Roosevelt and Reagan

The Republican battle for the presidency of the United States has turned into a tragedy and a farce. The strongest candidate is still Donald Trump, who keeps offering up unacceptable racist slogans. This seems to confirm the mood of American voters — the same as the French and other Westerners — who have been affected by the wave of terror brought on by Daesh* everywhere. This situation has left Democrat Hillary Clinton the strongest candidate both inside and outside of her party.

Last Monday, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wrote an article posted by Asharq Al-Awsat about the giant void in the electoral battle. He said that in this tempestuous time, America needs a president “like Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan.” The former led in the painful days of war, and the latter during the gloomy days of a recession.

America re-elected the handicapped Roosevelt three times. That wasn’t possible with Reagan, but America elected him twice by an overwhelming majority. He had proved, as governor of California and in his first term in the White House, that he represented the aspirations of the American voter — both regular and elite — and he was able to bring the people together around him, [even] after being divided for so long. Reagan’s secret was that he spoke to the people in their own language, and he addressed the nations of the world in a language they understood, especially the Soviet Union. Obama, by comparison, today seems like a lost and irresolute man. As for his party’s candidates, they do not seem like statesmen capable of confronting the global issues faced by Washington as a major capital.

I’m not sure why Gates didn’t also name Bill Clinton among the presidents, or George H.W. Bush, or even John F. Kennedy. But for this man, once charged with the highest military responsibilities, his reasons for placing Reagan beside Roosevelt in the previous century are historical. In his eloquent memoirs, he criticized the softness of Obama, and laid considerable blame on him for the world and the U.S. arriving at the global impasse that we’re all wallowing in now.

Perhaps the reason he chose Roosevelt and Reagan was that they were both wise and resolute when it came to their nation’s affairs. Roosevelt paved the way to victory in World War II, and Reagan [led the U.S.] to victory in the Cold War – both with their steadfastness. Up until now, Obama has lost every war he has faced, and has not achieved peace anywhere. He has not won his war at home with Congress — which Reagan was able to tame. The search is now on for another historical president, but it just seems like an absurd operation shamefully led by Trump.

*Editor’s note: This is an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group.