--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Obama was far more conservative than…" description: "\"“Obama was far more conservative than Richard Nixon, for example, and this has been the Democratic story since Boomers started voting en masse. The ini..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2df/bruce-cannon-gibney-13055_big-government_obama-was-far-more-conservative-than-ric_3008687.jpg" --- # Obama was far more conservative than Richard Nixon, for… ![“Obama was far more conservative than Richard Nixon, for example, and this has been the Democratic story since Boomers started voting en masse. The initial deregulatory impulse began under Carter, not Reagan; it was Clinton, not Bush I, who promised to “end welfare as we know it” and declared that…” quote by Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2df/bruce-cannon-gibney-13055_big-government_obama-was-far-more-conservative-than-ric_3008687.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2df/bruce-cannon-gibney-13055_big-government_obama-was-far-more-conservative-than-ric_3008687.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2df/bruce-cannon-gibney-13055_big-government_obama-was-far-more-conservative-than-ric_3008687.jpg) > ““Obama was far more conservative than Richard Nixon, for example, and this has been the Democratic story since Boomers started voting en masse. The initial deregulatory impulse began under Carter, not Reagan; it was Clinton, not Bush I, who promised to “end welfare as we know it” and declared that the “era of big government is over”; it was Obama who made most of the Bush tax cuts permanent, and so on. But there have also been some odd spectacles on the Right: the provision of prescription drug benefits to seniors under Bush II (Medicare Part D; apparently the era of big government was not quite over), and substantial increases to Medicare and Social Security taxes under Reagan and that president’s decidedly statist salvation of the savings and loan industry. What accounts for these odd paradoxes? Shouldn’t Bush II have been the one taking an ax to welfare and Clinton been pushing Medicare Part D?”” [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Both parties have mixed policies, showing that ideology often bends to pragmatic governance. **In simple terms:** Politics rarely follows strict left‑right lines. Key Takeaway Expect unexpected policy overlaps across parties. Themes politics ideology policy paradox Mood analytical critical Type political historical When to use this quote - election cycles - legislative negotiations - public opinion Key Concepts pragmatism bipartisanship Questions to Reflect On - Why do voters cling to binary labels? - How can citizens demand consistent policy? A Different Perspective Oversimplification can ignore nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-government/) [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reagan/) [Reagan President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reagan-president-1183095/) [Social security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-security/) [Taxes Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes-reagan-4813317/) ## Related quotes > [Ronald Reagan was a president of strength. His philosophy was a philosophy of strength - a strong military, a strong economy and strong families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/ronald-reagan-was-a-president-of-strength-his-philosophy-was-a/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Tip O'Neill, even after Ronald Reagan became president, called him "an amiable dunce," which is what the Democrats always do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/tip-o-neill-even-after-ronald-reagan-became-president-called-him-an/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ \[On Ronald Reagan:\] The President doesn't want yes-men around. When he says no, we all say no. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/on-ronald-reagan-the-president-doesn-t-want-yes-men-around-when-he/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [I'm glad Reagan is president. Of course, I'm a professional comedian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durst/i-m-glad-reagan-is-president-of-course-i-m-a-professional-comedian/) [Will Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durst/) > [Remember when Ronald Reagan was president? We had Bob Hope. We had Johnny Cash. Think about where we are today. We have got President…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/remember-when-ronald-reagan-was-president-we-had-bob-hope-we-had/) [John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/) > [Letter writing was clearly important to Reagan. Even as president he kept dashing off letters to friends, pen pals, media people, statesmen, critics, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/letter-writing-was-clearly-important-to-reagan-even-as-president-he/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [If we have George W. Bush as president, we're going to go back to the kind of policies we had when his father and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/if-we-have-george-w-bush-as-president-we-re-going-to-go-back-to-the/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [At the height of the Cold War, when Ronald Reagan was president, the Soviets and their allies and satellites did not shirk human rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/at-the-height-of-the-cold-war-when-ronald-reagan-was-president-the/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [ You can see it in the worship of \[Ronald\] Reagan, which portrays him as somebody who saved us from government. Actually he was an… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/you-can-see-it-in-the-worship-of-ronald-reagan-which-portrays-him-as/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [For more than forty years, the United States Congress has shamelessly used payroll taxes intended for Social Security to fund big government