Zogby Poll: Nation Now Needs a New Reagan or FDR:U.S in crisis

[cal04]

U.S. in national crisis, majority tell Pollster Zogby

Americans long for the leadership qualities of the most popular Democratic and Republican presidents of the modern era to solve what a wide majority considers a national crisis, a new Zogby International telephone poll shows.

The survey of 843 likely voters nationwide was conducted Jan. 5-9, 2007, and carries a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percentage points.

Offered thumbnail descriptions of the presidential qualities, including the names of five of the greatest American Presidents – George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan – respondents nationwide said Reagan’s qualities are most sought after, with FDR a very close second. Twenty–eight percent said they would prefer someone like Reagan, whose “far-sighted vision” and who “persevered despite harsh criticism from enemies and was firm in pursuing his agenda.” Nearly as many (26%) said they preferred the “pragmatism and hopefulness of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who inspired a nation in trouble and championed the needs of the downtrodden.”

Another 21% said they think this is a time for Democrat John F. Kennedy, while 16% reached back to Abraham Lincoln in search of a leader to solve today’s modern problems. Just 6% said they think the nation – now at war around the world for five years – would be best served by George Washington, the man who led the war for independence.

It comes as no surprise Republican respondents overwhelmingly believe America is most in need of the guidance Reagan would provide – 57% of Republicans say the nation needs a president like Reagan, while 18% said it is time for a president with Lincoln’s attributes. But only 9% of Democrats believe the nation is in need of a president like Reagan. They would instead turn to Democratic presidents of the past to help solve the nation’s problems – 35% want to have a president like FDR, while 32% believe a president like Kennedy would be best able to lead America today.
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1232

[Wilms]

1. We do NOT need a new Reagan. n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Unfortunately, this country could end up with a third option:

a demagogue posing as a populist Reagan or FDR. Final nail in the coffin of American democracy if that happens.

[Deja Q]

14. Somebody like Reagan?

:yoiks:

[no_hypocrisy]

20. Touche. Conceded. Agreed. n/t

[Selatius]

3. We haven't had anybody great in terms of the people since MLK and RFK

And both of them were murdered.

[volstork]

8. That's why

there have been no more: thinking the way they did will get you killed in today's world.

[WI_DEM]

4. both Reagan and JFK are way overrated, imo.

[EFerrari]

31. You know, that may be true. But JFK didn't delay the release of hostages

for his political benefit.

He didn't export torture.

He didn't dump the mentally ill onto the streets to fend for themselves.

He didn't tell children catsup was a vegetable.

He didn't bust unions.

There is no comparison. None.

[Art_from_Ark]

56. Kennedy also wanted to empower the poor and downtrodden

and encourage average citizens to achieve their potential, without pitting one group against another. And Kennedy actually knew that there "lots of countries in South America" without announcing it as a newly-discovered fact, and that automobiles do, indeed, cause more pollution than trees.

You are right-- there is no comparison, whatsoever, between Kennedy and reagan.

[WCGreen]

73. HE also gave people a sense of their rightlfull place as full

actors in out countries running...

That ask not speech was all about that....

[NotGivingUp]

5. where were repukes when they were handing out brains, hearts and souls???

[BayCityProgressive]

7. Good God

We have already stepped into the abyss....if another Reagan came to power we would be a permanent fascist state...

[Recursion]

65. I'd take Ronnie over W

I used to believe otherwise, but these past 6 years have taught me that competent evil is better than incompetent evil. It seems Aristotle was wrong.

[illinoisprogressive]

6. None of them showed thier promise when running. It was after they were in office

That they really did show their true leadership and vision.
FDR was concidered a pleasant lightweight and nothing more. Yet he was elected during one of the most harrowing times in the last century.
Reagan was seen as an unbending warmonger. Not one to inspire.
Kennedy was seen as a very young kid who had daddy's money and influence. No experience.
Lincoln was seen as a divider with no experience
Bush was seen as a befuddled, pleasant guy who was harmless.

So, it's hard to see what a person will be like until they are in office. They show themselves then and when faced with a crises.
So, there is really no way of telling who in the field is the one with the potential to save this country.

[Wickerman]

9. Gee, a scant week ago Gerry Ford was our Nation's glue.

Funny how time changes everything. :eyes:

[bleedingheart]

11. bwahahahaha

[bleedingheart]

10. To put Franklin Roosevelt and Reagan in the same sentence is heresy

unless of course you are doing an opposites comparison like...

