Humpday History Highlight
By Wyatt Earp | August 11, 2010
It’s difficult to believe that this happened 26 years ago. I still remember it riled the Left to no end, probably because they thought Reagan was just crazy enough to do it. Now maybe it’s just me, but I thought this was hilarious, even at the time.
August 11, 1984 – Reagan Jokes About Bombing Russia
On this day in 1984, President Ronald Reagan makes a joking but controversial off-the-cuff remark about bombing Russia while testing a microphone before a scheduled radio address. While warming up for the speech, Reagan said “My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.”
Although the press throng and his aides in attendance laughed at the obvious joke, the comment unnerved Democratic opposition leaders and those already fearful of the hard-line posturing Reagan had displayed toward the USSR since assuming office in 1981. Others simply dismissed his remark, which came at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Russia, as a moment of poor taste.
Although it is not known what Soviet leaders thought of Reagan’s joke, the comment did color some Americans’ opinion of Reagan, whose approval rating dropped in the aftermath of the incident, temporarily boosting the electoral hopes of Democratic presidential hopeful Walter Mondale.
Yeah, how did that work out for Mondale? As I remember he got slaughtered by Ronaldus Magnus – the last great true conservative.
Topics: HHH | 15 Comments »
August 11th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
was that the election Reagan won with 49 states to 1 ?
August 11th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Yep, and Minn rigged the vote for Mondale.
August 11th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
He broke the first law of politics… ALL mikes are hot…
August 11th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
I believe Regan knew exactly what he was doing. He knew the mike was open. And he knew the press his “joke” would get. It put the Soviets on notice. Regan was feared. I didn’t agree with everything Regan did, but I liked his Foreign Policy.
August 11th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
When you consider our current occupant of the Casa Blanca would be more likely to approve a bomb dropping a la Wilson Goode…
August 11th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
America needs you Ronald Reagan.Ronnie please come home.
August 11th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
I miss Ronnie. I’m convinced the good leaders cannot make it to the front anymore.
August 12th, 2010 at 5:48 am
As posted last week, Where have you gone Ronaldus Maximus, Our nation turns it’t lonely eyes to you?”. He must be turning in his grave, watching “The Manchild” tear the country to pieces.
August 12th, 2010 at 8:40 am
Best president in my lifetime. And I’ve been around since Truman was in the WH.
August 12th, 2010 at 9:48 am
Sometimes, I can’t believe how moronically stupid I was in the Reagan Era. Confession Time: I voted for Jimmy Carter in 1980 and Walter Mondale in 1984. It took me 15 years to wise up and realize where the Democrats have led us; straight to the current “Occupant” of the WH.
Please Ronald Reagan forgive me. I was young, stupid and looking for hot looking liberal women.
Now, I think Ronald Reagan should be on the $50 dollar bill and on Mount Rushmore.
August 12th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Finishing the Confession. My voting record:
1988 – Michael Dukakis
1992 – Bill Clinton
1996 – Bill Clinton
2000 – George W. Bush
2004 – George W. Bush
2008 – John McCain
Yes, I was in the Liberal Wilderness for quite some time.
August 12th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
1968 – Too young (voting age was 21 at the time)
1972 – George Wallace (I didn’t like Nixon, and sure as heck wasn’t voting for Humphrey)
1976 – Libertarian (can’t remember who ran on that ticket, didn’t vote for Ford because he pardoned Nixon)
1980 – Reagan (need I say more?)
1984 – Reagan again
1988 – GHWB
1992 – GHWB
1996 – Passed (no interest, and I knew Mr. Squirt would win anyway)
2000 – Passed (overseas)
2004 – Passed (overseas)
2008 – Voted for Palin as VP and, by default, her running mate.
August 12th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
I remember when this happened. Everybody knew he was joking, but still he was a serious enough leader that you still had it in the back of your mind that he just might do it if he got really pissed.
Could you imagine Clinton or Obama or Gore or Kerry making a joke like that? It would be the radio equivalent of Dukakis driving the tank. I guess I should qualify that, I meant Bill Clinton. If Hillary joked about bombing somebody while being President the people there would all be in bomb shelters before she stopped talking.
August 13th, 2010 at 11:47 am
72 – passed (Nixon v. McGovern, are you kiddin’ me?)
76 – Ford
80 – Reagan
84 – Reagan
88 – Bush 1
92 – Bush 1 (reluctantly)
96 – Kemp (yeah, I know Dole was on the top of the ticket)
00 – Bush 2
04 – Bush 2
08 – Palin (see 96 for reasoning)
August 13th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
AJ – Yeah, he squeaked by.
Marvin – A lot of rigging in that state, right Senator Franken?
Old NFO – It’s a cardinal rule.
Wagonsux – It helped that they thought he was senile and insane. Scared the Hell out of them. And when the Berlin Wall came down, the press gave all the credit to Gorbachev. Typical.
Bob – Obama doesn’t have the stones. He wants to meet with Ahmadinejad now. Good luck with that.
Rick – I would vote for Zombie Reagan in a second.
RT – Not anymore.
Roger – Well, he dealt with one Carter already, so . . .
Robert B – I concur.
Ferrell – Dukakis? Really?? Here’s mine:
1988 – Bush
1992 – Clinton
1996 – Dole
2000 – Bush
2004 – Bush
2008 – Palin (er, McCain)
Robert B. – George Wallace. Heh.
Ingineer66 – Hillary is the only one of those with stones as large as Reagan’s. And she’s nuts.
Bob – Kemp. Good man.