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Quote by Paul Kengor

“Throughout American history our presidents have invoked our nation's founding fathers. This is particularly true of recent presidents.”

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Paul Kengor

Paul Kengor, born in 1966, is an individual whose profession and category are unknown. Limited information is available regarding his influence in academia and the public sphere. more

“Which founders have these presidents cited - and why? What did, say, President [Ronald] Reagan's view of George Washington, or President [Bill] Clinton's view of Thomas Jefferson, tell us about their view of America and where they intended to lead the country?In many cases, it told us a lot about the president.”

Country America President Views Cases Bills Clinton Founders President Bill Clinton President Ronald Reagan

Author:Paul Kengor

“The presidents varied in the degree to which they cited the founders. Some, like JFK, LBJ, [Richard] Nixon, and [Bill] Clinton, cited them somewhat frequently, in the range of 100 to 200 times, though, regrettably, not in a thematic or notably profound or even interesting way. Others, like Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, cited them rarely.”

Way President Interesting Degrees Bills Profound Clinton Range Founders Jimmy Carter Interesting Ways Thematic Lbj Gerald Ford

Author:Paul Kengor

“[Gerald] Ford and [Jimmy] Carter, in fact, were huge disappointments to me. Think about this: They were the presidents around the time of America's historic bicentennial, and yet rarely quoted the founders.”

Thinking Facts America President Huge Disappointment Founders Historic Jimmy Carter Gerald Ford

Author:Paul Kengor

“Frankly, neither president [Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter] was an inspiring figure; so, maybe their lack of inspiration by the founders shouldn't surprise us.”

Inspiration President Figures Surprise Founders Jimmy Carter Gerald Ford

Author:Paul Kengor

“When [Jimmy] Carter did quote them, he quoted them in what I believe were misapplications, such as arguing for the creation of a federal Department of Education. In one case, Carter quoted [Tomas] Jefferson's and [George] Washington's appreciation of education and then, in a leap, implied that they would be delighted that he was creating a giant federal bureaucracy for education.”

Believe Would Be I Believe Cases Creation Creating Appreciation Arguing Giants Department Leap Bureaucracy Delighted Jimmy Carter Implied Tomas Jefferson

Author:Paul Kengor

“There's the unique case of Ronald Reagan, who cited [founders] some 850 times, and in a way that was absolutely fundamental to understanding Reagan's vision for America.”

Way America Understanding Vision Cases Unique Fundamentals Founders

Author:Paul Kengor

“Ronald Reagan [ cite the founders] on behalf of emphasizing the faith of our founders, of limited government, of the uniqueness and exceptionalism of America, of a nation with a people facing another historic challenge beyond the American Revolution, and in contrasting the system of the United States with the system of the USSR.”

People States Government America Nations Challenges United United States Revolution Founders Uniqueness Behalf Historic American Revolution Limited Government Citing Ussr Exceptionalism

Author:Paul Kengor

“People have to follow their hearts, and if their hearts lead them to Wal-Mart, so be it.”

People Ifs Heart Funny Inspirational

Author:Maynard James Keenan

“Two visions of the world remain locked in dispute. The first believes all men are created equal by a loving God who has blessed us with freedom. The second vision believes that religion is opium for the masses. It believes that eternal principles like truth, liberty, and democracy have no meaning beyond the whim of the state. And [Vladimir] Lenin spoke for them.”

Men World Firsts Believe Two States Liberty Vision Principles Democracy Equal Eternal Mass Blessed Spokes Locked Disputes Loving God Whim Democracies Have Opium

Author:Ronald Reagan

“In [Ronald] Reagan's view, the American Founders had anchored their experiment in Judeo-Christian beliefs; the Bolsheviks deliberately established an antithetical model. Those founders of communism divorced their "faith" from God.”

Christian Belief Views Models Experiments Communism Founders Divorced Bolsheviks

Author:Paul Kengor

Quote by Paul Kengor

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