Isn't it odd that Ronald Reagan ran on a platform of "Family Values", yet he was the first divorcee President?

Question

Seems kind of ironic, doesn't it?

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

Republicans are famous for the reframing of issues

like the "clean Air act" which allows industries to pollute more

Answer 3

It is also ironic that they poke fun at Obama for being a celebrity when Reagan first gained fame for being an actor and the Republican Governor of California was also first known for being an actor.  

Answer 4

most politicain marriages are total shams.  there are a few exceptions: kerry and bush come to mind.  Its sad really.  Usually its the children that suffer.  Just examine Reagans children for example, a complete disaster.  I fully believe that Baraks children fall in the same category.  Barak and Michele each work 60+ hours a week, so how can they possibly be rasing the children in a good and proper way?

Answer 5

My dad's first marriage had to be terminated, then when he married

my mom, I know he taught us 'family values'. Many circumstances

can cause a marriage to go wrong and it is best to end it, that doesn't mean a loss of character.  It is only ironic if you want to further your own political agenda.  Often times divorce is necessary for the good of everyone involved.  Go McCain in 2008!

Answer 6

Ronald Reagan was divorced many years before he ran for Governor of CA, much less for President. Indeed, he wasn't even a Republican when he first got divorced.

When a politician says they are in favor of "family values" they mean that they support laws and policies which will preserve those values. Such as laws which ban "sodomy" and g*y marriage, and opposing other kinds of "g*y rights" laws. It means supporting laws which discourage illegitimacy and opposing laws which encourage it. I'm not aware of very many Republicans who want to ban divorce. If Reagan ever did say that he wanted to ban divorce, then I can understand why you'd think that it was "ironic." But that recognition of "irony" would not be a way of saying that he wasn't credible on the topic of divorce. We could simply say that he wanted to ban divorce because he learned from the mistake he had once made himself.

I want to know if you are criticizing "irony" because you are merely trying to engage in destructive criticism, or are you trying to say that nobody should ever preach about "family values" at all, or that if someone does preach about "family values" then they ought to mean it?

Answer 7

reagan was no different from many of these hipocrites look at mc cain gingrich and many more

all these politicians are born to be liers

Answer 8

Haha yea, let's talk about a president that was in office back in the 80's, who cares?

Plus all politicians just say things to get voted into office.  

Answer 9

He also said over and over during his campaign that balancing the budget would be his first priority.  In his first term he doubled the entire pre-existing national debt.  Well into his second term, after he'd more than TRIPLED the debt that existed before he came to office, he was still insisting the tax breaks would raise revenues enough to balance the budget.

He also promised to propose a constitutional amendment banning abortion.  He never even tried.  He never even proposed a -law- to ban abortion.  But abortions rose all through Reagan and Bush41's presidencies, declined sharply during Clinton's time in office, and began rising again under Bush43.  In fact between Reagan and both Bushes, seven Supreme Court justices have been appointed, and each one was promised to the Religious Right to be the single swing-vote needed to overturn Roe v. Wade.  But they haven't even accepted a test case yet.

Answer 10

Seriously? Being divorced doesn't mean you don't have family values.  It bothers me that people think getting divorced is this terrible, immoral thing.  People change...it's sad, but it's not 'wrong'.  I think it's ridiculous that people stay in unhappy marriages because they 'don't believe in divorce'.  I would respect somebody more for ending a marriage they are miserable in than somebody who lies to everyone around them by staying in the marriage and acting like everything is ok when it's not.