--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ronald Reagan is the closest thing [to…" description: "\"Ronald Reagan is the closest thing [to the strong conservative] we have.He said that we shouldn't spend money we don't have, and he said that the gover..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/michael-enzi-27765_closest_ronald-reagan-is-the-closest-thing-to-th_1241400.png" --- # Ronald Reagan is the closest thing \[to the strong… ![“Ronald Reagan is the closest thing [to the strong conservative] we have.He said that we shouldn't spend money we don't have, and he said that the government shouldn't get involved in things that it's not very good at doing.” quote by Michael Enzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/michael-enzi-27765_closest_ronald-reagan-is-the-closest-thing-to-th_1241400.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/michael-enzi-27765_closest_ronald-reagan-is-the-closest-thing-to-th_1241400.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/michael-enzi-27765_closest_ronald-reagan-is-the-closest-thing-to-th_1241400.png) > “Ronald Reagan is the closest thing \[to the strong conservative\] we have.He said that we shouldn't spend money we don't have, and he said that the government shouldn't get involved in things that it's not very good at doing.” [Michael Enzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-enzi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reagan advocated fiscal restraint and limited government, emphasizing spending within means and avoiding overreach. **In simple terms:** Spend wisely and keep government limited. Key Takeaway Practice fiscal responsibility. Themes fiscal policy government size conservatism budgeting political philosophy Mood serious analytical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - personal budgeting - public policy design - tax reform - government program evaluation Key Concepts economic theory public finance political ideology Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance fiscal prudence with social needs? - What defines “government overreach” in modern contexts? A Different Perspective Critics argue strict limits can underfund essential services. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [Ronald Reagan's biographer wrote of the former president's final days: "for all the intimate familiarity of that face and body, I did not feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-morris/ronald-reagan-s-biographer-wrote-of-the-former-president-s-final-days/) Edwin Morris > [Ronald Reagan has a story for every occasion. Bill Clinton has an excuse for every occasion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-barnes/ronald-reagan-has-a-story-for-every-occasion-bill-clinton-has-an/) [Fred Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-barnes/) > [You can't have a discussion about politics without mentioning Ronald Reagan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/you-can-t-have-a-discussion-about-politics-without-mentioning-ronald/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [Ronald Reagan is the most ignorant president since Warren Harding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/ronald-reagan-is-the-most-ignorant-president-since-warren-harding/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [Ronald Reagan knew who he was. Barack Obama is still working through that equation politically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-scarborough/ronald-reagan-knew-who-he-was-barack-obama-is-still-working-through/) [Joe Scarborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-scarborough/) > [Anti-Tax fetishist Grover Norquist owns a bust of Ronald Reagan, who raised taxes 11 times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fugelsang/anti-tax-fetishist-grover-norquist-owns-a-bust-of-ronald-reagan-who/) [John Fugelsang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fugelsang/) > [Ronald Reagan had a kind of shallow movie-star charisma - a combination of makeup and the skill of a good actor - but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/ronald-reagan-had-a-kind-of-shallow-movie-star-charisma-a-combination/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [The legacy of Ronald Reagan will live on forever. I, of course, had the wonderful opportunity of working with him and getting to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-brady/the-legacy-of-ronald-reagan-will-live-on-forever-i-of-course-had-the/) [Sarah Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-brady/) > [I'm looking for a president that'll be like a Ronald Reagan to a Jimmy Carter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/i-m-looking-for-a-president-that-ll-be-like-a-ronald-reagan-to-a/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [ \[Ronald\] Reagan seems to be a man of some basic convictions and on the other hand willing to let others do the ground homework,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-schmidt/ronald-reagan-seems-to-be-a-man-of-some-basic-convictions-and-on-the/) [Helmut Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-schmidt/) > [Dwight Eisenhower presented a face of America that was heroic and resolute; Ronald Reagan represented a return to confidence and glamour after the weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-reid/dwight-eisenhower-presented-a-face-of-america-that-was-heroic-and/) [Joy Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-reid/) > [Half a century ago, Ronald Reagan, the man whose relentless optimism inspired me to enter politics, famously said that he didn't leave the Democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-crist/half-a-century-ago-ronald-reagan-the-man-whose-relentless-optimism/) [Charlie Crist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-crist/) > [ 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/) > [Ronald Reagan just signed the new tax law. But I think he was in Hollywood too long. He signed it, 'Best wishes, Ronald Reagan.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/ronald-reagan-just-signed-the-new-tax-law-but-i-think-he-was-in/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [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/) ## More by Michael Enzi > [When terrorists attacked the symbols of our national unity and strength, they failed to realize that they were just symbols of our strength. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/when-terrorists-attacked-the-symbols-of-our-national-unity-and/) [Michael Enzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-enzi/) > [If we abandon marriage, we abandon the family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/if-we-abandon-marriage-we-abandon-the-family/) [Michael Enzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-enzi/) > [We are looking for ways to decrease the dropout rate. I am pretty sure, if we eliminate career and technical education, we are going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/we-are-looking-for-ways-to-decrease-the-dropout-rate-i-am-pretty-sure/) [Michael Enzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-enzi/) > [Praying can make a difference, and it is up to all of us to try that, with faith, and see if it will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/praying-can-make-a-difference-and-it-is-up-to-all-of-us-to-try-that/) [Michael Enzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-enzi/) > [In the past six months, our federal government has devised a dozen strategies to save America's financial markets. Each plan has been more costly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/in-the-past-six-months-our-federal-government-has-devised-a-dozen/) [Michael Enzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-enzi/) > [One of my favorite things - and I am sure everybody else's in this Chamber - is to give away money. 