Why are Republicans obsessed with Reagan?

[Stoner710]

I’m Republican I think Reagan was a good president but I don’t think he was in the top 5 top five at no specific order,

I Donald Trump

Abraham Lincoln

George Washington

Teddy Roosevelt

Calvin Coolidge

Reagan might be sixth but I also think Benjamin Harrison was a very good president especially since he was the first president ever to give pensions to veterans of the Civil War he was hugely unpopular and even though he beat Grover Cleveland when he ran against him he lost when he ran against Grover Cleveland the second time Grover Cleveland was I do nothing president

[nightdrot]

Actually, obsessed with Reagan? All the discussion these days is about Mr. Trump. A presidency that failed after one term and that divided the country more than not.

By contrast, certainly by far, Lincoln was the best President. Washington exceeds Reagan as well. As to Coolidge and Theodore Roosevelt, Reagan was a noted fan of the former. As to the latter, he was undoubtedly a formidable figure, but his populism had many of the same disruptive effects as Mr. Trump's, if not as quite as pronounced.

That said, a fair case can be made that Reagan's was one of the most effective and consequential presidencies of the 20th century, if not in all of American history. Three issues, two specific, the third more general, buttress this claim. Inflation, the Cold War and the national mood.

In the first, as Robert Samuelson wrote in his book, The Great Inflation,' by the end of the 1970s, galloping inflation had almost come to be accepted among policymakers as the systemic condition of democracy. That democratic electorates would not tolerate the policy changes necessary to reign it in.

Thus, by 1979, the rate of inflation hit 14.5% - the highest annual rate in peacetime and 13.1% by 1980 - the first time the country had experienced back-to-back years of double digit inflation in peacetime. Reagan, unlike previous presidents, refused to pressure the Fed to idle back on interest rates, and in tandem with his tax cuts that provided an offsetting stimulus, brought inflation down to 1.1% by 1986, breaking the back of inflationary expectations.

In terms of the Cold War, it is hard to recall the degree to which it was seen as a permanent fixture of international affairs - with its overtones of nuclear annihilation. As Kenneth Adelman points out in his book on the Reykjavik summit, Reagan intuited that the Soviet system was on the brink. A fact that Western intelligence agencies could not confirm until the eve of the summit when they discovered a secret speech that Soviet leader Gorbachev gave to the Soviet leadership.

Reagan's policies were seen as belligerent, but they had the effect of forcing the Soviets to push their defense spending to 42% of GDP. (For comparison, even at the height of WWII, U. S. defense spending reached only 32% of GDP.) This was unsustainable and in the end brought about the USSR's collapse, a fact that Gorbachev himself later confirmed in his own memoirs.

Finally, there was the change in the national mood. The nation experienced in the 1960s and 70s a level of social tumult it had not seen since the 19th century. (Not unlike the nation's current tensions.) Reagan's personal style helped to reduce this leading to the relative social peace of the 80s and 90s.

(This was captured brilliantly in a cartoon that showed a pollster asking a voter what he thought of Reagan's policies - #@*!! was the response. Next panel - What he thought of Reagan personally - "Oh nice guy, friendly, jovial'")

Add it all up and you have the case for Reagan's significance. By contrast, Trump's economic record was mediocre. 3% growth at his best year. His foreign policy was often tactically brilliant, but strategically vacuous - thus in the end not accomplishing what it might had Mr. Trump brought to the table a stronger sense of history and less a sense of his own greatness.

Finally, as far as his cultural impact. Mr. Trump's policies were not really more controversial than Reagan's. Yet Reagan left a nation united while Mr. Trump left a nation bitterly divided. That will be the epitaph of the Trump presidency in stark contrast to Reagan. Suffice to add that one wishes Republicans were more obsessed with Mr. Reagan - it would be better for both the GOP, and more importantly, for the nation.

[Stoner710]

Yea that’s not what k was taught in school I was taught Reagan was a horrible president with his trickle down economics, Iran contra, him tripling the national debt since Washington yup there with Wilson John Tyler and Hobert Hoover

[nightdrot]

Well, do a bit of research on the subject on your own. Reagan was a highly popular - in fact, he was the first President since Eisenhower to leave office more popular than when he came in - and definitely consequential figure.

He ended the New Deal-Fair Deal-Great Society era and until the election of Donald Trump Reaganism was the general national consensus that replaced it. Thus would Bill Clinton say before a joint session of Congress, "The era of big government is over." Thus Barak Obama was unable to get a national health care system out of a Democrat controlled Congress. (Obamacare was what Obama ended up settling for and was not what he had originally proposed or wanted.)

By no means does this mean Reagan was perfect. No more than any other President, good or bad. Yet, on balance, and this is a matter of weighing the goods and the bads, there is little doubt that Reagan was, as I say, one of the most consequential and effective Presidents of the 20th century, if not all American history.

As to Mr. Trump, I wrote this a while back, but I think it a fair analysis: Is Trump a good president? ↗ (It was rated MHO.)

