Reagan = GW Bush??

[piece-it pete]

It may be unseemingly to mention this so close to the funeral but in reality we're all doing it anyway!

Differences:
1) Reagan = the great communicator. Bush = not.
2) Reagan = got hit with Iran/Contra. Bush = nothing.
That's all I can think of.

Similarities:
1) Economic policy, including tax cuts and deficit spending.
2) Military policy: increased defense spending, look for new tech. and tactics.
3) Foreign policy: Tough, no BS attitude towards enemies. Both called dangerous cowboys internationally. Both built behind-the-scenes and open coalitions of staunch supporters worldwide. Both ignored world opinion when neccessary.
4) Both will say "Good" and "Evil", and apply them to specifics.
5) Both acknowledged God.
6) Both delegate a lot.
_________________

It's a shame IMO that GWB doesn't do a better job on perceptions, in this country (and many others) perception IS the reality to most voters.

Any adds?

Pete

[Keith from Canada]

It may be unseemingly to mention this so close to the funeral but in reality we're all doing it anyway!

Differences:
1) Reagan = the great communicator. Bush = not.
2) Reagan = got hit with Iran/Contra. Bush = nothing.
That's all I can think of.

Similarities:
1) Economic policy, including tax cuts and deficit spending.
2) Military policy: increased defense spending, look for new tech. and tactics.
3) Foreign policy: Tough, no BS attitude towards enemies. Both called dangerous cowboys internationally. Both built behind-the-scenes and open coalitions of staunch supporters worldwide. Both ignored world opinion when neccessary.
4) Both will say "Good" and "Evil", and apply them to specifics.
5) Both acknowledged God.
6) Both delegate a lot.
_________________

It's a shame IMO that GWB doesn't do a better job on perceptions, in this country (and many others) perception IS the reality to most voters.

Any adds?

Pete

You are quite right to point out these fact...GWB has very similar tendencies to Reagan during his time as President...I don't think too many people would dispute that. Their tendencies may have been similar but their actions were quite different however. From what I have read about Reagan, he was VERY careful about what battles he chose to fight and which ones he didn't...just like he was very careful about what social issues to tackle and which ones to avoid.

In terms of economics, Bush is using an economic model that was propped-up by Reagan (which he in turn 'borrowed' from Thatcher) during his tenure as President. It is an interesting model to say the least and there is considerable dispute among even the most seasoned economists over just how good the 'cut-tax/reduce social spending' economic models work...especially in the long-run. I know that we had a similar model to that in Ontario Canada that most economists agree worked very well at the beginning (after a recession) but that it failed to drive the economy over the longer term. My reading of economics seems to indicate that such an economy works only as long as it keeps being fed. In short, you must continually reduce taxes (primarily business tax) and reduce social spending to maintain upward momentum in the economy. Failure to do so = stagnation. The one thing that I do know is that what sounds like a simple economic theory (e.g. Reaganomics) is actually considerably more complicated than either those on the left or the right would like to admit.

[Chris]

One other difference between the two:

Reagan = alienated minority voters almost completely
Bush = made an effort to attract the hispanic vote

A similarity:

They both had a way of getting ahold of the conservative Democrat vote (Reagan a little more successful than Bush). However, it looks as though Bush might not be able to hold on to that come November.