Roosevelt is to compassionate individual who cares for others as Reagan is to uncaring, lying, evil fucking bastard.

[Straight Shooter]

12. "Iran-Contra" Reagan? "What AIDS problem" Reagan? "Ketchup" Reagan?

:wtf:

[EFerrari]

28. Dump the mentally ill Reagan? Massacre in Central America Reagan?

:wtf:

[Straight Shooter]

35. "Fire the air traffic controllers" Reagan? "Jack up taxes on the self-employed" Reagan?

:wtf:

[faithnotgreed]

37. i dont remember anything reagan? welfare queens reagan?

this sub thread is far too good to let go

[EFerrari]

38. Let them eat catsup Reagan.

[IDemo]

41. Homeless = "urban campers" Reagan? n/t

[Bucky]

48. To be fair, he was also "Can eat pretzels without choking" Reagan.

Not that that makes up for the ballooning deficit, subversion of the Constitution, or drilling oil on public lands.

[faithnotgreed]

51. thank you sfexpat - i know i can always count on you

[maine_raptor]

13. Not a Reagan or FDR or JFK

but a Thomas Jefferson.

We need someone that can put this Constitutional government and the Rights it promised to ALL citizens back on track. America has drifted so far from what it started out to be that we now need someone (or preferably a group of someones) to make a serious course correction.

[Ignacio Upton]

39. How about a Lincoln?

n/t.

[Bucky]

47. At this point I'd settle for a grown up.

Although there was that one Brady Bunch movie where Mike Brady ran for president...

[maine_raptor]

75. I have a BIG problem with Lincoln.

His suspension of Habis Corpus.

Yea, it was the "Civil War" and all. But it set a precedent that a future president has now used.

Plus he's had personal "issues". Can you imagine what a number Bill-O and the Faux freaks would do on Mary Todd???????????????

[fooj]

15. A "new" Reagan?

I don't think so.

[Bucky]

49. Well, there *IS* Ron Junior, you know.

He sure talks presidential, in a Will Rogers kind of way.

[Jackpine Radical]

16. A "new" Reagan? Does that mean one

with a functioning cerebral cortex?

[DavidDvorkin]

17. We didn't need Reagan the first time

And we certainly don't a rerun of that ghastly, damaging fool.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. No more "strong" leaders, thanks.

If we must have "leaders", at least make them weak.

"The world always makes the assumption that the exposure of an error is identical with the discovery of truth—that the error and truth are simply opposite. They are nothing of the sort. What the world turns to, when it is cured on one error, is usually simply another error, and maybe one worse than the first one." H.L. Mencken

[ChairmanAgnostic]

19. we certainly do not. The most disengaged president until Bush Lite?

no, we need a student of history, a reader of books, a person of ideas and someone with a mature ability to listen to advice and counsel.

[mzmolly]

21. Reagan is no comparison to FDR or JFK.

I think we crave basic common sense? Not that Reagan had any ...

[Leopolds Ghost]

22. Your message title is misleading. It should be:

"Zogby declares Reagan 'one of the five greatest American Presidents'"

[EFerrari]

27. Or, "Zogby lost his mind, forgot Reagan sped AIDS epidemic and slaughtered

brown people."

That would do.

[roamer65]

23. Fuck Reagan

He was a lying piece of shit.

[EFerrari]

25. A lying, torturing murdering POS, to be accurate. n/t

[EFerrari]

24. Bush IS the new Reagan only with a bad make up person.

Reagan was a stupid thug, too! He exported torture, cheneyed blue collar workers and lied his ass off whenever he needed to.

Someone send Zogby a clue.

Edit: Oh, and all the criminals in Raygun's government are still here and still stealing us blind and slaughtering people all over the world.

[3121guitarist]

26. No, they need more Bernie Sanders.

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[Swamp Rat]

29. A NEW REAGAN????

FUCK NO!!!! We still haven't recovered from the 'old Reagan' ... the current mess in Iraq, Latin America, PNACers & Bushler Sr. etc.

[EFerrari]

30. People misheard. They heard "Morning in America" instead of "Mourning in America".

Ronald Reagan was a POS, he started our downhill slide in the world community. He started out as a McCarthyite slimeball and just got worse from there.

Fuck Reagan.

[liberaldemocrat7]

44. Swamp rat could I get permission to put that image on mugs

and stickers, etc. If not OK. I wanted to ask first.