spending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/for-more-than-forty-years-the-united-states-congress-has-shamelessly/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [ Everything \[Ronald Reagan\] got, the tax cuts, he had Democrats outnumbering him in the House and Senate everywhere. There were certain realities that he… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/everything-ronald-reagan-got-the-tax-cuts-he-had-democrats/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [America's Christian conservative movement is confronted with this divide: small-government advocates who want to practice their faith independent of heavy-handed government versus big-government sympathizers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-armey/america-s-christian-conservative-movement-is-confronted-with-this/) [Dick Armey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-armey/) > [I remember when Ronald Reagan was president he said 'if the American people obeyed the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule we wouldn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bright/i-remember-when-ronald-reagan-was-president-he-said-if-the-american/) [Bill Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bright/) > [Like Reagan, President Trump strives for good relations with all nations, including Russia. But no nation, including Russia, should doubt the president's commitment to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-c-o-brien/like-reagan-president-trump-strives-for-good-relations-with-all/) [Robert C. O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-c-o-brien/) > [I honestly believe that if I decided to be the president of the United States, I could do it. That might sound foolish to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/i-honestly-believe-that-if-i-decided-to-be-the-president-of-the/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) ## More by Bruce Cannon Gibney > [“More than anything, Boomer influence is a story of sheer numbers. As of the early 1980s, when the Boomer revolution really kicked off, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/more-than-anything-boomer-influence-is-a-story-of-sheer-numbers-as-of/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) > [“What establishes the Boomers as a political generation is that the Boomers’ overriding policy ambitions have been defined not in conventional terms like race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/what-establishes-the-boomers-as-a-political-generation-is-that-the/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) > [“For those readers who are Boomers, or have parents or grandparents who are Boomers, it may be of small comfort that this book does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/for-those-readers-who-are-boomers-or-have-parents-or-grandparents-who/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) > [“The sociopaths’ goal is to wring every last dollar from the system, and any investment that could not be fully realized within Boomer lifetimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/the-sociopaths-goal-is-to-wring-every-last-dollar-from-the-system-and/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) > [“The pastoral Left, religious Right, and everywhere in between were afflicted by a resurgent sentimentality and desire for immediate gratification incompatible with the uncompromising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/the-pastoral-left-religious-right-and-everywhere-in-between-were/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) > [“Once Boomers have been unseated, undoing their decades of mismanagement will require a significant social reorganization, especially of retirement and health-care benefits, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/once-boomers-have-been-unseated-undoing-their-decades-of/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) > [“The point of this context is not to demand a return to the era of 90 percent taxation, but simply to remind that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/the-point-of-this-context-is-not-to-demand-a-return-to-the-era-of-90/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) > [“The sociopathic society of consumption depends heavily on goods turned out by dismal sweatshops (e.g., Boomer Kathie Lee’s/Wal-Mart’s Dickensian workshops, Boomers Steve Jobs’/Tim Cook’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/the-sociopathic-society-of-consumption-depends-heavily-on-goods/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) > [“Reagan (or, at least, the public’s version of him) was tailor-made for the sociopathic electorate. Never again would the Boomers be told to save,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/reagan-or-at-least-the-public-s-version-of-him-was-tailor-made-for/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) > [“Unfortunately, sociopaths are antisocial by nature, and their lack of empathy and foresight consigns them to view society only as a restraint on individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/unfortunately-sociopaths-are-antisocial-by-nature-and-their-lack-of/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) > [“Going forward, it would be “three strikes, you’re out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/going-forward-it-would-be-three-strikes-you-re-out/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) > [“What Washington cannot easily change is the culture itself—specifically the culture created by the Boomers. Until that happens, the parade of mediocrity, underfunding, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/what-washington-cannot-easily-change-is-the-culture-itself/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) > [“Nowhere did sociopathic avarice, deceit, imprudence, and political power combine more powerfully than in tax policy, which allowed the Boomers to reshuffle in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/nowhere-did-sociopathic-avarice-deceit-imprudence-and-political-power/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) > [“The Boomers were the first modern generation to harbor really negative feelings about reality and science, and their success in undermining these goods has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/the-boomers-were-the-first-modern-generation-to-harbor-really/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) > [“Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors… deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases or conning others for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/failure-to-conform-to-social-norms-with-respect-to-lawful-behaviors/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) [Explore all 52 Bruce Cannon Gibney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) ## More Big government quotes > [Big-government proponents embrace both the power of the federal government and the idea that millions of Americans ought to be dependent on its largesse.