Yes, he screwed over your small businessman friend. But, you see, the small businessman has no power. It's the big businessmen in the ivory towers who are the POWER. They didn't become the rulers by playing nice. They stepped on countless small fry to get to the top. They are also the ones who know where the bodies are buried so can get things done.
Rich and poor and middle class of all stripes vote and that is whom I was talking about. If primaries were just up to the supper rich, Reagan wouldn't have ever won the GOP presidential primaries, let alone the presidency, though he did have many extremely wealthy friends and supporters.