-mail that to this address ....

Sen Stevens I want to see him implode on c-span. I am waiting and it is coming soon.

[karlschneider]

22. After you use it, don't forget to wipe your Cheney........

;-)

[UrbScotty]

24. You mean, wipe his Ashcroft?

:-)

[Silverhair]

35. Already done

One of the airports at DC is named Ronald Reagan and the latest USN Aircraft Carrier, commissioned 12 July 2003, is named the USS Ronald Reagan.

[Skittles]

52. GAWD

THAT IS SO F***ING SAD. REAGAN WAS A F***ING DISGRACE. Not as bad as the piece of garbage occupying the White House now (Reagan WAS elected), but a DISGRACE nontheless.

[rasputin1952]

10. Anything from a small memorial comprised of family...

to a HUGE outpouring of public sympathy and grand spectacle. It depends on two things really, was the former president popular, and what does the family want.

If a president dies in office, it generally moves to the spectacle side; but for former presidents, it varies widely. Nixon is buried in CA, and went with little fanfare. I am sure that Reagan would go down in a HUGE spectacle, ot just because of GOP pressure, but also because of who Nancy is. Nothing is done on a small scale with her. She honestly believes she is some kind of royalty, and this funeral would top JFK's or Lincoln's. I shudder to think of what will happen.

And yes, this would give bush a sympathy shot in the arm, but I cannot see it carrying over that well in the long run. Bush is still an idiot, and it would show people just how stupid he really is. Not that Reagan was any mental giant in anyones mind, but he was an affable guy; he was just a few bricks short of a load.

In the end, it comes down to what the family wants, regfardless of what the public or the gov't wants. I believe Carter will be a quiet funeral as well, it just seems to suit him to do that.

:kick:

[AntiCoup2K4]

16. But here's the big question....

The Repukes will want Junior to deliver the eulogy when Reagan kicks the bucket, but would Nancy & Ron Jr let him do it? I think we can guess how Mikey Reagan would vote, FAUX sheep that he is.

[SiobhanClancy]

28. Nancy is so tacky...

She probably would want it done in some over-the-top way. Unfortunately,too many people deify Reagan already...I truly dread his demise. It might be a good time to get lost in the Maine woods(with no connection to the outside world)for a week or so.

[rasputin1952]

36. Well, at least she won't have to hire ...

mourners. I figure the Reagan faithful will show up in droves, the wailing will be heard across the nation; and there will even be a vigil to see if he rises on the third day.

I wouldn't put it past Stickwoman to put him in a glass case and put him up for exhibition like Lenin. :puke:

:nopity:

[Paschall]

41. A huge outpouring of jelly beans

A 6-foot portrait of Ronald Reagan made from 14,000 jelly beans {the Gipper's favorite candy} by Peter Rocha, on behalf of the Herman Goelitz Candy Co. of Illinois. The portrait hangs in the Gipper's boyhood home in Dixon, Illinois.
Source: Mother Jones: Sugarcoating Reagan

We need to get Karen Hughes on this problem right away, because it's gonna be mighty tough to construct a portrait of Shrub out of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Maybe a pyramid instead?

[rasputin1952]

50. Reaganites have FAR too much time on their hands...

and money to burn I suppose, Jellybeans aren't cheap anymore.

:kick:

[Progressive Gurl]

54. He even has his own bulletin board

http://www.ronaldreagan.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php x(

[Lydia Leftcoast]

14. My fear is that they'll have Reagan conveniently "die"

(if he isn't already dead, or if he doesn't really die till later) in October 2004, so that the corporate networks and the History, Biography, A&E, Discovery, CNN, CSPAN, and of course Fox channel can each run their own fawning documentary about how wonderful Reagan was. That will be in addition to moment by moment, all-channel coverage of his funeral, repeated for each time zone.

Then the less spineful Democrats will go on the corporate media talking about what a great guy old Ronnie was.

Reagan's movies (excluding Bedtime for Bonzo) will be run on all the channels. (You know, I haven't seen any Reagan movies in the listings lately. Do you suppose they're saving them up?)