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Instead of pointing out how other programs can tighten their belts, every program administrator must look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/every-government-program-needs-to-be-more-efficient-instead-of/) [Michael Enzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-enzi/) > [If we bankrupt America, we will all pay the price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/if-we-bankrupt-america-we-will-all-pay-the-price/) [Michael Enzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-enzi/) > [The American people need to know that money is being used effectively because frankly, the nation can't afford careless spending, no matter how well-intentioned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/the-american-people-need-to-know-that-money-is-being-used-effectively/) [Michael Enzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-enzi/) > [I think we have got to get the Republicans and the Democrats to get back to what I call the fiscal conservative, the issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/i-think-we-have-got-to-get-the-republicans-and-the-democrats-to-get/) [Michael Enzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-enzi/) > [Congress has funded numerous programs to provide care and compensation to 9/11 victims, spending several billion dollars on extraordinary and unprecedented efforts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/congress-has-funded-numerous-programs-to-provide-care-and/) [Michael Enzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-enzi/) > [We are truly one nation, under God, indivisible and that we must remain so in the face of any threat to ensure our country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/we-are-truly-one-nation-under-god-indivisible-and-that-we-must-remain/) [Michael Enzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-enzi/) [Explore all 20 Michael Enzi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-enzi/) ## More Closest quotes > [I write about presidents. 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As songwriters, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-atkins/you-wind-up-creating-from-silence-like-painting-a-picture-on-a-blank/) [Rodney Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-atkins/) > [One my closest friends doesn't care about sharing her clothes or jewelry, but she never shares her fragrance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-louboutin/one-my-closest-friends-doesn-t-care-about-sharing-her-clothes-or/) [Christian Louboutin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-louboutin/) > [Life’s a journey that goes round and round and the end is closest to the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-james-olmos/life-s-a-journey-that-goes-round-and-round-and-the-end-is-closest-to/) [Edward James Olmos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-james-olmos/) > [I keep a lot to myself, and I cherish the things that are for me and the people closest to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-oakley/i-keep-a-lot-to-myself-and-i-cherish-the-things-that-are-for-me-and/) [Tyler Oakley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-oakley/) > [I am not somebody who likes to give advice, or anything like that, unless it's my closest friends or family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-cruz/i-am-not-somebody-who-likes-to-give-advice-or-anything-like-that/) [Penelope Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-cruz/) > [On foreign policy, President Obama has kept our nation safe from terrorism and restored our standing in the world. When it comes to one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-schumer/on-foreign-policy-president-obama-has-kept-our-nation-safe-from/) [Chuck Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-schumer/) > [You never know really what anyone thinks about you - that's why all my closest friends are ones I've had since my schooling days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cooper/you-never-know-really-what-anyone-thinks-about-you-that-s-why-all-my/) [Dominic Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cooper/) > [Arthur Conan Doyle was entranced by the notion of a brilliant detective who can deduce everything a stranger has been up to from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-yglesias/arthur-conan-doyle-was-entranced-by-the-notion-of-a-brilliant/) [Rafael Yglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-yglesias/) > [A reflection of an exact image is the closest thing to you-so that you can see it-but it's far enough away so that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-bentley/a-reflection-of-an-exact-image-is-the-closest-thing-to-you-so-that/) [Wes Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-bentley/) > [...bookstores, libraries... they're the closest thing I have to a church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/bookstores-libraries-they-re-the-closest-thing-i-have-to-a-church/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) Browse all 695 Closest quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ronald Reagan is the closest thing [to the strong conservative] we have.He said that we shouldn't spend money we don't have, and he said that the government shouldn't get involved in things that it's not very good at doing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Enzi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/ronald-reagan-is-the-closest-thing-to-the-strong-conservative-we-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Closest" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/ronald-reagan-is-the-closest-thing-to-the-strong-conservative-we-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/michael-enzi-27765_closest_ronald-reagan-is-the-closest-thing-to-th_1241400.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/michael-enzi-27765_closest_ronald-reagan-is-the-closest-thing-to-th_1241400.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/michael-enzi-27765_closest_ronald-reagan-is-the-closest-thing-to-th_1241400.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ronald Reagan is the closest thing [to the strong conservative] we have.He said that we shouldn't spend…” — Michael Enzi", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Enzi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-enzi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Ronald Reagan is the closest thing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/ronald-reagan-is-the-closest-thing-to-the-strong-conservative-we-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-enzi/ronald-reagan-is-the-closest-thing-to-the-strong-conservative-we-have/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```