[Raine]

32. Raygun is the reason

we ended up with an ass like chimp, Raygun made it all possible! :mad:

EDIT: Clarity

[Art_from_Ark]

57. He was the beta version

If he had gotten everything he wanted ("Let reagan be reagan"), we would have had the full working version of Chimp 20 years ago.

[dad]

68. That's what I'm saying

Another Reagan? We have another Reagan, and his name is GW Bush. Back in the day the Dems had a slight vestige of a spine and were able to stop some of Reagan's worst bullshit. For Dubya they roll over every chance they have, and this is what you get.

[EFerrari]

33. I can't throw a rock

in my neighborhood without hitting a family who lost someone to Reagan's terrorism against the people of Central America.

Karma is a bitch, "Ronnie".

[Longhorn]

34. I did this poll online and the results are misleading, IMO.

First, that description of Reagan came from Zogby and I didn't agree with it.

Second, it was multiple choice so the progressive vote was split between JFK, FDR, Washington, and even Lincoln while the conservatives clearly went for Reagan. It would be more accurate to say that 72 percent wanted anybody BUT Reagan. :shrug:

[Zorra]

36. Shit, another Osama bin Laden would be less dangerous than Reagan.

The policies of that demented asshole Reagan set back human evolution for a good 100 years at the bare minimum.

In fact, that fascist shithead may possibly have set the stage for the premature end of all life on this planet.

[leftofthedial]

40. The LAST thing we need is another raygun

he was even stupider than king george

and responsible for every bit as much evil

[bridgit]

42. can i...opt for the new FDR...i rather like the sound of that better...

:)

[shance]

43. How about someone other than a wealthy white privileged insulated male?

Or even w.w.p.i. female for that matter? They are out of touch with the true pulse of what is happening and what is needed for the planet.

Perhaps it is the insulation from reality that seems to be their biggest problem. Bobby Kennedy strikes me as someone who was more in touch with real folks namely after experiencing so many of the horrible acts on his own family, especially after he had endured watching his own brother murdered in Dallas.

How about someone along the lines of say, mmmmm......Martin Luther King?

And please don't include Obama.

He is no Martin Luther King and probably will never be.

[EFerrari]

59. W.E.B DuBois had this whole thing pegged nearly a century ago.

We're still learning from him.

[Bucky]

45. Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again...!

Reagan, great, that'll fix our wayward imperialism. We need a gearhead; we need a president who combines the best traits of Eisenhower, Truman, and magician Doug Henning.

[aaronbees]

46. Raygun no, FDR yes

From FDR's inaugural address:

"I am certain that my fellow Americans expect that on my induction into the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our people impel. This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."
(Source: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5057/)

[marlakay]

50. Actually Truman

I am reading Truman for my bookclub and finding out FDR was a rich guy who while he politically helped the poor looked down his nose personally on them and was a racist, Truman on the other hand coming from being a farmer really tried to help people. I never really knew about him till this book. He wasn't a charmer or a great speaker but he had to take over when things were at toughest point.

He adored his wife and daughter and really tried to help the country. Also interesting to find out how companies were overspending and wasting billions of dollars during WWII. Thats a hell of alot of money back then. Truman as a senator formed a committee to control the spending and cut the waste.

[EFerrari]

53. Harry also signed the National Security Act which pretty much

got us where we are today, Endless War Central.

[B Calm]

52. They still are trying to build Raygun's legacy! The man SUCKED!

[genie_weenie]

54. Oh... Please help... I need such a *Strong* leader

to rule over me as a Dictator. Otherwise I might not know which Master of War to give all of my dollars to make things like metalstorm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Storm

So, after having the bestest strongbad Decider in recent memory what we need is another bestester strongbad one!

[Rosco T.]

55. The charisma of Reagan, the wisdom of FDR, the compassion of JFK...

No matter his policies (which stunk) Reagan had the charisma and charm that made him popular, add in those qualities of FDR and JFK......


Al Gore?
John Edwards?
Who?

[Art_from_Ark]

58. Yeah, reagan had charisma

like the Pied Piper had charisma

[EFerrari]

61. Jim Jones, Charles Manson and David Koresh were charming enough

to get a following. Sociopaths can be extremely charming until they're not.

[johnaries]

60. 26% FDR + 21% JFK = 47% for a Dem leader.

vs 28% for Reagan. And Reagan was much more recent than either FDR or JFK. Think about it.

