[adios]

For the presidents I've observed, Ronald Reagan and it's not even close:

1. He had the right message at the right time. After the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter years the U.S. was in what Carter called a "malaise" and I think Reagan was the cheerleader we needed to bring the U.S. out of that situation.

2. Bringing an end to the cold war. Even though the liberals will argue ad infinitum that Reagan didn't end the cold war, they're wrong, he did. Could he have done it following the same policies in 1965? Probably not but again he was the right guy at the right time. If you read Alan Greenspan's current book, The Age of Turbulence, you get a good picture of what the economic situation int he communist countires at the time Reagan was in office. It was worse than anyone had ever imagined and certainly the West had vastly overrated their economic capabilities. Reagan policies exposed this weakness.

3. Handling of the PATCO strike. He warned the Air Traffic Controllers that he'd fire every one of them if they went out on strike illegally. They did and he did. IMO this was the turning point and market the zenith in the power of unions in the U.S.

4. His leadership in fashioning a bipartisan "fix" for Social Security that created a surplus in Social Security revenue that exists to this day. Can't imagine anything like this happening in today's political environment.

5. Following through on de-regulation. Carter started the ball rolling on de-regulation of many industries. Reagan saw it through and helped it continue.

6. Reaganomics. Reagan embraced "supply side" economics. He also embraced freer less regulated markets and the U.S. economy grew as a result. One of the nastiest recessions that I've witnessed occurred early in Reagan's administration. That was due to the Fed policy of "break the back" of inflation. The era of disinflation began during the Reagan era and it continues to this day. Also he appointed Alan Greenspan during his term.

7. Supreme Court appointments. Sandra Day O'Conner, William Rehnquist, and Antonis Scalia.

8. Tax simplification. Well it didn't last but he actually championed a law (another bipartisan effort btw) that was passed that created 2 tax brackets.

Did I make any liberals puke yet?