I disagree to a point. I think Reagan *was* more conservative and the gains he got came through a Democrat House and sometimes a Democrat Senate. Reagan truly believed in scaling back government even though his efforts were largely unsuccessful. I never hear Bush talk about scaling back government and I don't believe, by his actions, that he believes in it. He talks about privatising some government functions but outsourcing government isn't the same as cutting it.
The irony is that *Jeb* was considered the more conservative and more appealing of the two Bush brothers and had the greater chance to one day become president but Jeb stumbled against Lawton Chiles while George beat Ann Richards so George got on the fast track ahead of Jeb.
I don't hate George. I accept him for what he is - a slightly right-of-center moderate who is more fiscal conservative than moral conservative. In this day and age, that's probably as good as we can elect nationwide. But George is no Reagan, and neither was his dad.