Has Ronald Reagan become an American myth?
Ronald Reagan absolutely qualifies as an American myth, probably as much as JFK. This conservative icon tripled the national debt in peacetime, something Barack Obama won't come close to doing. By doing this he put us on the path we are on today, 19 trillion dollars in debt. His cutting taxes on the rich has now become an irreversible mantra in the Republican Party. The trickle down economics hangover he started is something we may never overcome.Kicking off his campaign in Philadelphia Mississippi, the site of 3 murdered civil rights workers showed a remarkable insensitivity to African Americans. It sent a message that perhaps he wasn't fully engaged in what was going on.He has a history of supporting gun control and immigration reform which would make him an anathema in today's Republican Party.Crediting Reagan for winning the Cold War does a tremendous disservice to the millions of troops who actually did the job of protecting this country since the end of WWII. The Soviet Union collapsed under its own weight no matter who the president was at the time.Today's Republicans also conveniently gloss over the Iran Contra affair in which arms were sold to Iran from the Reagan White House. If the president didn't know this was going on it paints the picture of a completely disengaged president.Like all myths, Republicans tend to exaggerate and overemphasize the good and forget the bad. History will be the ultimate judge.