[Stoner710]

That’s fair of course most consequential is George Washington. Now he was the first president neither Democrat nor Republican. But he had the power to declare himself king of the United States and the people the United States would’ve got for it at the time. I think it was at King George’s statement that said if he steps down he will be the greatest man of all time I think there’s a lot of truth to what King George said. (Ironically both named George)

But I see what you mean when it comes to Reagan and the most influential president of the 20th century and I found a Roosevelt because he’s a bad ass somebody new in the comments that Eisenhower was a really good president which I think you know he be in the top 10 it’s hard pressed to find Democrats other than maybe Andrew Jackson they were actually good presidents prior to FDR and that’s a stretch Kennedy was probably the best democrat president.

Obama I feel like screw the country of prior to trump especially in his run in 2012 and it was started by ironically Joe motherfucking Biden when he said Romney was going to put you back in chant do a black church. And Democrats thought they could rebuild the intersectional coalition that Obama created and it just ended up in more division of the country Republicans mostly united basically said fuck you were going to elect the guy who you thought Romney was, Trump was hugely popular in his own right for republicans, but it seems like he can bring even independence together to Vote for him the second time I like Reagan my mom was probably one of the few people that didn’t vote for Reagan either time. She didn’t vote for Carter either. I guess I was kind of raised to the negative bias towards Reagan so Really until this explanation I didn’t really understand it.

I have to ask what’s your degree are you a political science Astorian like I am or different?

[nightdrot]

In answer to your question, I have a B. A. double major in Communications and Political Philosophy. Also, I have lived and worked in Washington, DC, currently as a consultant, previously as a staffer for several Members of Congress - at different times, of course, the Helsinki Commission and RFE/RL.

As to your prior point, there is no doubt that FDR was a more consequential figure and one of the most influential Presidents. In fact, his New Deal - later augmented by Truman's Fair Deal and then significantly advanced by LBJ's Great Society - was the dominant political consensus for the nation until the end of the Carter years.

After that, as I noted, the Reaganite consensus dominated until the populist turn in politics and the Trump presidency. Note that Reagan accepted certain aspects of the New Deal consensus. The main difference is that where the New Deal-Fair Deal-Great Society consensus saw the welfare state as a tool for social engineering, the Reaganite consensus was more limited. It did not so much narrow the size of the welfare state as it narrowed the ambitions and ambit of the welfare state to a more ameliorative role.

Anyhow, without going into too much detail, post-FDR, Reagan and Lyndon Johnson were the most influential figures to sit in the White House. Obama was not really a significant figure and indeed, as I noted, his ambitions were limited by the dominant Reaganite consensus. Thus, for example, Obamacare from a Democrat Congress when what Obama wanted was universal health care.

[Stoner710]

Yea I got my degree in history and politics science graduate in March 2021 but can’t seem to find a job in the field. Probably because they live in a town where there’s 3407 people and the primary income is either farming of social security. The closest major city to me is Seattle and less I’m going to be a part of the left-wing coalition I’m not gonna get a job as a historian in Seattle. If I went to Miami or Dallas I probably find a at historian position.

That doesn’t make sense the populism of trump basically checkmated the Reaganites mainly because we got tired of the Reaganites caving to the Democrats constantly people like Mick Romney and Liz Cheney are not gonna last in the Republican Party much longer is elected position go.

[nightdrot]

On your first point, it might take a while, but why don't you try looking in Washington, DC, or failing that, Olympia. For DC, there are two job websites I recommend. Brad Traverse and Tom Manatos.

https://portal.traversejobs.com//loginform.cfm

https://tommanatosjobs.com/

Unfortunately, you have to pay for both, but they are quite good. Just beware, DC is expensive and at least on the Hill, salaries are not great.

As to your last point, not entirely true. VERY briefly. Reaganism unleased the economy that led to its transformation from a manufacturing/extractions based economy to a tech/service. As that happened, the Democrats moved to get the support of the college educated and lost the lower middle class to the Republicans.

In fact, the real rise in populism began in the Bush II administration. For more details, and I do disagree with him on some points, I recommend Matthew Continetti's somewhat sensationalistically title, "The Right: The 100 Year War for American Conservatism."

The title notwithstanding, it is an excellent and sober intellectual history of American conservatism. As I say, I disagree with Continetti on certain points, but overall I think you will find it interesting and helpful.

Best of luck and thanks for the "thumbs up."

[nightdrot]

P. S. By the way, also check on the Heritage Foundation. They have a job listing that they send out twice a week - Tuesday and Friday - that is free. It includes Capitol Hill jobs, think tanks, trade associations, foundations and jobs at Heritage itself.

You will have to go to the Heritage Foundation website to sign up for the job listing.

