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Worshipping Reagan: There's An App For That
Former President Ronald Reagan
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The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library has come up with a new way for Reaganites to bask in the glory of Ronaldus Magnus: A free iPhone application!
I just spent the last few minutes downloading and fiddling around with the app. It has a gallery of pictures of Reagan in all his glory, for an admirer to cycle through with only the swipe of a finger (such as the pic shown above). There is also Reagan playing mini-golf in the Oval Office, Reagan visiting with the Pope, Reagan with his horse, Reagan in front of an American flag, and other such glorious memories.
There is also ready access to the library's YouTube account, to watch Reagan's 1980 Republican acceptance speech, his 1981 inaugural address, his 1961 speech opposing the creation of Medicare, and other great moments in Reagan history.
Another gallery is of text, with short quotes to read through, such as: "Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." (However, this omits the key context of the full sentence, "In this present crisis...," which implies some flexibility for other circumstances.) There is also: "All the waste in a year from a nuclear power plant can be stored under a desk." And of course, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
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CMiner
December 3, 2009 4:46 PM
Lord help us! When will people wake up to the fact he was a primary architect of the current disaster.
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rbeats
December 3, 2009 4:54 PM in reply to CMiner
I like to think this chart shows how much the Gipper really has helped.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/US_incarceration_timeline-clean.svg
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commie atheist
December 3, 2009 5:13 PM in reply to rbeats
Those people weren't being put in prison. They were being put in re-education camps, for their own good.
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Marie Meyer
December 3, 2009 5:00 PM
Not so much an app as a one-way propaganda piece. Very GOP.
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ivy22
December 4, 2009 10:35 AM in reply to Marie Meyer
How about apps for the other GOP myth-making efforts like the Creationism Museum, There Ain't No Such Thing As Global Warming Institute, Compassionate Conservative Hall of Fame, The We Didn't Do It National Debt Society, and The Torture Will Set You Free Market Forced Partial Birth Abortion Culture of Life and Death Panel Council on Sexual Deviancy? (sorry, I got a little carried away on that last app....)
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Shrubbit
December 3, 2009 5:15 PM
This has got to be the biggest waste of space article I've ever seen on TPM. Truly atrocious. Get this shit off this website and get back to what you used to do: real issue-based investigative journalism. P-L-E-A-S-E.
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twirling fartknocker
December 3, 2009 5:28 PM in reply to Shrubbit
you know, I'd run into this story elsewhere and thanked my lucky stars TPM didn't bother with it. oh, well, they have become the great GOP regurgitation machine. when they have so many paid staffers and so few stories (or so little interest in pursuing things that MSNBC and whomever are not already on), well, then, this is whatcha get. they have always had a bit of yellow journalism flavor ever since Josh expanded it beyond himself. it's just that times 10 now with their 1500 ads and what must be a multi-million dollar budget
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Clavis
December 4, 2009 12:05 AM in reply to twirling fartknocker
Lighten up, Francises.
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T Groan
December 3, 2009 5:17 PM
I think a great deal can be learned from this since the democrat party has in essence obama worshippers. Many post here.
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MarinCat
December 3, 2009 5:24 PM in reply to T Groan
And I can learn a great deal about your trollieness here TG. You are channeling perfectly the latest Sean Hannity meme. Get thee back to thy feted swamp and light thy Ronnie candle.
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Kuyleh
December 3, 2009 6:01 PM in reply to T Groan
Get back under your bridge.
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zonk
December 3, 2009 6:10 PM in reply to T Groan
The alternative to being an 'Obama worshipper' is worse.
I count myself in that class because the other side seems to be lost in this fantasy world where, if only Obama would ram through the Omnibus Magic Pony Bill, all our problems would be solved.
The fact is - even if we get HCR that takes the form of the Senate version - it will be the most significant piece of progressive legislation in more than 40 years.
The fact is - even if you're adamantly opposed to the Afghanistan escalation - putting a date, even a squishy date, in play is more than either JFK or LBJ ever dreamed of doing.
The fact is - even if you're ticked off about the slowfoot approach to DADT and the less then stellar administration stance on DOMA and a host of other civil rights issues - it would take a 100 years before the 14th amendment was worth the paper it was printed on.
I don't 'worship Obama' as much as I think his hysterical opposition from the left is completely detached from reality, devoid of any historical context or understanding, and quite frankly -- every bit as bad as the damn tea party brigade. Both live in this absolutist fantasy world where everyone who doesn't tow the line with white snow purity is an enemy to be crushed.
I never thought I'd see the day, but yet -- having been a Deaniac in 2003, having a DailyKos ID in the 4 digits, and having been less than thrilled campaigning for John Kerry in 2004 -- here we are....
I know feel more than a twinge of empathy for the David Broders and Joe Kleins of the world.
More and more - Atrios' "Dirty Fucking Hippies" seems less a funny retort and more prescient truth.