[Initech]

62. What exactly did Reagan do to make him a great president?

Other than ushering in this insane era of right-wing fundamentalist Christianity of course...

[Recursion]

66. Reagan made people feel good and hopeful

He told them that they didn't need to be so despondant all the time and, essentially, that our loss in Vietnam was not the fault of "real" Americans (though he never put it in those terms).

He also told people that Communism was an evil institution and that we have a responsibility to oppose it. At the same time, he was willing to meet with Soviet premiers and continue reducing arms levels -- for all his flaws, he did abhor nuclear weapons and wanted to have less of them. And as stupid as SDI ended up being, his goal was at least laudable: a "zero option" situation in which no-one can use ICBMs.

People like to hear that there is hope and a future for them, and Reagan gave them that. Think about it. We were facing an enemy capable of blowing us into atoms without warning, but we weren't in a culture of fear like the 1950's or the 2000's. For all of his many mistakes and flaws, I do respect him as a leader for that: turning on the populace's courage rather than their fear is one of the most important things a leader can do.

I don't mean this as some paean to the Gipper because I think he did a lot of very, very damaging things to this country. Not just in policy but in tone -- the same appeal to our courage, by the way it was made, also made us more callous, shallow, and vulgar. But, unlike *, Reagan had some positive traits I admire. He was a deeply flawed man, but a "great" man in the amoral sense of great. Sometimes a great bad man is better than a petty bad man.

[Art_from_Ark]

69. He didn't make me feel good or hopeful

The son of a bitch joked about bombing the Soviet Union, and paid homage to Nazi war criminals at Bitburg. He thought trees caused more pollution than cars. He denigrated society's weakest members, and was involved with killing peasants in Central America. He was a despicable airhead who played a kindly grandfather on TV.

[moondust]

70. He slept.

He got elected by telling a gullible country that he would rebuild the military, increase spending on this, boost spending on that--basically whatever people wanted to hear--NOT raise taxes AND balance the budget at the same time (voodoo economics). He ended up driving the country deep into the red with military spending. He was probably the father of the massive borrow-and-spend economics that Bush is addicted to. He gave us a "trickle down" economic theory that severely widened the gap between rich and poor, starting what Lou Dobbs now calls the "war on the middle class." He made greed and selfishness American virtues. He invaded Grenada for no good reason. He created long, long lines of unemployed job applicants. He emptied psych wards into the street. He introduced the "I don't remember" line of defense to legal proceedings likely to uncover impeachable offenses. He armed terrorists. Etc.

[gatorboy]

63. Reagan was a fluff president, much like Bush.

Raygun's popularity was based more on how he made people feel, rather than how smart he was. Which is how we got into the mess we are in now (Remember, kids! You can have a beer with Bush!). How quickly people forget.

[blogslut]

64. I did not like this poll

I took it online like the poster upthread. I completed it nevertheless. I too, thought the descriptions of Reagan were way off the mark.

Far-sighted? Is that Zogby being funny? Because all I can think of is Star 'Wars'. Re-hashing the commie threat for eight years was hardly visionary.

Persevered despite harsh criticism from enemies? The Senate and the House are enemies?


Was firm in pursuing his agenda. Well, yeah. That is accurate.

To me, the results cover the board. We all want a superman president. While a slight majority of those polled may want a leader strong enough to stand up for his principles, my guess is Americans have a different idea of principle than do supposedly macho leaders like Reagan and Bush.

[raysr]

67. Reagan's to blame for

what is happening now.

[Yukari Yakumo]

71. How would you grade Eisenhower?

Since I figure he could have been the last good Repub Pres. After he left office, the rest of the Repub Prezes have been varying degrees of duds.

[maine_raptor]

74. Very complex.

While he did preside over the Cold War nuclear build up, he did warn us of the "military industrial complex".

While, during his time in office, "Jim Crow" was the law of the land, he did send Federal Troops into Little Rock to enforce de-segregation.

While he did favor "big business", his tax policy drew more of our revenue from corporate taxes than individual taxes.

While he did use both covert and overt military actions around the globe, he did have a number of initiatives ("Open Skies", attempts at Summitry, back channel diplomacy just now being revealed, etc.) aimed toward ending global conflict.


Right now Ike's presidency is undergoing a historical reevaluation and for me, the verdict's not yet in. But one thing is clear:

Dwight David Eisenhower was NOT a "George W. Bush Republican".

[CANDO]

72. Reagan is largely responsible for our current crisis.

eom