The Reagan legacy, what if.....

Even after leaving public life almost thirty years ago fans of Ronald Reagan
still fondly look back to his presidency with melancholy knowing there will
never be "another Reagan".

Interestingly, no such displays of affection can be found for George HW Bush
who Reagan selected to be his running mate in 1980.  Perhaps its because
President Bush was not cut from the same cloth Reagan was. Some may
even conclude the Reagan legacy died the day Bush was sworn in.

Unlike Bush, Reagan pounded his message that government "was the  problem"
and the reason more times than not, he refused to offer new programs or agencies
to address problems.

George Bush was different, he really believed government could successfully address
and resolve problems, all that was needed is new legislation and more regulations.

I offer this as I am reading "Empire of Liberty", a series of commentaries published in
several national newspapers.

As I read them I thought Reagan could have written them himself.

Each of these essays placed American interests on the forefront; still working with other
nations and international organizations with one caveat, we would never agree if the
interests of our nation took a back seat in the name of "compromise" or "capitulation".

I wondered how different post-Reagan America would have been if this author was
chosen by Reagan to be his VP. Like Reagan this man was a Democrat who changed
parties and was elected to the US Senate in 1972, and known as a staunch conservative.

Reagan was well aware of him and his conservative credentials for he urged Reagan to
not publicly say he would select a more liberal senator for his first failed run at the presidency
in 1976.

If this author had been chosen, his inauguration speech would be not much different than the
one Reagan gave in 1980. You would not hear him utter "kinder and gentler" or a "thousand
points of lights" as Bush did, both not too subtle slights against Reagan conservatism.

Perhaps Gulf War One, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait would not have occurred, with the Reagan
Doctrine still the guideline for protecting our allies. Even the turmoil in the Middle East may
never have gotten as bad is it is today.

The "what could have beens" should be left to historians.  For the rest of us, its a politically
charged national pastime.

Some of the few remaining candidates are being asked who would their VP choice be.
Listen carefully, this will tell you if the candidates care enough about their vision for the future,
not pick one to "win an election". The candidate should always select someone who believes
as he does, someone who will be at-the-ready to continue the work promised in the
campaign if he has too.

Its important candidates are pressed, as this is the first and most important and enduring
decision a presidential nominee has to make.

Let me close with the name of this "author". Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina. And his
book,"Empire of Liberty", is  available at Amazon.  http://amzn.to/1Qusubw

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