Reagan skipped the Iowa caucus and New hampshire primaries, since they're small potatoes, and planned to go full tilt on super Tuesday, pretty much the same as what Biden did this time around in the dem primaries. Bush took advantage and surprisingly locked himself in as the frontrunner. To protect his position as frontrunner, he - like Biden now - decided to lay low and ride the momentum, avoiding any appearances. Reagan offered to debate Bush one on one, no other primary candidates to be involved, and Reagan would pick up the cost of the room, camera crew, security, etc. Bush agreed. He showed up, and Reagan trotted out the other 8 or whatever primary candidates, Bush was pissed but didn't want to look like a chicken shit, Reagan went off about how the American people deserved to hear from all the candidates, the moderator turned off Reagan's mic while he was arguing about why they should proceed with all primary candidates participating. He yelled out 'I PAID for this microphone!; and came off as a champion for the people's right to hear from all the candidates, and a strong leader who would not take any shit. Trump needs to do this tomorrow night - show up with Kanye and another podium for him, insist they allow Kanye to participate, tell Biden and the cucked moderator the American people deserve to hear from ALL the candidates, and that POTUS Trump will not participate in a sham debate where black voices are silenced. Then after Biden is shamed into allowing it, Kanye and Trump tag team him mercilessly and call out all Biden's racist bullshit. Everyone stands and cheers loudly, Trump wins a 2d term in a landslide, and the free world is saved!
"I thought it had been unfair” Many people remember Reagan’s famous words. But most haven’t heard the full story of what happened that chilly New Hampshire night. After Iowa, Bush and Reagan had a clear lead on the other Republican candidates, senators Bob Dole and Howard Baker, congressmen John Anderson and Phil Crane, and former Texas governor John Connally. A local newspaper, The Nashua Telegraph, invited the two frontrunners to a debate. The five others were excluded. This unfairly helped the Ronald Reagan and George Bush campaigns, Bob Dole complained. The Federal Election Commission agreed.
Reagan did too. He offered to split the cost of the debate 50-50 with the Bush campaign, but they declined. Reagan’s campaign then paid for the debate itself.
“I thought it had been unfair to exclude the other candidates,” Reagan later wrote in his autobiography, An American Life. “I decided to invite them.”
But when four other GOP candidates showed up at the debate (Connally was campaigning elsewhere), Bush campaign manager James Baker (who later became Chief of Staff to Ronald Reagan) refused to let his man participate.
For an uncomfortable few minutes, Reagan and Bush sat silently on stage with Telegraph editor John Breen. The other candidates stood awkwardly behind them. Soon, the audience grew restless.
Wanting to explain, Reagan began to speak. At that, the moderator called to a sound engineer, “Turn off Mr. Reagan’s microphone!”
Surprised and offended, Ronald Reagan’s seldom-seen temper flashed. “I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Breen!” he snapped.
As Reagan recalled, “For some reason, my words hit the audience, whose emotions were already worked up, like a sledgehammer. The crowd roared and just went wild.
“I may have won the debate, the primary — and the nomination — right there.”
Indeed, Ronald Reagan dominated the primary, winning 49.6 percent of the votes. “Big Mo” had shifted his way. A few months later, Reagan easily won the GOP nomination.
A lesson in leadership
It was a dramatic moment in history, but more interesting is what it says about Reagan himself. After all, what provoked Reagan’s rare flash of frustration was the thought of the other candidates being unfairly excluded, and the moderator’s attempt to keep the audience from hearing Reagan’s concerns.
sounds familiar
Why didn’t you do anything about it!?!?!?
and America has endured them all.
Reagan skipped the Iowa caucus and New hampshire primaries, since they're small potatoes, and planned to go full tilt on super Tuesday, pretty much the same as what Biden did this time around in the dem primaries. Bush took advantage and surprisingly locked himself in as the frontrunner. To protect his position as frontrunner, he - like Biden now - decided to lay low and ride the momentum, avoiding any appearances. Reagan offered to debate Bush one on one, no other primary candidates to be involved, and Reagan would pick up the cost of the room, camera crew, security, etc. Bush agreed. He showed up, and Reagan trotted out the other 8 or whatever primary candidates, Bush was pissed but didn't want to look like a chicken shit, Reagan went off about how the American people deserved to hear from all the candidates, the moderator turned off Reagan's mic while he was arguing about why they should proceed with all primary candidates participating. He yelled out 'I PAID for this microphone!; and came off as a champion for the people's right to hear from all the candidates, and a strong leader who would not take any shit. Trump needs to do this tomorrow night - show up with Kanye and another podium for him, insist they allow Kanye to participate, tell Biden and the cucked moderator the American people deserve to hear from ALL the candidates, and that POTUS Trump will not participate in a sham debate where black voices are silenced. Then after Biden is shamed into allowing it, Kanye and Trump tag team him mercilessly and call out all Biden's racist bullshit. Everyone stands and cheers loudly, Trump wins a 2d term in a landslide, and the free world is saved!
That would be amazing. He could bring the green party and the libertarian in with him too.
And Joe Rogan to call Biden on his pushup challenges.
The first half of your comment paints a picture of how scummy he is (which is true) and then you go and say Trump should be like him? No thanks homie.
Which part? That "how the American people deserved to hear from all the candidates"?
Do you support basement dwellers who make secret deals to sell out the country?
Haha holy shit
incorrect, he paid for part of the debates so that 3rd party candidates could participate
which is even more MAGA in my opinion
The story behind Reagan's "I am paying for this microphone!" moment:
[http://www.billsims3.com/2008/04/i-am-paying-for-this-microphone-mr.html?m=1]
Reagan did too. He offered to split the cost of the debate 50-50 with the Bush campaign, but they declined. Reagan’s campaign then paid for the debate itself.
“I thought it had been unfair to exclude the other candidates,” Reagan later wrote in his autobiography, An American Life. “I decided to invite them.”
But when four other GOP candidates showed up at the debate (Connally was campaigning elsewhere), Bush campaign manager James Baker (who later became Chief of Staff to Ronald Reagan) refused to let his man participate.
For an uncomfortable few minutes, Reagan and Bush sat silently on stage with Telegraph editor John Breen. The other candidates stood awkwardly behind them. Soon, the audience grew restless.
Wanting to explain, Reagan began to speak. At that, the moderator called to a sound engineer, “Turn off Mr. Reagan’s microphone!”
Surprised and offended, Ronald Reagan’s seldom-seen temper flashed. “I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Breen!” he snapped.
As Reagan recalled, “For some reason, my words hit the audience, whose emotions were already worked up, like a sledgehammer. The crowd roared and just went wild.
“I may have won the debate, the primary — and the nomination — right there.”
Indeed, Ronald Reagan dominated the primary, winning 49.6 percent of the votes. “Big Mo” had shifted his way. A few months later, Reagan easily won the GOP nomination.
A lesson in leadership
It was a dramatic moment in history, but more interesting is what it says about Reagan himself. After all, what provoked Reagan’s rare flash of frustration was the thought of the other candidates being unfairly excluded, and the moderator’s attempt to keep the audience from hearing Reagan’s concerns.
[http://www.billsims3.com/2008/04/i-am-paying-for-this-microphone-mr.html?m=1]
Best president of 20th century.