Friday, June 18,
11:44 PM PST
Study Finds Reagan a "Saint"
Compared to Bush
by Brent
the Johnson,
NA!P NewsWire
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sociologists of the University of
Nevada at Reno, exploring the question of why Americans so dramatically
mourned the passing of President Ronald Reagan, have found that
the average person considers him a "saint" when comparing
him to George W. Bush.
"When
you compare the two, well, obviously Reagan looks better than
Bush," Dr. Arturo Gruman, 56, lead sociologist of the study,
said. "But then again, most people do, so these numbers
may be misleading."
Participants indicated that,
while Reagan did destroy the national economy with his tax cuts
for the ultra-rich and overspending on the military -- thus killing
the "American dream" for millions of people -- the
fact that Bush has done even more of the same makes Reagan look
better in hindsight.
Of the ten thousand Americans
interviewed, most thought Reagan was kinder, stronger and smarter
than Bush, as well.
"These data has really shaken
my worldview, actually," Gruman said. "Once upon a
time, I'd have said no president would ever be meaner or dumber
than Reagan."
Gruman added that, while he does
have opinions, he tries to inform them with evidence. "But
even without the data, it's not much of a stretch to say Bush
is dumber, meaner, weaker," he admitted.
When asked to explain how Bush
is "weaker," Gruman explained that the word encompassed
"stage presence, force of character, the ability to command
respect and the ability to use independent analysis to make decisions
on his own" -- none of which Bush has ever shown a proclivity
for.
The study consisted of interviews
with subjects who were first asked to compare Reagan to Presidents
George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. An approval rating of 23 percent
helped illustrate the overwhelming conclusion that most Americans
considered the 40th president "an evil bastard."
But when asked to compare Reagan
to the current Bush, his approval rating jumped dramatically,
to 89 percent -- an overwhelming number in a nation that has
demonstrated political partisanship in recent years.
"Only a saint could make
those numbers in this day and age," Gruman said, shrugging.
"I think it also has something to do with the fact that
Reagan was actually elected to office, whereas Bush... well,
you know."
"No one should be surprised
by the results," declared Dr. Tomas Mendoza, 28, a professor
of political science at Boston College. "Reagan invaded
Grenada on a whim, but with only a few hundred troops, and he
got them out in a matter of days. Bush invaded Iraq on a whim,
but with the tragic results that we see in the news every day."
Mendoza also pointed out that,
while both men pursued similar economic policies, Reagan "only"
pushed the national debt up to $3 trillion, while Bush has so
far pushed it to a record-breaking $7 trillion.
Not everyone was convinced by
the results of the study, however.
"Uh, we dispute that?"
said Rock Margolios, a Bush campaign spokesman. "People
totally love Bush. I know I do. Love 'im. Yeah."
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