Why was Ronald Reagan an ineffectual president?

Question

I have a friend who told me that in the next twenty years, Ronald Reagan will be concidered one of the greatest presidents to have ever held office. It had always been my understanding that Ronald Reagan had been sort of an "absent" president. However, being that I was only born in 1986, I don't have a lot of recollection as to what made him this way. It would be great, if I could get a list of:

1. His Accomplishments
2. His Shortcomings

Let me go ahead and state that I don't believe his military spending policy didn't cause the fall of Communism in the USSR, at best it slightly decreased the timetable. Communism had been failing for years. It seems it was only a matter of time before the wall came down.


Thanks for the help

Answer 1

You are wrong. Reagan was one of the best and effective president. Look at Jimmy Carter administration. Reagan improve the military. Reagan long term economic policies in the 1980's generated the1990's growth. Reagan knew how to delegate and this is what great leaders do.

You are being brain wash by George Soros and his left wing wackos allies. Wake up and smell the coffee.

Answer 2

1. His Accomplishments
a. Rebuilt the US military which was reeling from post-Vietnam cut backs. Prior to Reagan the Army did not have money to train and buy new equipment.
b. His aggressive foreign policy put the Communists and the Russians in particular on the defensive.
c. Until Reagan the government grew unchecked and no one seriously talked about cutting back the government. Now it is the topic of every election.
d. Reagan armed and supported anti-Communist Resistance groups in El Salvador and Nicaragua. Today both are free from Communism.
e. Reagan deployed intermediate range missiles in Europe to counter the Soviet intermediate range missiles. This panicked the Russians and lead to the treaty that eliminated them. It was the first treaty that eliminated an entire class of nuclear weapons.
f. His tax cuts jumped started an economy in recession and continued until Bush 41 raised them to get Democratic support for Desert Shield/Storm.
g. a Common theme was how his optimism infected the country and helped pull us out of the malaise of the 60's/70's era.

Answer 3

I will say this about him (I was 16 years old in 1986) I would vote for him today!

As for Bush he needs to be impeached!

What reagan did was bring us from the brink of poverty, and yes his policies did bring down the USSR.
But you are right about the USSR being broke!

I rmeber when he took office our country was on the brink of huge poverty, and he did turn those things around.

It is to bad Bush felt like he had to repeat that, but when Bush took over our country was Just fine economicaly

Oh ea now the rich are richer but the poor are loosing everything just to pay for gas!

Answer 4

Reagan is totally overrated in my opinion. And as his son said one day on Hardball even he (President Reagan) would be shocked to be considered one of the greatest.

The thing about Reagan was his optimism and his clear message. He about drove the country into bankruptcy and he had that terrible Iran Contra Scandal where he was selling arms to Iran. Nobody brings that up in this current environment.

However, I did vote for him and I did like him. He wasn't a terrible president. But I'd put him in the middle.

The Soviet Union was bound to crumble, they just did so on his watch. He really had very little to do with that.

I guess I didn't answer your question, but this is my opinion.

Answer 5

Reagan delegated well. He did not micro manage and selected some pretty good people. I was one of the Reagan Democrats who voted for him. I don't regret my vote, but now with the rising tide of Neo-Cons, I regret giving them a platform to build on. Reagan was a good president...maybe even better than good...but great, I don't know

Answer 6

The man who was President before Reagan was Jimmy Carter, a peanut farmer and former Gov of Georgia. Under Carter's watch, interest rates rose to 20%, Americans were taken hostage in Iran, and we were largely dispirited.

Under Reagan, the hostages were freed, and he made Americans proud to be American again. He was very quick with a quip, and very witty. He surrounded himself with very smart people, and listened to them.

There is a reason it is referred to as the "Reagan Era".

Answer 7

Ronald Reagan was just a figurehead. The reps needed an actor to carry out their agenda & Ronnie with Nancy fit the bill perfectly.

Answer 8

America by nature is an excessive society. Jimmy Carter advocating conservation was at the time like Moses telling the Israelites to give up their idolatry gold worship in that movie "Ten Commandments".You know what happens when you don't preserve the garden.

Answer 9

The Reagan years were bad times for America. Thank God it's over. But George W came along...

Answer 10

No - he was a great President. He just liked running the USA in his pyjamas. After a nice breakfast.