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/big-government-proponents-embrace-both-the-power-of-the-federal/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) > [Let's face a historical truth: we have never had a "free market", we have always had government intervention in the economy, and indeed that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/let-s-face-a-historical-truth-we-have-never-had-a-free-market-we-have/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Pure, hard-core liberals believe in a superior race. They think they're it. They believe they're more intelligent than the general run of mankind, better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/pure-hard-core-liberals-believe-in-a-superior-race-they-think-they-re/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [I think part of the reason the Tea Party has resonated is that people feel disempowered. The Tea Party says, "You are out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/i-think-part-of-the-reason-the-tea-party-has-resonated-is-that-people/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [Big government helps the people who have made it. It doesn't help the people who are trying to make it; it crushes the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/big-government-helps-the-people-who-have-made-it-it-doesn-t-help-the/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Hillary Clinton: putting big government spending financed by the Chinese ahead of good-paying jobs for middle-class Americans. Is she guilty or not guilty?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/hillary-clinton-putting-big-government-spending-financed-by-the/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [I'm not a big government guy. I believe in private industries taking care of people. I think they do a better job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-baio/i-m-not-a-big-government-guy-i-believe-in-private-industries-taking/) [Scott Baio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-baio/) > [Americans must either choose big government and be willing to pay for and submit to it, or they must move toward smaller, less intrusive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-demille/americans-must-either-choose-big-government-and-be-willing-to-pay-for/) [Oliver DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-demille/) > [What do intellectuals and opinion makers get from big government? An increasing number of cushy jobs in the bureaucracy, or in the government-subsidized sector,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/what-do-intellectuals-and-opinion-makers-get-from-big-government-an/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [America's Christian conservative movement is confronted with this divide: small-government advocates who want to practice their faith independent of heavy-handed government versus big-government sympathizers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-armey/america-s-christian-conservative-movement-is-confronted-with-this/) [Dick Armey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-armey/) > [Vietnam should remind conservatives that whenever you put your faith in big government for any reason, sooner or later you wind up an apologist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-hess/vietnam-should-remind-conservatives-that-whenever-you-put-your-faith/) [Karl Hess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-hess/) > [“Funding for the Special Operations Network comes directly from the government. Most work is centralized, but all of the SpecOps divisions have local representatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/funding-for-the-special-operations-network-comes-directly-from-the/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [Offering 'comprehensive' reform usually means years of arguing and horse-trading among pressure groups to get anything done. By the time all the special interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-davis-hanson/offering-comprehensive-reform-usually-means-years-of-arguing-and/) [Victor Davis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-davis-hanson/) > [Unfortunately, President Obama's failed policies of new regulations, higher taxes, and Obamacare and his anti-business rhetoric have hit Hispanics especially hard. Big government really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/unfortunately-president-obama-s-failed-policies-of-new-regulations/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The press is hostile to the idea of liberty. Most people in the press are for big government. Most people think that the solution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/the-press-is-hostile-to-the-idea-of-liberty-most-people-in-the-press/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) [Browse all 245 Big government quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-government/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Obama was far more conservative than Richard Nixon, for example, and this has been the Democratic story since Boomers started voting en masse. 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