Reply #14: Without Reagan there is no Bush [View All]

[aaronnyc]

Reagan was a true radical for his time; he pushed America and the Republican Party far to the Right. Reagan ended the era of Republican Party representing fiscal conservative libertarian ideals.

Reagan brought in the Religious Right - not Bush. To this day, both Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson say that Reagan is their favorite president.
Reagan was also the first Republican president to have total disregard for the fiscal responsibility; he ran up enormous deficits in his rush to cut taxes for the rich and to increase defense spending - once again Bush has simply followed in these foot steps.

Reagan also used racial code words to effectively bring down liberalism, and start a conservative revolution. He was also responsible for knocking traditional northeast "Rockefeller Republicans" out of party control, and pushing control of the party to the South and West.

I know this will not go well over here, but Bush does not represent some extreme wing of the GOP. He represents the mainstream of the Republican Party, and the next Republican presidential candidate will probably be just as conservative as Bush. Reagan put a great deal of the Party power structure in the hands of evangelical southerners; without their support it is nearly impossible to get the Republican nomination.

Reagan was personable enough to put a friendly face on extreme conservatism; thus, middle America which was terrified of Goldwater was willing to accept Reagan, Their acceptance of Reagan has subsequently led to their acceptance of the likes of Gingrich and Bush Jr.

I really don't see how Bush's policies are so much more conservative than Reagan's were. After Reagan's death I saw some liberals saying that he would be "rolling over in his grave" if he saw what Bush had done to America. Frankly, these people are either way too emotional regarding Bush, or they are using some revisionist history regarding Reagan.
If we are supposed to judge history by the context of their times, then Reagan should be considered much extreme than Bush ever was. Along those lines, I actually think that Reagan was probably worse than Bush.