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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!cas
From: cas@cvl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Reagan's Press Conference
Message-ID: <452@cvl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 1-Jul-83 13:43:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: cvl.452
Posted: Fri Jul  1 13:43:56 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Jul-83 07:34:30 EDT
References: <146@tty3b.UUCP>
Organization: U. of Md. Computer Vision Lab
Lines: 28


   Personally, I am rather ambivalent about Reagan and his policies.
About the only view I would really feel comfortable with is that
he can't be any worse than Carter.  However, I do get tired of reading
comments about how stupid the man is and how he doesn't know anything
about the issues he is addressing.  Here is a man who on a regular basis
can convince the senate to vote in his favor.  This is done in the 
difficult situations by meeting with members (of both parties) on an
individual or small group basis.  A person either stupid or ignorant
will be quickly found out on such an occasion, and certainly will be
unable to convince anyone of their cause.  And if you think the members
of congress are even stupider and more ignorant than Reagan, he is also
quite successful when meeting with members of other governments.
   I suspect that the individuals who watch Reagan and claim that he 
doesn't know what he is talking about are suffering from a case of 
wishful thinking - if the observer doesn't agree with the policies of
a politician, then the observer would like to beleive the politician is
somehow bad or incompetent apart from the policy itself.  Its one thing
to totally disagree with Reagan's policies, but you won't be doing
yourself any favors if you underestimate him.  Maybe he is stupid, even
senile.  But I doubt it very much as long as he can continue to pull
out victories in congress.

			Cliff Shaffer
			{seismo,mcnc,we13}!rlgvax!cvl!cas

PS - Notice that he didn't try too hard to get the abortion amendment
passed - a bill which was obviously doomed to failure.