Rate the Presidents, Installment #40: Ronald Reagan

[ScottieF]

Two stars. Destructive, but transformative. He did not win the Cold War but rather deserves some credit for working with Gorbachev. More than anyone else he capitalized on the deep mistrust in government resulting from Vietnam, Watergate, and the incompetency of the Carter Administration, ushering in the destruction of the middle class that flourished in the postwar years. Iran Contra and his assisting the Taliban were additionally abominable.

[ScottieF]

Reagan beat LBJ. Don't anyone dare claim this is a left-wing forum again.

muh vietnam war

[ScottieF]

Reagan beat LBJ. Don't anyone dare claim this is a left-wing forum again.

Well, the Vietnam war matters to people, you know.

Because diehard pacifist Reagan would never have got us into this mess, amirite?

Of course he would have. But the fact is that LBJ was the one who did it, not Reagan.

Every President's actions must be judged in context. Yes, LBJ escalated Vietnam and that proved to be a terrible decision in hindsight, but what people forget is that any other politician at the time would have done pretty much the same. I don't see why LBJ should bear a particular blame for having been around at the time when this happened.

Couldn't agree more. Any president would have gotten us into Vietnam. Not every president would have pulled off the Great Society. What irritates me are the people who give him one star for Vietnam without giving any credit for the fact that he is maybe the most accomplished president ever in terms of domestic policy (except maybe FDR).