Was Reagan one of our best Presidents?

Answer 1

Reagan wasn't one of our best Presidents, he was our BEST President.

When Reagan entered office, we were mired in the malaise of the Carter administration. Americans had largely lost faith in the future. Everyone was gloomy, talking about how our best days were behind us, and that no one would ever live as well again as the WWII era people did.

But Reagan turned everything around. I remember a cartoon in which Reagan was depicted as Peter Pan, confidently telling skittish investors they could fly...... and they did. Our economy is much more robust due to Reagan's tax cuts for businesses that intested in R&D, much of which started the high tech boom we enjoy today.

Reagan made people proud to be Americans. He made investors confident about the economy. He even made people who were hopping mad at him not only adopt his point of view, but come out of a meeting thinking he was the greatest guy on earth..... even though he didn't give them what they wanted. Here is one observation from White House correspondent Peggy Noonan:

"I remember specifically a group of mayors from big cities, livid about cuts to their welfare programs, school-lunch programs, etc. They were there to give the president a scolding; they were going to tell him. And in they'd march. Two hours later, out they came. We were all ready with the cameras and the mikes to get their version of the telling off. But they were all little lambs, subdued. . . . He had charmed them."

I absolutely had to answer this question when I read the response from "l33tnimda", who epitomizes Liberal "thinking". Instead of praising Reagan for standing tough with the Russians and forcing them to concede defeat in the Cold War, dismantle their empire, and set free their satellite countries in Eastern Europe, he wrote this about Reagan instead: "He kept the Cold War going and preserved the Us Vs. Them mentality that is even stronger today. I am sure the Cold War would still be going if Gorbachev had not thrown in the towel."

Is that hilarious or what? As Margaret Thatcher observed, Reagan "won the Cold War without firing a shot", but "l33tnimda", admits that Reagan's efforts ended the Cold War, but gives the credit to Gorbachev. Absolutely astounding. Reagan out-negotiated the befuddled Russian leader, but this guy gives credit to the loser. Unreal.

Answer 2

YES! The Great Communicator! Reagan, was a patriot. A true American who thought it an HONOR to serve his country. He was in it for the LOVE OF AMERICA.

Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, and in doing so defeated Communism. He lowered the taxes dramatically, and in doing so created the longest period of sustained economic growth this nation has ever experienced. One of Reagan’s first acts after taking office was to raise military pay by fifty per cent! He didn’t like government waste, but he knew how to spend money where it counted.

His other major goal was to rescue America from the slavery of big government and over-taxation. Reagan often said, “Government is not the solution; government is the problem.”

Ronald Reagan’s optimism and pride in America crushed the defeatism and cynicism that had overtaken our nation before he took office. President Reagan honored the Office of the Presidency. He was always attired in a suit and tie when he was in the Oval Office. Once when an aide suggested he remove his jacket during a meeting, he answered in his soft voice, “Oh, I could never take off my coat in the Oval Office.” Old fashioned? Perhaps. But I would much rather see that kind of respect for the Office (and the nation it represents) than the disgraces that took place in the Oval Office a few years ago.

Ronald Reagan was a man of the people. He understood regular Americans as few politicians ever have or will........we need another Reagan conservative in the White House!

Answer 3

Reagan got us back on the Imperial track after Carters failed experiment in national inner discovery. He kept the Cold War going and preserved the Us Vs. Them mentality that is even stronger today. I am sure the Cold War would still be going if Gorbachev had not thrown in the towel. There are signs that the Cold War is coming back. What an excellent idea! Trickle down economics? I wonder why that hasn't worked. I don't feel like any of the billions that the ultra-rich are hoarding have trickled down to me. A lot of Americans can barely pay their mortgage AND have health insurance for their entire family at the same time. Trickle down indeed! More like trickle up and stay there. A tax cut for the rich. Best president. HA!

Answer 4

Speaking as an interested but perhaps more objective observer (I am Canadian), I would have to say that from a historical and international perspective Reagan stands comfortably as the greatest Twentieth Century President.

For all the complaints we can have about life in this century, terrorism, climate change, immigration, and what have you, they all pale in comparison to the very real threat of Thermo-Nuclear Holocaust. Global warming? How about a million degrees in your city?

Reagan was widely reviled by many for being "trigger happy", "dangerously-insane", "unreasonable", "senile", "war-mongering". Other more venomous epithets were leveled at him from a largely hostile leftist media.

But he had the vision to realize that forcing the USSR to stand down and come into the circle of civilized nations was the most important duty he had to not only America, but to the entire free world. The Russians were afraid of him.

When I was born, only about a quarter of the world was arguably "free" By the end of the Reagan era, about half or more. Even that quarter of Earth that is China is freer because of the world conditions that are Reagans's legacy. The threat of a major global war has now all but disappeared.



Thanks to Reagan, we have the luxury of "only" having economic, climate and terrorism problems (in that order).

Every president has/had flaws, but I sincerely hope you put his head on Mount Rushmore someday.

Answer 5

For me personally, yes. He had conviction and was not afraid to do what he thought was right.

PBS did a good Think Tank on his legacy. Here is the start.

Ronald Reagan’s presidency began amid the Iran hostage crisis and economic turmoil. When he left in 1989, America was prosperous, and the Soviet Empire was in decline. But the intervening years were not without controversy and scandal. Who was Ronald Reagan, and what is the enduring legacy of his presidency?

I think that sums it up nicely.

http://www.pbs.org/thinktank/show_817.html

Answer 6

Reagan was truly one of the best Presidents we have ever had, Who set the bar so high, He is still getting hatred from the left....

Answer 7

You bet he was. The economy was in deep trouble under Jimmy Carter. Unemployment rose to over 10%, mortgage interest rates went up to 18%, car loans 21 to 22%. What a nightmare that was!

Reagan pulled us out of the mess and got us back on our feet! He was reelected by a landslide. I absolutely adored that man!

Answer 8

YES. he was one of the only presidents in the history of the world that was able to avoid some violent conflict. and he didn't like the french. everybody everywhere even German dictators knew you can't give Ronald any crap. Washington, Lincoln and Regan our my top 3... what did the have in common. They believe in the one true God.

Answer 9

If we divide the list of presidents in thirds he is at the top of the middle third. He is seen by experts as better than most but not as good as at least a third of them.

Answer 10

YES When he give the air controllers the boot the euros did not believe it that alone made him the best