Lou Cannon: Mr. Trump, you're no Ronald Reagan.
Micheal Kinsley: Reagan's actual record should be seen as a complete failure.
Reagan’s presidency falls either
side of the love/hate line depending on your political
ideology. The 40th President is either an icon, the footsteps of
whom Republicans should follow, or a harbinger of a distinctly wrong political
direction. However, placing his achievements somewhere on the line, between the
two extremes, seems to be the most effective means of analysis because it seems to be another variable which separates the hagiography from the hate.
Reagan’s tenure is often referred
to as a golden age of conservative leadership. Small government and values
driven ideas made Reagan one of the most liked Presidents to ever take the job.
Many of his accomplishments however, seem to come down to character rather than
pragmatic ability. In his apologetically pro-Reagan article, Lou Cannon says, ‘Reagan was a comfortable and self-secure
politician. He had a self-deprecating sense of humour, believed in civil
discourse, possessed a generous spirit and realized that “compromise” is not a
dirty word in politics.’ (Washington Post, 2016). It’s quite clear how
Reagan is praised for intangible character traits instead of any major policy
success or concrete achievement. Despite this, it is via these characteristics
that Reagan connected with the American people so strongly. His apparent rise
from humble beginnings to Commander in Chief, the survived assassination attempt,
his immaculate stage craft gleamed from Hollywood and his old-age wisdom, all
had the effect of minimalising any failures or wrong doings - In the eyes of
the people Reagan could do no wrong.
The conundrum
then lies in the fact that he did do wrong, sometimes quite considerably so. ‘Reagan…proposed tax cuts and spending cuts,
pursuant to his vision of smaller government…almost none of these changes ever
happened.’ (Vanity Fair, 2016). Iran-Contra did happen, under Reagan’s watch and his ‘Reaganomics’ plan
somewhat backfired and created a rich, powerful investment class which still
plagues the shaky capitalist system in America today.
Both these articles choose a side to
Reagan’s presidency and either celebrate or criticise it, their polarity is
obviously problematic but it is indicative of the contrasting opinions toward
Reagan. Like every President in history, Reagan had both successes and failures,
but is held in particularly high esteem. This continued respect for the former
President apparently comes from his personality, rather than his politics for much
of the American public. It is in this suggestion that you see the importance of
character in American presidency, which Reagan seemingly championed.
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