Is Obama the Democratic Reagan? [View All]

[liberalpragmatist]

Reagan was a beloved figure for the right, worshipped from the get-go. Could we be seeing the same stirrings on the left with Obama?

Of course, we've been through this before, to some degree. Mario Cuomo certainly had the potential to "Our Reagan" but he himself opted not to run for President in either '88 or '92 when the nomination was his if he wanted it. His moment passed, and we were left simply to think about what could have been (or not, if you were never as impressed by him.)

And in some ways, of course, Clinton was "our Reagan" - despite not having a 49-state landslide reelection (the thing that more than anything solidified Reagan's reputation as the country's most popular president, despite it's falsity). He was as popular, moreso, in fact, than Reagan at the end of his term, and he demonstrated the same kind of appeal and communication skills as Reagan. However, Clinton never revitalized the left, never redefined the country as meaningfully for the left as Reagan did for the right. I mean no disrespect towards Clinton for this - I think he was an enormously competent President who history will judge favorably. But he still fits within the historical context of a period of Conservative dominance that Reagan, more than anyone, helped to establish firmly.

Obama, I tentatively hope, has the potential to be "our Reagan", and more than a few people close to Obama say, off the record (according to sources), that Obama, unlike Cuomo (who was always ambivalent about a national campaign), DOES have national aspirations. With his communication skills and his ability to appeal to nontraditional demographics and even Conservatives, could we have an "Age of Obama" some 8 or 12 years down the road?

Here's to hoping. :kick: