The thing is, Reagan really was against tariffs.

[MisterBeale]

 

[JoeMoma]

If Reagan does not agree with something Trump does, MAGA says Reagan was wrong.
If Reagan does agree with something Trump does, MAGA says Reagan was correct.
MAGA is a pathetic group.

Reagan had success with his trade policies along with some not so successful, like all Presidents

• Expansion of trade and market access: Reagan successfully negotiated agreements like the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement, which later evolved into NAFTA, and launched the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade talks, which led to the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
• Vetoing protectionist bills: He vetoed protectionist textile quota bills in 1985 and 1988, demonstrating his commitment to free trade.
• Increased trade volume: During his presidency, American spending on imported goods and services nearly doubled.

I can still hear the large sucking sound that Ross Perot talked about.

 

[berg80]

I can still hear the large sucking sound that Ross Perot talked about.

Maybe you need a plumber.

 

[kyzr]

Thomas Sowell opinion in April 2025

Mr. Sowell was right about things in April, but that has zero to do with things in October.
People subsequently invested in the stock markets, and were rewarded with stock market records, here we are now.

 

[JoeMoma]

then it would be fair, not free trade Joe....~S~

Wouldn't it be both free and fair?

 

[ElmerMudd]

It’s not an excuse. It is a fact you can throw all of the numbers you want at voters. Unless they are feeling it -positive or negative- they aren’t going to move.

Talk about excuses, your side still won’t accept that the 4 year economy under Biden-Harris did not sit well with voters. All of the excuses and blaming Trump first term and prioritization of DEI did not work with the voters.

The Biden economy saw the stock market increase substantially, GDP rose, employment grew substantially, all recovery from the pandemic. But inflation really hurt the people living pay check to pay check. All the other positive metrics of the economy did not matter to them. Biden and the democrats did not see that. They only talked about the positive actions they did for the economy. They needed to acknowledge how inflation hurt the people living pay check to pay check.Biden ignored many negative things. He needed to acknowledge them. I am no Biden fan. Without Biden, there is a good chance Trump would not have been elected.

 

[ElmerMudd]

Sure. Plenty. His failed marriages was a personal moral failure of Trump's.

That is a good start.

 

[LeftofLeft]

The Biden economy saw the stock market increase substantially, GDP rose, employment grew substantially, all recovery from the pandemic. But inflation really hurt the people living pay check to pay check. All the other positive metrics of the economy did not matter to them. Biden and the democrats did not see that. They only talked about the positive actions they did for the economy. They needed to acknowledge how inflation hurt the people living pay check to pay check.Biden ignored many negative things. He needed to acknowledge them. I am no Biden fan. Without Biden, there is a good chance Trump would not have been elected.

I can agree with that.

 

[sparky]

Wouldn't it be both free and fair?

sorry Joe, no.....~S~

 

[Lockback]

My respect and admiration for Ronald Reagan is virtually endless.
But the early 1980s is over FORTY years ago.
Times change.
Policies change.
Our enemies have changed, international relations have changed.
Ross Perot talked about that "giant sucking sound" that would reflect American jobs leaving after NAFTA was signed.
Perot was right.
And so Trump takes office in a completely different era than Reagan did.
I don't have a strong opinion on tariffs. I can definitely see their purpose and they've been used in the past successfully. Trump, despite what his numerous critics say, isn't a hard-line ideologue. He's a pragmatist. He's not afraid to change in the middle if he doesn't like where it's headed. And he often uses policies as bargaining tools.
We'll see how things work out but I'm not concerned long-term.

 

[Lesh]

The Biden economy saw the stock market increase substantially, GDP rose, employment grew substantially, all recovery from the pandemic. But inflation really hurt the people living pay check to pay check. All the other positive metrics of the economy did not matter to them. Biden and the democrats did not see that. They only talked about the positive actions they did for the economy. They needed to acknowledge how inflation hurt the people living pay check to pay check.Biden ignored many negative things. He needed to acknowledge them. I am no Biden fan. Without Biden, there is a good chance Trump would not have been elected.

