Oh puh_leeeeeez. Reagan was handed a pinto and turned it into a Ferrari. The US was becoming a joke. Our military was a wreck and still hadn't recovered from Vietnam, our top tax rates will killing us, terrorists were pushing us around, our economy was stumbling, Russia was somewhat of a paper tiger but no one really knew that. To say that Reagan was just lucky is really ignorant. Reagan saw where this country could go when no one else on the planet believed him. Reagan's confidence and optimism and policies lead the US out of the hole. Reagan might not have faced WWII or the great Depression, but no one ever did a better job of leading this country. Of course we owe everything to Washington on leading the revolution and I would put no American above him.
There is no doubt that the military was in bad shape after Vietnam, but it was still, by far, the most powerful in the world. As for terorists, Reagan cut and ran from Lebanon when the Marine Barracks were hit. He aided the Islamic forces in Afghanistan against the Soviet invaders, but their victory eventually spawned the Taliban and bin Laden. The economy rebounded under Reagan's tax cut, but the budget deficit increased rapidly.
The Reagan administration ran budget deficits in each of its eight years. The lowest deficit was $188.6 billion in FY1989 and the highest was $311 billion in FY1983. The Reagan years added $1.94 trillion to the national debt and averaged annual deficits of $242.23 billion.
In the Reagan years, the federal workforce increased by 3,000 employees.
During the Reagan years the unemployment rate was 9.7%, 9.6%, 7.5%, 7.2%, 7.0%, 6.2%, 5.5%, and 5.3% respectively. Those eight years average an unemployment rate of 7.3%.
During the Reagan years the percentage growth of federal non-defense spending was and 7.70%, 6.71%, 4.34%, 11.08%, 3.37%, 0.70%, 7.20% and 8.52% respectively. Those eight years average a growth rate of 6.20%.
Reagan signed off on the infamous 1983 sellout agreement on Social Security.
To say that Reagan was just lucky is really ignorant. Reagan saw where this country could go when no one else on the planet believed him. Reagan's confidence and optimism and policies lead the US out of the hole.
You used the word lucky, not me. I said compared to other "great" Presidents, Reagan had it reasonably better than Washington, Lincoln, and FDR. Our national survival was not at stake to the degree those Presidents had to deal with nor did Reagan have the same kinds of challenges. Reagan was leading the most powerful country in the world, militarily and economically.
Reagan might not have faced WWII or the great Depression, but no one ever did a better job of leading this country. Of course we owe everything to Washington on leading the revolution and I would put no American above him.
I am not disparaging Reagan, but rather, putting his performance in perspective. Washington led this country in war against an enemy with superior fire power and experience. He set the bar for the Presidency and how that office would function. Lincoln had to deal with a Civil War and preserving the Union. FDR led this nation through the Depression and to victory in the greatest war the world has ever seen. Truman rebuilt a shattered Europe with the Marshall Plan, turned Japan into an ally, stemmed the tide of communism in Europe and Korea, and established intstitutions like NATO and the UN. Reagan did not have the same kinds of challenges nor the same level of accomplishments.
A President's greatness is often thrust upon him due to circumstances. IMO Reagan was a good President, not a great one. It will take 50 to 100 years before we can look back at his administration to place it in the proper historical context.