Was President Reagan thought of as a bit of a crackpot during the early years in the Oval Office, or were the writers full blown Democrats?
No disrespect intended, knowing that Ronald Reagan died of Alzheimer's disease, it would have been too early for it to have been noticeable in what would have been his 1st or 2nd year when the movie was written.
"Was President Reagan thought of as a bit of a crackpot during the early years"
Depends who you talk to. Many people were horrified that he even ran for president, much less that he won, much less by a landslide. There was a lot of sentiment that he just wasn't up to it, hence the jokes here.
On the other hand he had strong admirers ever since his days as governor of California.
- henry
I recall that people did attack his age quite a bit before the election. Some people thought he was too old to run for president. I remember a few skits on SNL which covered this.
I don't know if the writers of this film were Democrats or not, but in terms of jokes and satire, the president is usually fair game, no matter if he's Democrat or Republican.
He did say some rather goofy things which people jumped on. He wasn't considered very smart. Some even believed he was dangerous and would get us into a nuclear war with the Soviet Union.
His son now acknowledges that Ronnie had the diseases while he was in office, and I remember seeing footage where Reagan would suddenly go blank and slack-jawed, until Nancy gave him his cue.
He did negotiate with terrorists as president-elect so that the Iran hostages were released on Inauguration Day. No president had ever negotiated with terrorists from Washington to Carter, but Reagan betrayed America, thinking, perhaps, that he was in a movie.
Which son?? The Reagans had two sons, Michael and Ronald, erroneously known also as Ron Jr.
Ron is the source of that misinformation, which has never been substantiated or proven. Not surprisingly, Ron has had a very troubled relationship with his father since a very young age and therefore, as a liberal, might be a unreliable source of information.
Additionally, President-elect Reagan had no dealings with the Iranians, you are confusing this with the Iran-Contra scandal.
It's obvious to me, Joe, that you dislike President Reagan. I'm just sorry that you are so blinded by your Leftist ideology that you can't see the greatness he was and brought our country. But of course, who needs another Reagan when we already have the messiah sitting in the White House???
Ronald was originally a Democrat when he did movies in the 50's, it wasn't until he entered politics that he decided to switch parties to increase his chances of getting himself into elected positions.
I can't speak for his record as a Governor, but the man clearly had issues that hurt his presidency.
Listen, do you smell something? -Ray Stantz
Stick to Star Trek trivia and leave the politics to the rest of us who live in the here and now.
Reagan was originally a Democrat and proud of it, but like most people with a conscience, he changed parties to reflect his new-found philosophy as a result of the Democrat Party's changing priorities, namely the swing to the (New) Left in the 1960s.
Reagan had no issues that hurt his Presidency, not his advanced age nor his signing of the California "Therapeutic Abortion Act" in an effort to halt or limit back-room abortions.
But who needs a Ronald Reagan these days, when we have the Messiah in the White House????
I saw Ron dance with the Joffrey II in the early 80s... he billed himself as Ron Jr.
nagmashdriver, can you read what you just wrote, Reagan had no dealings with Iran, your confusing it with Iran-Contra, you just said Iran twice, they are connected. Reagan was making deals with Iran to stall hostage release until Reagan won the election and promised Iran weapons which were smuggled through all parts of the world to get them to iran. They also tried to make it look like iran released the hostages on the threat of Reagan taking office, they just didnt mention the backhanded deals.
shareJPC,
It is you who needs to re-read what I wrote: "President-ELECT Reagan", not "President Reagan".
The whole Iran-Contra Affair was sordid to say the least, but it pales in comparison to anything that the Messiah Oblama did in the last eight years.
I think they used his name on the hospital because he was the President at the time of this film's release. There is also a deleted scene where the President, who looks like Reagan, answers a call by the Commissioner and doesn't want to hear bad news.
shareMany have forgotten that President Bush 43 had it easy compared to Ronald Reagan. Reagan had to endure many slings and arrows from the Left, though I don't believe he had an equivalent to the "Buck Fush" bumper stickers.
When this film was made, both Zucker Bros. and Jim Abrams were solid Hollywood libs, since then, however, David Zucker has come out of the closet as a conservative.
Thank God he has been joined in recent years by David Mamet, roundly considered to be America's greatest living playwright.
Hollywood needs to get cleaned out a 'la Aegean Stables, turn a gigantic fire hose on them and flush out the libs and the irreparable harm they have done to the fabric of American society. But that is another rant for another forum..........
The Zuckers had nothing to do with this movie.
shareWhen this film was made, both Zucker Bros. and Jim Abrams were solid Hollywood libs, since then, however, David Zucker has come out of the closet as a conservative.
But that is another rant for another forum..........Yet you just couldn't help yourself. Speaking of help... share
If you're referring to the hospital sign that said "Ronald Reagan Hospital for the Mentally Ill", I believe that was a reference to Reagan's time as Governor of California. During his term, he shut down many state-funded mental hospitals, forcing many of their patients onto the streets, and lowered the care standards of the remaining state hospitals to the point that they resembled asylums from the turn of the century.
The full text on the sign was "Ronald Reagan Hospital for the Mentally Ill: We Cure People the Old Fashioned Way" and was likely a reference to his old policies towards mental health, and not his Alzheimer's condition.
I understand that a mental patient sued saying that he had a right to be on the street if he wanted and that the Government could not force him into an institution against his will. I don't think the Governor just took it upon himself to close mental institutions.
shareEvery Republican president since I have been alive has been portrayed as deficient.
share