Yep, me too. 76, 80 and 84. Great time.
As I said, the 2004 election outcome was a victory for the GOP across the board. No doubt about it. But I wouldn't call it a stunning success. Maybe the Democrats are astonished and in disbelief. Not me. It's a party mandate and I believe the President along with the GOP leadership will take advantage of this victory during the next two years. I hope and pray they act wisely and don't piss away this historical opportunity to change America.
>>>>Reagan's victory in 1984 was more personal than party.
Not really. The GOP controlled the Senate from 1981 through 1986 and that control gave Reagan a significant level of power during his negotiations with Speaker Tip O'Neill. The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 and Tax Reform Act of 1986 became law because of Reagan and the GOP Senate control.
I believe voter turnout wouldn't have BEEN this high if not for the memory of President Reagan. I don't mean because he passed away. The same thing would have happened if he were still alive. It's the memory of what life was like during his presidency that helped energize voters to bring in the man best suited to fight the war on terrorism, just as we once voted in the only man capable of ending the Cold War before it.
In a real way, we're still riding the wave of the Reagan legacy.