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CNN Saturday Morning News
How Similar is President Bush to Former President Reagan
Aired May 03, 2003 - 07:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ROBIN MEADE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Anderson, with the major combat in Iraq officially at an end, President Bush is focusing his attention on domestic issues like the economy and unemployment.
Our political analyst Bill Schneider now looks at the Bush strategy as it compares to a former Republican president.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President George W. Bush meet President Ronald Reagan. Critics called them both cowboys. Fine with them. Both presidents relished the role of commander-in-chief and the terrific photo-ops. Both presidents drove U.S. allies nuts. Within a year of Reagan's taking office, frightened Europeans rallied behind a nuclear freeze movement. This year, nervous Europeans rallied against military action in Iraq.
President Reagan took on one set of "evil doers"...
PRES. RONALD REAGAN: History and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire.
SCHNEIDER: President Bush has taken on another.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: States like these and their terrorist allies constitute an axis of evil.
SCHNEIDER: President Reagan had his formula for turning the economy around...
REAGAN: Now, let's talk about getting spending and inflation under control and cutting your tax rates.
SCHNEIDER: President Bush has the same formula for turning the economy around.
BUSH: We need robust tax relief so our fellow citizens can find a job.
SCHNEIDER: By 1984, when Reagan ran for reelection, the economy had turned around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's morning again in America.
SCHNEIDER: Uh-oh, that's where the parallels could break down. No one's saying the economy has turned around, yet. During Reagan's first term, the economy got a lot worse before it got better. He kept the country behind him by saying...
REAGAN: We can do it, my fellow Americans, by staying the course.
SCHNEIDER: What's President Bush saying to keep the country behind him?
BUSH: And it's not going to be easy work, but we will stay the course.
SCHNEIDER: Americans believed both presidents had a course. The most important thing President Reagan and this President Bush have in common is the image of strong leadership. Hop much does that count? Ask a political expert.
PRES. WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON: When people feel uncertain, they'd rather have somebody that's strong and wrong than somebody who's weak and right.
SCHNEIDER (on camera): To compete with Bush next year, it won't be enough for Democrats to be right. They'll also have to project an image of strength, like Reagan and George W. Bush.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MEADE: In the earliest debate in presidential campaign history, the nine Democratic candidates for president will meet tonight in Columbia, South Carolina. The 90 minute debate is being dubbed "The Collision in Columbia."
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 3, 2003 - 07:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ROBIN MEADE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Anderson, with the major combat in Iraq officially at an end, President Bush is focusing his attention on domestic issues like the economy and unemployment.
Our political analyst Bill Schneider now looks at the Bush strategy as it compares to a former Republican president.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President George W. Bush meet President Ronald Reagan. Critics called them both cowboys. Fine with them. Both presidents relished the role of commander-in-chief and the terrific photo-ops. Both presidents drove U.S. allies nuts. Within a year of Reagan's taking office, frightened Europeans rallied behind a nuclear freeze movement. This year, nervous Europeans rallied against military action in Iraq.
President Reagan took on one set of "evil doers"...
PRES. RONALD REAGAN: History and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire.
SCHNEIDER: President Bush has taken on another.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: States like these and their terrorist allies constitute an axis of evil.
SCHNEIDER: President Reagan had his formula for turning the economy around...
REAGAN: Now, let's talk about getting spending and inflation under control and cutting your tax rates.
SCHNEIDER: President Bush has the same formula for turning the economy around.
BUSH: We need robust tax relief so our fellow citizens can find a job.
SCHNEIDER: By 1984, when Reagan ran for reelection, the economy had turned around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's morning again in America.
SCHNEIDER: Uh-oh, that's where the parallels could break down. No one's saying the economy has turned around, yet. During Reagan's first term, the economy got a lot worse before it got better. He kept the country behind him by saying...
REAGAN: We can do it, my fellow Americans, by staying the course.
SCHNEIDER: What's President Bush saying to keep the country behind him?
BUSH: And it's not going to be easy work, but we will stay the course.
SCHNEIDER: Americans believed both presidents had a course. The most important thing President Reagan and this President Bush have in common is the image of strong leadership. Hop much does that count? Ask a political expert.
PRES. WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON: When people feel uncertain, they'd rather have somebody that's strong and wrong than somebody who's weak and right.
SCHNEIDER (on camera): To compete with Bush next year, it won't be enough for Democrats to be right. They'll also have to project an image of strength, like Reagan and George W. Bush.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MEADE: In the earliest debate in presidential campaign history, the nine Democratic candidates for president will meet tonight in Columbia, South Carolina. The 90 minute debate is being dubbed "The Collision in Columbia."
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
