HBO’s Bill Maher went on another irrational, nonsensical rant against Ronald Reagan Friday.
After calling arguably one of the best presidents in American history “the original, official pitchman for bats—t,” the Real Time host said Reagan was “the man most responsible for our decline” (video follows with transcribed lowlights and commentary):
Maher began his final New Rule by describing Bob Dole as “so Republican his adult diaper has a flag pin.” Imagine him ridiculing an elderly Democrat that way.
From there, Maher contested Dole’s recently iterated view that the GOP has gone so far right that Reagan wouldn’t fit in.
“Ronald Reagan was an anti-government, union-busting, race-baiting, anti-abortion, anti-gay, anti-intellectual, who cut rich people’s taxes in half, had an incurable case for the military industrial complex, and said Medicare was socialism that would destroy our freedom. Sounds to me like he would fit in just fine.”
Actually, with the exception of the race-baiting, anti-gay, and anti-intellectual descriptors, Maher got it right.
From there, he actually blamed Reagan for starting income inequality by cutting taxes.
You see, in Maher’s pot smoke-filled world, there was no income inequality prior to 1981. There were no poor and no rich. (Actually, under Carter there weren’t a lot of rich people due to how poorly the economy was doing!)
“Reagan just made s—t up,” stated Maher, “something he pioneered for his party of today.” This from a man who regularly says stuff devoid of facts.
“He was the original, official pitchman for bats—t,” Maher continued. “Worst of all, Reagan inspired a whole generation of people who hate government to get into government. Both sides should really stop pretending he was something other than the man most responsible for our decline.”
Yes, he really said this. I guess Maher thought America was a better place under Carter, what with higher unemployment, runaway inflation, and our standing in the world second to the burgeoning Soviet Union.
But none of this should surprise anyone. In April, Maher said that Carter should be the role model for every president.
Yeah. He really did.
Maher continued his screed talking about how devoted Republicans are to Reagan. “They want him on a stamp so they can lick his backside.”
““When you mainstream Reagan,” Maher declared, “the far right becomes the new middle. He wasn’t a friend to all Americans. He was patient zero for everything you’re fighting against now. He was the original teabagger. Stop agreeing he was a saint, especially when his two miracles were turning water into polluted water and walking on the poor.”
Actually, the modern era president with the worst record concerning the poor is Barack Obama.
An inconvenient truth for Mr. Maher is that almost 50 million Americans are now living in poverty comprising over 16 percent of the population. These are levels we haven't seen since the Depression.
Of course, Maher would say that’s all Bush’s fault.
