Opinion of Ronald Reagan

[Lincoln Republican]

I guess Clark Clifford summed Reagan best: "an amiable dunce".

Well, this "amiable dunce" became an extremely popular two term President of the United States, while Clifford is most remembered as a key figure in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International scandal, which led to a grand jury indictment.

Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge were both extremely popular presidents when they were in office too.

As were FDR and Eisenhower, so I fail to see your point in relation to Reagan and Clifford.

[SWE]

I guess Clark Clifford summed Reagan best: "an amiable dunce".

Well, this "amiable dunce" became an extremely popular two term President of the United States, while Clifford is most remembered as a key figure in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International scandal, which led to a grand jury indictment.

Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge were both extremely popular presidents when they were in office too.

As were FDR and Eisenhower, so I fail to see your point in relation to Reagan and Clifford.

My point being is that popularity in office =/= being a good president

[Maxwell]

Gallup put together this amazing group of polls on Presidential approval, and the thing is: Reagan wasn't that popular of a President. The numbers seemed to work at the absolute right times, but in general, Reagan was certainly no JFK in terms of numbers.

[Goldwater]

Gallup put together this amazing group of polls on Presidential approval, and the thing is: Reagan wasn't that popular of a President. The numbers seemed to work at the absolute right times, but in general, Reagan was certainly no JFK in terms of numbers.

This makes sense. I know a lot of Republicans who like JFK, but not many Democrats that like Reagan. He's a very polarizing President. I think a good comparison would be LBJ.

[Lincoln Republican]

I guess Clark Clifford summed Reagan best: "an amiable dunce".

Well, this "amiable dunce" became an extremely popular two term President of the United States, while Clifford is most remembered as a key figure in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International scandal, which led to a grand jury indictment.

Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge were both extremely popular presidents when they were in office too.

As were FDR and Eisenhower, so I fail to see your point in relation to Reagan and Clifford.

My point being is that popularity in office =/= being a good president

I agree with your statement about popularity and being a good President, however, I was responding to a statement that supposedly Clifford made about Reagan, and my reply was that Reagan went much further in public life than Clifford ever did, comparing Reagan to Clifford, not to other Presidents.

[Mordecai]

Reagan ended the Cold War, making the world a safer place.

Lol no, it was the work of many Presidents, three of them Republicans.

Reagan fueled an economic boom that lasted two decades.

Lol no. And he was also responsible for this guy.

Reagan rebuilt America's armed forces whereby the U.S. was able to pursue a policy of peace through strength, reversing the weakening of the military during the Carter administration.

Yes he did preside over a Defense build-up, but to the extent it may have become unnecessary with boondoggles like Star Wars.

Following the anguish of Vietnam and Watergate, and the malaise and negativism of the Carter years, Reagan gave the nation a new reason for optimism instead of pessimism for the future.

That's not an accomplishment and something that could arguably be said about Obama if you just changed a few words. Entirely subjective.

Reagan laid the framework with Gorbachev for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which reduced both countries’ arsenals of nuclear weapons.

This is the only good one, but Nixon, Ford and Carter got the ball rolling on that one.

Now, I realize some of you despise Reagan with a passion, and would not admit that Reagan actually had some remarkable achievements and successes as President, but you are free to hold your very narrow view of the world if you wish.  

Anyway, these are some of Reagan's achievements, and are historical facts, and if ya wanna deny history, go ahead, and if ya don't like em, lump em.  I could care less.

That you had to pad it with meangingless bullsh**t kind of goes to show that Reagan didn't have a lot going for him. It seems a lot of conservatives latch on to him because he's the only one they could reasonably be proud of (Eisenhower was too moderate, Nixon was a disgrace and I have no idea why they don't like Bush 41) and call a "true conservative". Not very impressive.

[Lincoln Republican]

Reagan's detractors will to go to any length to deny his accomplishments, as proven above.

They simply refuse to accept the fact that he had considerable positive accomplishments during his Presidency.

[Mordecai]

You padded his achievements with a lot of fluff and overemphasized Reagan's role, to the detriment of other Republican Presidents (namely Bush Sr., Ford and Nixon). You then cripple the credibility of your own argument when you claim all of them to be historical fact.

[Lincoln Republican]

I agree that Nixon, Ford and Bush had positive accomplishments as well, even George W Bush had positive accomplishments.

I am also more than willing to credit Carter, Clinton, and Obama for their positive accomplishments as well.