Biographer: 'Reagan would unhesitatingly make himself a voice for the oppressed in the Ukraine right now'; President Obama is the 'anti-Reagan

In an interview with Blaze Books in connection with the release of his new book, "11 Principles of a Reagan Conservative," professor of political science at Grove City College, Reagan biographer, and author of numerous books including the 2012 title ”The Communist” (published under our Mercury Ink imprint) and “God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life” Paul Kengor held no punches.

When asked how President Reagan would deal with the Ukrainian crisis, Kengor stated that "Reagan would unhesitatingly make himself a voice for the oppressed in the Ukraine right now." And further, in contrast with the apparent unpreparedness of the Obama administration, "Nothing that a KGB guy [Russian President Vladimir Putin] would do would ever surprise Ronald Reagan."

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With respect to the rhetoric or lack thereof emanating from the Obama administration on the Ukraine, Kengor noted:

Rather than deploying troops or firing missiles, Reagan fired verbal missiles—words as weapons. He used the presidency as a moral pulpit to encourage those “captive peoples” who were being suppressed by Russia and the communist world. His public and very vocal and encouraging voice of support for people under the Russian or communist jackboot was literally constant. It was very important to those people, as anyone from the former communist world will fondly tell you today. They adore Reagan. It’s no coincidence that today they build statues to Reagan in Poland and elsewhere in the former Communist Bloc.

On the broader question of ideological differences between President Reagan and President Obama, Kengor draws a distinction between Reagan's focus on the individual and Obama's focus on the collective. In Kengor's view, as reflected in the fact that President Obama "constantly extolls what he calls “collective action,” while decrying the opposing individualist caricature of the "John Wayne hero who comes in to correct things with both guns blazing,

"Barack Obama, in his beliefs, his actions, his choices, and above all his ideology, is really the anti-Reagan and the anti-Reagan conservative."

Be sure to read the full interview for Kengor's views on these and many more topics.