This contemporary article was published in 2009, soon after Obama taking office. The shift from right to left-wing politics inspired journalists to reflect on previous Republican presidents. Reagan was undoubtedly one of the United States' most iconic and loved presidents (especially among southerners). The American presidency has often acted as a pendulum - swinging from left to right-wing each time. Reagan succeeded Jimmy Carter, a Democratic optimist, yet Reagan provided a harsher ethic to the major issues facing the nation at the time, i.e. drug abuse, foreign relations, discrimination.
The above article takes the approach the perceived view of Reagan as a great change for the country who could bring order and justice were mere cover-ups to the infamous Southern Strategy for white, working class voters who held the majority of the voting power and capitalist intention. While Reagan's presidential tone was one of optimism and limiting the power of government, his actions proved somewhat different his promise. It notes that the amount CEOs earned over the average worker rose to over 100x over. This set the path for a capitalist right-wing to continue this trend in the Bush administration.
The interesting parts of this article emerge from the beginning section which aims to defuse many myths of the Reagan presidency that he created great foreign ties and ended the Cold War; when in actuality, the decrease in tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union truly started in the 1970s under Nixon, Ford, and Carter. This also highlights the rise of neo-conservatism which started under Nixon's reign but reached its peak under Reagan, allowing conservative-leaning Democrats to make the leap to the Republican side under their foreign policies.
This article is useful in highlighting the reasons why Reagan was and is hated by the Democratic party - for example, creating a legacy of institutional racism, raising foreign tensions, losing control of environmental standards. Beyond this, the text shows why Republicans hailed him as an icon of the party - because he started the clean-up of the mess left by the previous 1960/1970s presidents, even if Parry disputes their reasoning. While the article debated issues surrounding internationalism and finance, it could have benefited from the inclusion of Reagan's controversial social policies, whether his optimism was a mere facade or true of his presidency, and his relationship with Bush I and how his legacy has impacted the political landscape today.
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