Input appreciated

[phantomsangel.livejournal.com]

Hello, everyone,

I hope this isn't too off topic, since it doesn't contain anything 'fannish'. If it is, please let me know and I will delete it.

For my history class, I am required to write a paper on the topic given by my professor: Who is America's most successful President from 1974-2000? I have been thinking about it and think I am going to go with Reagan(big surprise, no?). I would greatly appreciate what others thing about the question, especially if your answer is also Reagan. What do you deem his greatest successes? Could you perhaps recommend some nice websites I could use?

Any and all help and opinions are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! :) I love this community so much. It's great I know I'm not alone in my politics...a feeling I often get at college.

(apologies for cross-posting)

Comments

[sopdetly.livejournal.com]

I can't really help you with your question...I'm not a history buff, and the only 2 presidents I really "remember" are Clinton and GWB, though in my family Reagan is King. But I just wanted you to know that posting this here seems fine to me. No worries on that front, and good luck with your paper!

[lemonlye.livejournal.com]

Sure, we can be fangirly about Reagan. :)

That would be my choice too. I say this not because of stuff I actually remember from that era (I was just a kid), but from things I've read since. Ann Coulter has a good chapter or two on how he pretty much led Soviet Communism to its demise, in her book Treason (and how everyone pretends he had nothing to do with it).

Of course, if it's for a college class you may also have to explain why Soviet Communism was actually a bad thing. ;)

[phantomsangel.livejournal.com]

Of course, if it's for a college class you may also have to explain why Soviet Communism was actually a bad thing. ;)

LOL! So very true!

I've been meaning to put Ann's book on my Christmas list. And read it in front of my liberal roomate who hates her. Read it a lot. And quote it. A lot. :)

[lemonlye.livejournal.com]

Hee hee. Ann's pretty darn caustic in that book, but she brings some important things to light. And some of her zingers against the lefties are hilarious (if mean). :)

[dirae.livejournal.com]

Reagan was dubious of his inherited containment policy and he was reluctant to negotiate so-called “paper moon” treaties with the Soviets because of a genuine distrust. Most importantly, he regarded the Cold War as winnable and created a plan to achieve this goal.

Insiders dubbed this plan “The Reagan Doctrine”. Reagan based his plan on the supposition that direct military, economic and political pressure against communist governments would strain the Soviet Union’s military and economic system to a point where they could not compete. He felt that the Sovietization of the third world had to be reversed as well. The so-called “Reagan Doctrine” threw economic and political support for insurrectionary movements in third world countries where Marxist-Leninist communism had been launched. The major difference between this doctrine and earlier ones (such as the Truman, Eisenhower, and Carter doctrines) was the fact that Reagan emphasized a “cure” while the others sought “prevention”.

His domestic achievements are a little more of a mixed bag – for example, he pushed for a tax cut but then he signed one of the largest tax increases in recent history. Also, during his first term, the president sought to shift dozens of federal programs to the state and local levels under his system of "new federalism." Officials in these jurisdictions complained that promised federal aid to implement the programs was inadequate. However, despite such things, Reagan displayed an air of pride and confidence and after 2 decades of decline, there was an explosive increase in citizen trust in the government.

The following websites are great sources: Reagan and the Soviets (http://www.reagan.dk/newintro.htm)
The Reagan Era Report (http://home.att.net/~mwhodges/1980-88.htm)
Reagan Belongs on Kings Row (http://www.opinionjournal.com/hail/under.html?id=65000721)

Hope this helps...

-K.

[claddagh.livejournal.com]

I too consider Reagan to be the most successful president within that time period. I believe that his greatest accomplishment as a conservative was indexing the tax brackets to inflation. This meant that Congress couldn't allow inflation to let people creep into a higher tax bracket and then give them a "tax cut," when what they really experienced was a reduction in real wages and buying power. It brought more honesty to the system.

[lucky13xxx.livejournal.com]

From the non-substantiated corner:

Everyone blasts Bush for 'ruining' the economic golden years provided by Clinton. No one recalls that the economy was booming during Regan's reign... The Nasdaq is now at 9000+, where it was during the Regan years, but it's being trashed as a weak economy. Puh-lease...

From a GenXer who was a Reagan Teen

[(Anonymous)]

I can tell you as a person who was in highschool when he was president why he was successful : he refused to listen to the pessimistic claims that after Viet Nam, America not only wasn't any good, but had NO RIGHT to call itself good any more. I know this attitude well, because I was a child during the last part of VietNam and remember well the hatred so many had of the VietNam vets...for no other reason than they had committed their lives to defending our country. Militarism was met with horror, not respect or admiration. When Reagan entered the scene, he reminded Americans of how blessed we were as a nation. You've no idea what it meant to hear Reagan tell us highschool students that it was not only OKAY to be proud of our country, it was a GOOD thing to be American. This was met with either derision or relief.

I cant think of any good books right off hand that would be good for Reagan research off the top of my head, but Rush Limbaugh's first book would be a good start. Don't let yourself get sidetracked by all the little niggly arguments. The fact was Reagan was a DIFFERENT kind of politician, one that neither the Democrats OR Republicans had seen before, and it meant SO MUCH to the rest of us Americans.

Plus he was DAMN funny....even when he had been shot.

Sharon Ferguson
http://www.brazoscantina.com

Re: From a GenXer who was a Reagan Teen

[phantomsangel.livejournal.com]

Wow. Very good explanation. Thank you very much for responding.

I kind of wish I were old enough to remember Reagan as President. :) I've read some quotes of his and he was very funny. The more I read about him the more I love him.

Thanks again!