I oppose Ron Paul on his position on the Ground Zero mosque and his foolish foreign policies. I admire Reagan for standing up strong to Communism and the unions.
However, I am one of those who was disappointed that Reagan did not go far enough. In his time, Reagan was criticized for racking up more debt than the combined debt of all presidents before him. I would have loved to see him cut down the government. That is where he failed.
I'm still waiting for a pro-life, anti-Communist, anti-Islamist, small government fiscal conservative to become POTUS. Guess I just have to keep waiting.
The GOP didn't control the House purse strings during the Reagan years and Speaker Tip O'Neil wasn't about to let Reagan dismantle the welfare state. Reagan was successful in reducing overall federal spending as a percentage of GDP, along with slowing down the growth of the welfare state and shifting those funds to his defense buildup. On several specific issues I was not satisfied with the outcome, even though Reagan was not entirely to blame and had little control over some events. But I was NEVER disappointed in Reagan. Having the lowest income tax rates (28%) since Calvin Coolidge in 1925 (25%) was an historic accomplishment that helped kick start a 17 year economic boom.
>>>>>>That is where he failed.
Now you sound like that libertarian kook, Ron Paul.