Most Overrated President

[Ed Anger]

He wasn't Jimmy Carter.

In many ways he was.  The deregulation trend started under Carter and so did the arming of the Muhajeedeen in Afghanistan.

Hush, you. Let me hate on Jimmy in peace.

[grumbler]

What was so great about the first term?

Inflation went from 13% to under 4%, Reagan hammered the PATCO fucks, income taxes dropped 40% at the top level and 30% at the lowest level, while increasing revenues, the Grenada invasion, and the whole "last pages of communism" stance including his handling of the cruise/Pershing deployment that would lead to the IRNF Treaty.  "Morning in America."

You can certainly blame his administration foir ignoring the problems with the S&L business (which would blow up in his second term) and the Lebanon miscalculation that turned into a disaster, but it was a great first term, by any standards.

Read some history.

[DGuller]

Reagan tax cuts didn't increase revenues, they led to huge budget deficits that were only partially corrected in 1986.  In fact, you can trace the deficits of today back to Reagan, his term is when they first started exploding since WW2.

[grumbler]

Reagan tax cuts didn't increase revenues, they led to huge budget deficits that were only partially corrected in 1986.  In fact, you can trace the deficits of today back to Reagan, his term is when they first started exploding since WW2.

Spending is what led to the deficits, but those weren't regularly horrendous until the second term.  I will note that you are correct that income tax income as a percentage of GDP did drop as a result of the tax cuts, contrary to my recollection of the time, and so withdraw that claim.

[CountDeMoney]

Wilson.

You're a fag.

[grumbler]

Wilson.

You're a fag.

He may be, but Wilson was an awful president.

[katmai]

I'm kicking your ass Kleves for even putting TR in your poll choices.

[CountDeMoney]

Whereas everyone loves that slaveowning tyrant Jefferson because he plagiarized Locke and wrote Bible fan fiction.

As a southern boy, I'm surprised you swallow the revisionist McCulloch Jefferson-hate that's been all the rage the last few years.

[Razgovory]

What was so great about the first term?

Inflation went from 13% to under 4%, Reagan hammered the PATCO fucks, income taxes dropped 40% at the top level and 30% at the lowest level, while increasing revenues, the Grenada invasion, and the whole "last pages of communism" stance including his handling of the cruise/Pershing deployment that would lead to the IRNF Treaty.  "Morning in America."

You can certainly blame his administration foir ignoring the problems with the S&L business (which would blow up in his second term) and the Lebanon miscalculation that turned into a disaster, but it was a great first term, by any standards.

Read some history.

Tax cuts that led to major deficits, attacking on a Union, an invasion of tiny unimportant island, propaganda, and nuclear weapons.  Wow, how could I have overlooked such greatness.

[Admiral Yi]

He didn't attack a union.  He fired some federal workers who were striking illegally.

[Ideologue]

Whereas everyone loves that slaveowning tyrant Jefferson because he plagiarized Locke and wrote Bible fan fiction.

As a southern boy, I'm surprised you swallow the revisionist McCulloch Jefferson-hate that's been all the rage the last few years.

I just know that Jefferson enjoyed owning humans and feared the federal government until he was the federal government, when he learned to love abusing his power.

And Deism is a choice made by pussies.

Okay, overall, he's not a monster, particularly by the standards of his time (e.g., any European ruler), but his treatment as an icon disgusts me.

He didn't attack a union.  He fired some federal workers who were striking illegally.

Maybe Raz meant the Soviet one.

[Admiral Yi]

 

Good one Dump Truck.

[grumbler]

Tax cuts that led to major deficits, attacking on a Union, an invasion of tiny unimportant island, propaganda, and nuclear weapons.  Wow, how could I have overlooked such greatness.

The tax cuts didn't lead to the deficits, spending did (and not just military spending, which didn't increase all that much from Carter's final years).

But you seem to have the answer you want.  I certainly won't inflict upon you answers that you don't want.  Not even when they make sense.

[grumbler]

He didn't attack a union.  He fired some federal workers who were striking illegally.

I don't believe that that's an answer Raz wants. 

[DGuller]

The tax cuts didn't lead to the deficits, spending did (and not just military spending, which didn't increase all that much from Carter's final years).

That's a questionable claim as well.

http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/downchart_gs.php?year=1970_2016&view=1&expand=&units=p&log=linear&fy=fy12&chart=F0-fed&bar=1&stack=1&size=m&title=&state=US&color=c&local=s

Spending seems relatively flat as percent of GDP during Reagan's term, and doesn't have the definitive movements like the income tax revenue as percent of GDP does.

http://www.usgovernmentrevenue.com/downchart_gr.php?year=1900_2010&view=1&expand=&units=p&log=linear&fy=fy12&chart=10-fed&bar=0&stack=1&size=m&title=&state=US&color=c&local=s