Reagan was a good president, but you are part of the mythology group. Reagan didn't increase the number of seats in both Houses, whilst President Bush has. Reagan TALKED about abortion, but President Bush got the ant-PBA Bill pushed through Congress and don't come back at me about how a court later nullified it; you can't blame the president for that. And while Reagan lowered tax brackets, he then went along with RAISING TAXES, several times over. President Bush has NOT done that! Reagan turned tail and ran, when our Marines were killed in Lebanon; President Bush is hanging tough in Afghanistan and in Iraq. And all of that is just for starters.
Bush says that he's pro-life, but he signed bills which gave money to Planned Parenthood and the World Health Organization, two groups who perform abortions. Bush's budgets increase spending, with a greater percentage of increase, than Clinton's budgets. The Depts. of HUD, HHS, and Education received at least 28% more in 2004 than in 2001. Bush wants to let some illegal immigrants stay in the U.S. longer. Reagan was conservative, and Bush isn't.
I wouldn't describe it that way. In his speech right after the bombing he made it clear why we were there, and why we had to stay. He had every intention of staying and fighting, but in the months that followed things did not go our way. I'm going to post a thread about Reagan and Lebanon in the near future. I've had it with people trashing Reagan. With all his many positives and a few negatives, Reagan's place in history is set. He will be remembered as one of the greats as he already is by many.
By trashing Reagan, you're losing what little support you have for GWB outside of the true believers. It's petty, and makes it look like you have very little positive with which to defend your guy.
Nor was Reagan's boundless enthusiasm for conservatism, and his constant promotion of it, "glib talk." He attracted tens of thousands of young people like myself to the Conservative cause. Most of us are still part of it, because of him, despite the nasty, miserable and disagreeable people we must endure for the good of it.
You can fight reality all you want but Reagan will continue to be judged as GREAT throughout the rest of American history while President Bush will be seen as GOOD.