Cantor can’t handle the truth about Reagan

[blacken700]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2012_01/cantor_cant_handle_the_truth_a034458.php#

[howardroark]

Most Republicans can't handle the truth about Reagan... Reagan was a big spender, Big Government type of guy - government spending EXPLODED under Reagan. In fact, if you compare Reagan to Clinton, Clinton spent less as a percent of GDP than Reagan! Reagan's tax cuts weren't half as large as people make them out to be; much of the tax rate cuts came from closing loopholes, not from an actual desire to untax the American people. His deficits were a huge problem that greatly slowed economic growth. Not a very good President, IMO.

You look at this chart and tell me which President was the most fiscally conservative in the past 30 years:

[nasht5]

how old are you?

it is easy to look at bits and parts of a presidency and disagree with them.

reagan took over with extremely low moral in america. sky high inflation with the soviet union expanding. AS a whole, his policies brought an economic boom and the fall of the iron curtain.

I know, I know 12yrs wrapped up in 3 sentences.

[howardroark]

If you look at Reagan's promises and what he accomplished, it was a failure. Everyone makes him out to be as some hero (or villain) who cut taxes and spending and the size of government, when in reality his tax cuts weren't all that big on net while he grew the size of government, including federal spending and deficits. The MASSIVE budget deficits Reagan instituted sapped national saving and investment, thereby greatly reducing economic growth. He did deregulate a little bit, but on net Carter deregulated MORE in one term than Reagan did in two.

On net, I'd say his Presidency was a failure. Clinton, a Democrat, managed to reduce the size of government as a percent of GDP more than Reagan, and that's just embarrassing.

[nasht5]

reagan bankrupted the soviet union in the arms race, his tax cuts in that time period seem modest by todays ideas but that was the best he could get back then. don't forget, congress has a little say in the final budget (yes sheldon, that is sarcasm)