Then the Republicans' campaign slogan will be "Win One for the Gipper."

In the meantime, they will try to rename everything that doesn't squeal in protest: The Reagan Instituion, the Reaganagon, the Ronomac River, Ronaldtown, and Reagan, D.C.

[ShaneGR]

15. It makes big news for about a week

Usually.

[UrbScotty]

18. Dems can say

"Are you better off now than you were four years ago?"

:D

[elfin]

19. Even more FREE airtime for the Chimp

And he just might get another trifecta - Ronnie, the Pope and Gerry Ford. Altho I suspect Betty Ford would not even want him there.

[tsipple]

20. I'm Praying for Everyone's Good Health and Long Life!

Especially all former presidents. May they all live in good health... at least several days into November, 2004. :-)

[Pastiche423]

25. I honestly do not remember when Nixon died

I hated that man since I was six years old.

Strange, huh?

P.S. I don't believe Nancy is going to allow any of the BFEE around Ronnie's funeral. But then, she could go 1st.

[Scairp]

49. April, 1994

He died a month before Jackie Kennedy.

[Trahurn]

26. What will they do when reagan dies?

Most likely they will run a one to two time "special report" to report his death. But like Nixon it will be the talk and major lead in story of all the news networks. They will show coverage of any memeorial service and the cemetery functions. It will probably take up a half day of news and network time on the day of the funeral and burial. Lots of Reagan Eulogizing and remembering and in a week it will all be over. Will also be some major newspapaer and magazine write ups too.

[DemBones DemBones]

27. Lots of television coverage remembering the former prez's life,

live coverage of the funeral. The only presidential D.C. funeral in the past half century was JFK's and he was president when he was killed. (So was FDR, but that was before my time.) Truman's was in Missouri, LBJ's in Texas, Nixon's in California. I think we'll see the same choice, a hometown funeral, for most, if not all, the former prezes now living.

Reagan's been out of office seventeen years now, and not himself for most of that time, so I'm not sure there'll be a huge outpouring of grief. There will be a lot of praise in the media but perhaps it won't be as excessive as we fear. I expect the funeral to be in California. It's said that Nancy Reagan has no love for any of the Bush family and wouldn't let Dubya and company use Ronnie's death for propaganda. She won't be in shock and easily manipulated when he dies and has in fact had years to think about this and plan for it. She'll want him to have a good send-off and I imagine it will go according to her plans.

[ScreamingMeemie]

29. When Nixon died I remember it was pretty much all day

coverage of the memorial service, interspersed with his political acheivements and, of course, his downfall.

[mot78]

30. OMG don't give away Rove's plan!

:D

Reagan's probably stuffed away in some meat locker, waiting for Karl the butcher/pallbearer to take him out. BTW, if * tries to exploit this, can we get Ron Reagan to lash out at *? The backlash would be ten times worse than the GOP spin over the Wellstone memorial.

[pruner]

39. LOL

I keep think that Rove's plan is to kill Poppy Bush right before the election…

imagine the sympathy vote

:nopity:

[GabysPoppy]

31. I hope it doesn't happen on a Wednesday

I don't want to miss West Wing again

[Silverhair]

33. It is usually pretty nonpartisan

I remember Truman, Ike, JFK, LBJ, Nixon's funerals. Too young for FDR. JFK was different of course as he was a sitting president. When a former president dies it is a nonpartisan state funeral. TV coverage of the funeral. Nice eulogy. Flag flies at half-mast for 30 days. Not a big deal.

[Skittles]

51. you have not taken into account

the exteme corporate whore takeover the the media in recent years. Here's an example:

CONDIT vs SCARBOROUGH

[Silverhair]

55. I could easily be wrong

All predictions of the future are projections from events of the past, and always involves the risk of being wrong. Rove would certainly try to subtly (Subtle for the masses I mean.) exploit a state funeral for Ronnie.