[Stoner710]

Thank you how’s prices in Virginia? I’ve lived on the west coast all my life I’m sure it’s not that far from vagina to DC. It takes you about 45 hours to get from seattle to Spokane east coast seems pretty small in comparison

[nightdrot]

Actually, I live in Falls Church, Virginia, which is a suburb of DC. I won't lie, rents are not cheap. However, once you get beyond the Metro lines, prices drop a bit. I've never lived on the West Coast so I don't have a sense of prices out there.

However, I am originally from Michigan, specifically what was an outlying exurb of Detroit - it would now be considered a suburb of Detroit as infrastructure has built up over the years. (I moved from Michigan to DC in 1988, so we are talking a while back.)

Bottom line, I was surprised by the price jump. That said, if you live in an outlying DC suburb and make about $95K - and are willing to tolerate a long commute because of the traffic congestion, or alternatively to park at a Metro (subway) station and take the Metro into town - you should be fine. You won't live extravagantly, but you'll do pretty well.

Hope that helps.

[Stoner710]

It does I’ve been to the east coast a few times but never lived outside of Washington (except Japan for a quarter in college). California is majorly (I could write the word major wait for the next billion years and it still with describe how expensive California is) eastern Oregon is not so expensive same with Washington unless your in the Spokane Ellensburg or tri cities not to sure about far eastern Oregon Pendleton is probably expensive because of the casino but it sure is alright cheap. Goldendale rent is about 500 a month because it’s the middle of no wear. Like there a sigh as your coming down that there no gas station for 50 miles. But that’s between Toppenish and Goldendale (Toppenish is a Yakima native word I love it went east coaster try to pronounce Washington names, so so so much native influences and words in the region)

[RolandCuthbert]

You do realize that Reagan won re-election by carrying 49 out of 50 states, right?

Trump couldn't even carry the popular vote.

The country loved Reagan. Not just Republicans.

It is amazing to me how little you folks know of American history. And how proudly ignorant you are.

[Stoner710]

Yea after the 1960s they didn’t teach us much, This is an issue in both high school and college, we don’t normally learn about the 80s or 90s. We tended to end with Nixon we greatly focus on ww2 and slavery. Of course who ever is the next republicans will probably win the entire country because Biden is so unpopular he keeps pissing off his bias independents and of course republicans are always pisted at him

[Stoner710]

We did learn a little bit about Reagan but all we really wanted about was diarrhea and contract trickle down economics apparently is horrible and the fact that he doubled our national debt since Washington they made Reagan look like he was up there as far as worst presidents goes like Woodrow Wilson and Andrew Johnson yes literally they taught us that he was out there with a guy who denied slavery reparations which they deserved. Hence why I was never a Reagan fan

[RolandCuthbert]

Yeah nothing you post here is making much sense.

Your point was about Reagan, the most beloved President in the modern era.

If you wanted to rant about Biden, why didn't you just name your post. . . my rant about Biden.

[Stoner710]

That’s wasn’t suppose to be a rant about Biden just pointing out that we’re likely going to get the red maps like they did under Reagan.

Yea I was taught in school Reagan was horrible corrupt and did nothing good for the country putting him up there on the level of actually bad president like Andrew Johnson or Andrew Jackson and he spent his ass off and trickle down economics was the biggest failure of a president on the American economy since Hobert Hoover they painted him worse then trump. Hence why I was never a Reagan fan but you gotta understand I’ve only been alive for 5 President
bill Clifton
bush Jr
Obama
Trump
I always though the 2 best Presidents of my life time was Clinton and trump (Obama first term was good)

[saffoler]

Washington wasn't a Republican. He died before the party was established.

[TwoToTooTutu2]

He just said Presidents

[Stoner710]

True I was just mentioning who the my picks for top 5 president

[Anonymous]

I think Reagan had a way of bringing people out to vote that no Republican has since. Trump exceeded expectations but he ultimately brought out more so to vote against him. Eisenhower was a very underrated President. We had unprecedented wealth for the most part during his time and also look at the Civil Rights act of 1957 which passed under his presidency and prior to the Democrats Civil Rights act in the 60's. Bonus also look at the voting total for the 1957 Civil Rights act by party.

[Stoner710]

That’s true I would definitely put Eisenhower in the top 10 and think of the top 10 at the time I wrote this.

[Cubus]

He was a really good president for his hard stance on Soviet Union and him recovering the economy that was going through a recession in 70s. And he was very funny and liked to tell jokes.

[joeldalton]

Probably beause of this

[Stoner710]

Make sense, of course Carter wasn’t the least popular president in history until Biden broke his record

[joeldalton]

That was 84, when he went against Mondale. He beat Carter in 80

[KrakenAttackin]

You weren't alive when Reagan was President. He was exactly what this country needed when we needed it.

[Stoner710]

Yea I was born the first year of Clinton 1993

[exitseven]

I guess people remember fondly the Reagan years. Especially when they are dealing with all the crap we are dealing with today.

[love_conquers_lust]

Trickle Down economics. Which is what we’re trying to deal with right now. The difference is the gap has gotten too large.

[TwoToTooTutu2]

The Cold War and Booming Economy

[Anonymous]

He was an actor.