[gundog]

Didn’t hurt that he followed on the heels of Jimmuh Cahta.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Ronald Reagan:

• Got the country going again,

• Whipped Inflation,

• Checked the energy crisis, and

• Transcended Communism.

IOW, he came into office with four big things on his plate, and he equaled or exceeded our expectations of what was possible in his handling each of them.

Didn’t hurt that he followed on the heels of Jimmuh Cahta.

Right. That assured that there was a lot on the table for him to tackle.

In contrast, FDR in his first two terms - the historical standard which should be applied to any president -

• recognized the Soviet Union

• prevented economic recovery from the mismanagement of Hoover,

• failed to prevent WWII (which is what Winston Churchill would have done in his shoes, at all hazard up to and including getting himself impeached)

• broke the precedent set by George Washington against running for a third term, leading to the passage of a constitutional amendment forbidding any successor to emulate his behavior.
  Granted that he subsequently won WWII - if you call leaving the USSR in the catbird seat in Eastern Europe "winning."