Well what would Reagan do? He'd sign deficit exploding budgets, amnesty 3 million illegals, stump for nobody but himself during re-election, and fawn over Tip O'Neil.
Here is what Reagan said on his very first day in office about the man he beat.
Mr. President, I want our fellow citizens to know how much you did to carry on this tradition. By your gracious cooperation in the transition process, you have shown a watching world that we are a united people pledged to maintaining a political system which guarantees individual liberty to a greater degree than any other, and I thank you and your people for all your help in maintaining the continuity which is the bulwark of our Republic.
Coulter is getting less and less interesting to read. I can find Bush bashing from hundreds of liberal sources. I guess I'm just not as agrivated about Roberts being Chief SCOTUS as Coulter. I'm actually pretty damn pleased about it.
To be fair, Reagan had to deal with a democratic congress. He had to compromise to get anything done. He did use his veto - something that Bush has refused to do. He even had at least one veto overriden.
Amnesty was certainly a mistake but he did not encourage illegal immigration as Bush has done. In the post 9/11 world, securing the southern border should be a security priority, not a vote buying strategy.
As far as praising the Carter, every candidate is gracious to the person he ran against (except Gore) immediately after the election. It shows class and it's just a gesture - nothing more.