What everyone misses is that those people “living paycheck to paycheck” got substantial COVID money. That should have covered that inflation jump if used wisely.

 

[Lesh]

My respect and admiration for Ronald Reagan is virtually endless.
But the early 1980s is over FORTY years ago.
Times change.
Policies change.
Our enemies have changed, international relations have changed.
Ross Perot talked about that "giant sucking sound" that would reflect American jobs leaving after NAFTA was signed.
Perot was right.
And so Trump takes office in a completely different era than Reagan did.
I don't have a strong opinion on tariffs. I can definitely see their purpose and they've been used in the past successfully. Trump, despite what his numerous critics say, isn't a hard-line ideologue. He's a pragmatist. He's not afraid to change in the middle if he doesn't like where it's headed. And he often uses policies as bargaining tools.
We'll see how things work out but I'm not concerned long-term.

Trump doesn’t “change” . He vacillates

 

[Lockback]

Trump doesn’t “change” . He vacillates

Trump doesn't "vacillate". He changes.

 

[ElmerMudd]

My respect and admiration for Ronald Reagan is virtually endless.
But the early 1980s is over FORTY years ago.
Times change.
Policies change.
Our enemies have changed, international relations have changed.
Ross Perot talked about that "giant sucking sound" that would reflect American jobs leaving after NAFTA was signed.
Perot was right.
And so Trump takes office in a completely different era than Reagan did.
I don't have a strong opinion on tariffs. I can definitely see their purpose and they've been used in the past successfully. Trump, despite what his numerous critics say, isn't a hard-line ideologue. He's a pragmatist. He's not afraid to change in the middle if he doesn't like where it's headed. And he often uses policies as bargaining tools.
We'll see how things work out but I'm not concerned long-term.

The reason jobs left the USA is what consumers demanded, lower prices. That would include you and me. Corporations would have left manufacturing in the USA, if consumers were willing to pay higher price for US made product. Consumers voted with dollars.
Tariffs force us to pay higher prices if we buy imports or USA manufactured. Hopefully people will buy domestic. Trump down plays who pays the tariffs.
Try being a manufacturer who has manufacturing in the US and off shore. It has been a nightmare with the changes Trump continually makes on Tariffs. It has driven some small businesse out of business.

Trump is a master manipulator. Everything he does he insists it is the best. He floods the communications with his propaganda. People are defining his actions by what they hear from him, not other sources.

 

[Lockback]

The reason jobs left the USA is what consumers demanded, lower prices. That would include you and me. Corporations would have left manufacturing in the USA, if consumers were willing to pay higher price for US made product. Consumers voted with dollars.
Tariffs force us to pay higher prices if we buy imports or USA manufactured. Hopefully people will buy domestic. Trump down plays who pays the tariffs.
Try being a manufacturer who has manufacturing in the US and off shore. It has been a nightmare with the changes Trump continually makes on Tariffs. It has driven some small businesse out of business.

Trump is a master manipulator. Everything he does he insists it is the best. He floods the communications with his propaganda. People are defining his actions by what they hear from him, not other sources.

I'm well aware of how things work.
We'll see where it ends up.

 

[ElmerMudd]

Trump doesn't "vacillate". He changes.

Trump vacillates and bullshits the world by claiming he is changing with reason. Some believe him, some don't.

 

[Lockback]

Trump vacillates and bullshits the world by claiming he is changing with reason. Some believe him, some don't.

Oh stop with the Democrat Talking Point, for crissakes.

 

[fncceo]

George Washington was fully against witches…

… but, today, we even have them in Congress.

 

[ElmerMudd]

Oh stop with the Democrat Talking Point, for crissakes.

You don't think Trump bullshits? Go ahead and take everything he says as truth. People like you is who Trump thrives on. He is the most successful snake oil salesman in the history of the world.
Many good conservatives think so. MAGA is not conservative.

 

[Lesh]

Trump doesn't "vacillate". He changes.

And then changes again… and then again

That’s vacillating. Look it up