Reagan's first first three budgets were roughly the same or even higher as a percentage of GDP compared Bush's.Reagan increased military spending by $806 billion over the course of his Presidency, or did you forget about the spectacular success of outspending the Soviet Union into dissolution?
On the other hand, this is what happened to discretionary (pork) spending, as compared to GWB:
Reagan had higher spending as a percentage of GDP, a citizenship amesty, a tax increase and believe even a "CFR" type limitation on free speech law passed in about '86. What would YOU call that?
Reagan inherited far higher spending as a percentage of GDP. GWB has increased spending as a percentage of GDP at a faster rate than any President since Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" and since FDR's "New Deal" before that.
I did not support Reagan's amnesty. That was not any more conservative than Bush's proposed amnesty. However, Reagan had a comprehensively conservative record of economic and budget policies whereas Bush has a broadly liberal record. Moreover, Reagan always had to deal with a Democratic House whereas Bush has mostly had a Republican Congress.
Do you think the electorate cared back in 2000 when the majority of them voted for either Gore or Nadar?
In 2000 the electorate was still drinking the Kool-Aid of the dot-com bubble. That's what they were voting for.
Reagan's first first three budgets were roughly the same or even higher as a percentage of GDP compared Bush's. Reagan increased military spending by $806 billion over the course of his Presidency, or did you forget about the spectacular success of outspending the Soviet Union into dissolution? On the other hand, this is what happened to discretionary (pork) spending, as compared to GWB:
The comparison chart you use for discretionary spending is misleading. By definition, discretionary spending means spending that is done at the power or right of one's own judgment. The starting point for discretionary spending every fiscal year is -- zero. There is no mandatory aspect to it. Thus the level of spending in the previous year is irrelevant and the percentage change in discretionary spending from the previous year is also irrelevant.
What is relevant;
Discretionary spending in Reagan's first budget -- FY 1982 -- was 10.1% of GDP. Non-DOD discretionary spending as a percentage of GDP in Reagan's first year was 4.4%.
Discretionary spending in Bush's first budget -- FY2002 -- was 7.1% of GDP. Non-discretionary spending as a percentage of GDP for Bush's first year was 3.7% and that doesn't even include increased Homeland Defense type spending which is higher under Bush than it was under Reagan.