[Spider Jerusalem]

34. Here's what happens:

That aged sack of flesh that was once the monster known as Ronald Reagan ceases all life-sustaining biological functions.

A televised orgy of manufactured grief for three days, with the deceased eulogised by teary-eyed politicians as "a towering statesman" and "a Churchillian figure" and "one of the true architects of our modern era".

Said orgy to culminate in a televised funeral, attendees including foreign heads of state or their representatives, with much repetition of the encomiums previously trotted out during the Manufactured Grief Orgy™ of the previous few days.

Much referencing of the departed Conservative Warrior-President and Symbol of All That is Right and True in America, the Gipper, by Bush in speeches, attempting to draw favourable comparisons with his own policies and benefit from the mingled nostalgia and sense of loss experienced by those who believe Reagan was a great man.

And eventually it all dies down, and then we can go dig him up and drink beer out of his skull.

[genius]

37. They will try to deface Mount Rushmore

We can't let them do it. I don't think he'll help Bush.

[Wapsie B]

38. What I'm hoping for

is for Nancy to write a tell all book after Ronnie's gone. She does NOT care for the shrubs one bit. There's evidence out there that Poppy wanted Ronnie snuffed. She knows were the bodies are buried.


And of course there's the speculation that the gipper's untimely demise will be timed to come just before the 11/04 elections.

[fujiyama]

40. Grover and his band of lunatics...

are hoping to do just that. I would hope there would be people willing to block any construction, but the way this nation is heading, I wonder...

Anyways, as for Reagan, I would be willing to bet that it will be a week long affair, and the longest continuous news coverage since 9/11. The media kissed his ass then, and being that they kiss Bu$h's everyday now, they will kiss Reagan's even more in death, than they did in life.

This will have mostly bad consequences for us, as Reagan is still seen as "likable". This will bring about a lot of sympathy for the GOP, and capitalizing on this will be nothing, considering they are willing to exploit 9/11 for political gains (talk about crass!).

So I would advise people to be ready for anything. Iran Contra will not be mentioned, as won't his other horrible economic policies.

[Paschall]

42. Well, for those who haven't seen it yet: The Reagan Legacy Project

http://www.reaganlegacy.org/main.htm

Founded by Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, and Bush Neo-Con Empire Booster.

By the way, follow the links from "Humor" to the "Reagan Humor Museum." (I think it's an unintentional bad joke. But that pretty much sums up "Reagan humor.")

[ComerPerro]

44. Honestly, there would nothing we could do to counter it

The right wing is already treating him as though he were dead. In order to secure his legacy (the one built on right wing lies about what a great president he was) they have been very busy naming just about everything they can after the man.
The problem is, assuming Reagan dies before the election, there would be nothing the Dems could do to counter the way the Republicans would exploit his death.
Hell, the Republicans have been exploiting tragedies for political gain for years now. Imagine the capital Reagan dying would give them.

However, Reagan has pretty much been a few days from death for YEARS now. He will probably live for a long time.

[anti_shrub]

45. I don't think it will benefit Bush as much as people think it will

For a couple of reasons:

1. Nancy is not a fan of the Bush family, and I don't think she'd let Shrubby co-opt Ronnie's funeral.

2. When Ronnie dies, the news will no doubt show clips of his speeches, which will make Shrubby look 10x dumber than usual. Ronnie was an evil guy, but he had a way of talking to the public that made you feel he believed what he said. Shrubby looks every bit the corporate puppet he is.

[Skittles]

46. In Reagan's case

everyone will be have like he was a GOOD PRESIDENT and his death will be used shamelessly by the right wingnuts as PROPAGANDA CENTRAL. Oh, that and the flag flies at halfmast/

[REP]

48. Old Joke From Esquire's Dubious Achievement Awards:

"When Reagan dies, the year of death will be listed as 1962."

[maha]

53. I fully expect Reagan to expire one year from now.

In fact, he may already be dead, and they're keeping him on ice until the optimum moment for the funeral.

If he is still alive, and Nancy wants to keep him around, she'd better not leave him unguarded next fall.