I wish all such folks the best of luck in seeing who wins the pissing match... the 10% hell bent on resurrecting Father Coghlan or the 10% hell bent on resurrecting Huey Long.
You're both equally persona non grata in my mind.
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MarinCat
December 3, 2009 5:19 PM
Quick! Someone tell Sean Hannity to light another candle on his Ronald Reagan shrine- then get this app.
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Indie Pro
December 3, 2009 5:23 PM
Hey isn't this the guy who betrayed our country (treason) with Robert Gates and Oliver North?
Yes, our current Secretary Robert Gates.
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slb
December 3, 2009 5:24 PM
I wouldn't have thought Reagan worshipers would want to play up his opposition to Medicare, seeing as how "protecting" Medicare has now become the new GOP cause célèbre.
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TBender
December 3, 2009 5:45 PM in reply to slb
Exactly, but as He would say, "There you go again..."
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mass_murdock
December 3, 2009 6:39 PM in reply to TBender
He would also say, "now you're getting back to what I said before", and then change the subject.
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we r all husseins
December 3, 2009 5:24 PM
Absolutely correct Eric. I would also add: Government in the hands of people who hate government is the problem. Government in the hands of incompetents is the problem. Government in the hands of those believe in American Exceptionalism is the problem. Government in the hands of those who protect the interests of Corporate America against the interests of the American People is the problem. In other words, government in the hands of Republicans is the problem.
The solution therefore is obvious.
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Dogger
December 3, 2009 6:54 PM in reply to we r all husseins
"I'm from the government and I'm here to help" is scary when the face of the government is Ronald Reagan or George Bush.
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Cal Damage
December 3, 2009 7:22 PM in reply to we r all husseins
If only that year's worth of waste had been stored under his desk, we would all be so much better off.
PS: Isn't one of them early commandments 'Thou Shalt Have No Gods Before Me.'? Are Christians allowed to worship Reagan, or is there only special dispensation for the living ones they worship, like Limbaugh, Beck and Palin?
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Powkat
December 3, 2009 6:23 PM
Does it come with a barf bag?
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mass_murdock
December 3, 2009 6:44 PM in reply to Powkat
That's a great idea for a companion app. I'm sure someone here could whip up an iReagan barf bag.
OMG it just loaded. It really does make you want to rip your eyeballs out. I even worked at the Reagan Library on an exhibit, and this is much worse. It's one thing to drive out to Simi to see a bunch of saddles and photos and crap, it's another thing to have a pic of Reagan wearing shorts on your iphone.
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Dogger
December 3, 2009 6:57 PM in reply to Powkat
That's the enhanced package, called Necrophilia Pro. This app is called Necrophilia Basic.
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Knothead Jake
December 3, 2009 6:34 PM
Repubs I know are computards and anti apple. Too hippy like for them. I'm surprised by this. I think it's kind of a goof. Repubtards punked.
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Richard L. Adlof
December 3, 2009 6:55 PM
But does it have a list of Reagan Cabinet members who were indicted?
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realist
December 3, 2009 7:13 PM in reply to Richard L. Adlof
And a reading of the long list of the Latin Americans killed as a result of his anti-populist policies.
That's the saddest part, that Joe the Plumber types see him as an ordinary Joe.
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robertecrump
December 3, 2009 8:56 PM in reply to Richard L. Adlof
No, but it does list those that were pardoned for their role in the Iron/Contra affair as soon a GHW Bush shuffled on in.
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ilovebacon
December 3, 2009 8:53 PM
Raybuns
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
December 3, 2009 9:36 PM
Man, I am sooo regretting that somebody declared the use of the phrase "I just threw up in my mouth a little" too lame for TPM, 'cause it would really work out great here.
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Kuyleh
December 3, 2009 11:23 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
Demand some brain bleach. Noone's outlawed that yet.
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ibc
December 3, 2009 10:13 PM
I think the photo at the top of this story truly captures the air of sociopathy that was Ronald Reagan. He truly looks like the kind of man who could meet his own son, and not even recognize him.
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sasforever
December 3, 2009 11:19 PM in reply to ibc
You hit the nail on the head. This song from that time also did.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=31634647
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Clavis
December 4, 2009 12:07 AM
Isn't the Ronald Reagan iPhone app just a list of phone numbers of Iranian and South American terrorists?
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wial
December 4, 2009 8:02 AM
Is there an app for the J.G. Ballard version of Reagan's meaning to the world? Now that I would want.
Reagan was just another oaf controlled and manufactured by handlers, like Bush. Ballard's short story composed in the late 60s goes into detail about changes in Reagan's personal appearance at the time that were enough for Ballard to predict Reagan would become president. Mainly a change in hairstyle to make his head look more like a p*nis. It's in the collection "Atrocity Exhibition", titled "Why I Want to F*ck Ronald Reagan". Great read.
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CranialRectalLoopback
December 4, 2009 10:27 AM
I wonder how many Repukelickens think Raygun was the Gipper. So fucking retarded.
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