Reagan, just past his 100th Birthday.
Sunday was the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan. As it was Superbowl Sunday; HBO showed their new documentary movie last night instead. It was well done and I thought pretty well balanced, no simple view of the man, no right-wing idolatry of him and non of the left-wing making him into either a figure head or villain. I recommend it highly. I also caught part of the PBS American Experience special on Reagan which is part one of two. I have it recorded and look forward to seeing the rest of it.
In a nutshell, Reagan was effectively spying on Hollywood as Union President for the FBI. He was truly as anti-communist as you can get even back in those days when he idolized FDR and the New Deal. Throughout the 50s he grew conservative very fast fuel mostly by his anti-communism from what I can see. His rise to politics began with the Speech. This was a speech for Barry Goldwater’s Presidential run in 1964. He came out of this campaign effort with more Republican interest than Goldwater did. Goldwater was not compelling, Reagan was compelling and charismatic. Shortly they convinced him to run for Governor of California. He won fairly easily. Part way through his first term he was convinced to run for President but barely showed this time. He of course ran again in 1976 against the incumbent Gerald Ford and nearly pulled it out. Many think he would have beat Carter but it is hard to dislodge an incumbent, even an accidental one like Ford. Finally he ran in 1980 and won by a huge margin.
He inherited a country in terrible shape. Morale was low, the economy was terrible and the military in a bit of a shambles. Inflation was rampant and common opinion was America was fading and slowly losing the Cold War. Losing Vietnam and the Hostage Crisis under Carter were big reasons for this. The mechanical failures of the rescue attempt probably drove home how pathetic our military had been allowed to get for the average American. The Blue Collar workers, especially the older ones that were New Dealers were largely confused and repulsed by the rioting and chaos of the 60s and 70s and turned away from the Democrats. Reagan wooed and won the Theocrats (and thus set in motion the destruction of the classic Republican Party in my mind). He brilliantly defeated Carter in the debates. He made many feel that America could rise again, that the Cold War could be won.
Well he won and won easily. Carter is a joke to most people to this day. But Reagan inherited a terrible economy and in the short term his policies cutting taxes and increasing the military actually made the recession worse. His getting shot and his handling of it actually might be the only reason his tax cuts made it through a Democratic house. At least this is what the HBO Documentary stated. I tend to agree with this view. By 1982 his poll numbers were down to Carter levels of 35%. He gave a few speeches and the economy did turn around. Our military might started re-asserting itself. The oil crisis was a thing of the past. By 1984 election* his poll numbers were much better and Walter Mondale of course ran a lackluster campaign and Reagan was re-elected in one of the largest landslides of all times.
Things got darker though, Iran-Contra happened from good intent and a total disregard for law and constitution. It will forever be the darkest mark on his Presidency. His deficit spending was the worst peace time example to that point though I believe he did not consider peace time in his heart but was living up to his 40 year goal of ending the Cold War with a victory. On the positives, he worked hard and well with Gorbachev to thaw relations with the Soviet Union. To work towards disarmament. Along the way, he strengthened our ties to England greatly with a mutual admiration society between himself and Maggie Thatcher. This relation would stand both countries in good stead for years to come. His is a very mixed legacy. He probably should be credited with winning the Cold War but I notice few give him credit for it now.
His record on Aids was dismal. He ignored it until it struck home in his old friend Rock Hudson, and then he finally acknowledged the problem. There is no defense of this though there is an explanation. In the circle of his advisors, older conservatives, this was strictly a “gay issue” for years and they did not care. Sad but true and it took Nancy and his son Ron to finally get him to care. Far later than he should have.
I figure there is plenty here worthy of debate. Let me hear it.
*FTR: I was a young Republican back then and worked towards his re-election and 1984 was the election I could vote in and I did vote for him happily.
