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Trump offers, substantively, everything Reagan provided America: A free, secure, and prosperous nation. Also, like Reagan, Trump articulates the "right ideas" required to achieve a renewed American vision

The rise of Donald Reagan?



Dare we? Is it time to veer out of the sensible lane and into the fantasyland of pondering whether any candidate, much less The Donald, might compare with the greatest President of the 20th century, Ronald Reagan? Certainly, Senator Ted Cruz is thought to possess the aptitude for greatness, perhaps more so than any other candidate. He is principled, studiedly Conservative, and courageous. In fact, the ceaseless courage he has demonstrated in the Senate has paradoxically burdened Cruz in the public eye with a distorted reputation as a rebel and malcontent, unable to work together or get along with others. Also, though Cruz is a gifted speaker, he does not in this rise to the level of Reagan, who was able to articulate, but also to inspire. Likely refined by his long journey to this moment, it is understandable Cruz speaks with polite assertiveness rather than stentorian declaration.
Superficially Cruz appears to be everything Donald Trump is not. Yet, despite Trump's inability to complete most of his sentences (in public), or to use adjectives more challenging than "great," and "fantastic," Trump, like Cruz, possesses an aptitude for Reaganesque greatness, in substance, if not in style. Recognizing this likelihood, it is all the more tragic that Cruz recently slighted Trump at a private fundraiser, and as expected, Trump responded in kind, but louder. Also, as expected, Trump attacked Cruz consistent with negative public perception ("a maniac," a troublemaker). Trump also focused upon neutralizing the Cruz "good judgment" attribute, claiming he possessed judgment superior to Cruz, and buttressing this claim by thumbing through his well-worn education/business/accomplishment pedigree. Despite this newly arisen conflict, it is still possible to identify Trump's attributes for Reagan's greatness, though it does require looking far beneath the surface. Ronald Reagan, inarguably the greatest President of the 20th century, embodied every superlative, every imaginable element of greatness. He was wise, thoughtful, knowledgeable, patient, inspiring, honest, forthright, humble, charming, persuasive, committed, and felt compelled to be President (he never wanted to be)--and he was a winner. He was also a fighter, fighting his Republican Party for the nomination against a sitting President (Ford) in 1976, then fighting for and winning the nomination in 1980. He fought a Democrat-majority Congress to obtain Herculean tax cuts--and won. He fought for other measures that would liberate the economy--and won. He fought for greater Defense spending--and won. He fought the Soviet Union--and won. He fought the mainstream media and...sort of won. In particular Reagan weathered ceaseless mainstream media smear campaigns, and cheerfully, so successfully the media labeled him the "Teflon President." However, Reagan never stopped fighting for us, for every American.

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Modern histories downplay Reagan's success economically

Modern histories downplay Reagan's success economically. Reagan ushered in the greatest period of economic growth in U.S. history, for everyone, despite the ceaseless blather condemning "Reaganomics." He did not "create" jobs. He merely got taxes and government out of the way of the millions of small business owners who do create jobs. He cut taxes, cut regulation, and tried to cut the Department of Education. So much wealth was created for everyone that by the end of Reagan's tenure, there were more people in the top 20% of income earners who originated in the bottom 20%, than there were people in the bottom 20% who stayed there. The 1980s were the antithesis of "rich getting richer and poor poorer." The media slandered Reagan's unprecedented economic success nonetheless. Since Reagan inspired (rather than created) jobs, endless opportunities were available to all. Some may recall, for example, the 1980s were so wealthy the Left referred to them as the Decade of Greed. Even the federal government received more tax money than ever before, because there was so much more to tax, even though the tax rates had been slashed. Reagan also won the Cold War--despite constant derision by the mainstream media, and in particular when he dared call the Soviets the "Evil Empire," and when he exploded Defense spending. Yet it was only the combination of massive economic revival and Defense spending that forced the Soviets' hand. They finally had to accept they couldn't keep up. They crumbled, with no shot fired, no nuke launched. So, how might we possibly compare our current leading candidate, Donald Trump, the highly energetic, driven, independent, impolitic, undiplomatic, brash, narcissistic, unapologetic, self-aggrandizing, heedless, intemperate, hypomanic, crude, critical, candidate, with a Ronald Reagan? Easily. Certainly, Trump's style is unrefined and abrasive, betraying none of the genteel élan of Regan. Trump's substance, however, increasingly peeks through his roguish façade, and in this he appears very much like Reagan. Trump's well-considered ideas, knowledge of history, successes in tactics and strategy in business, global commerce, and communications, his ability to surround himself with the Kennedy-esque "best and brightest," his unwillingness to tolerate fools, his Conservatism, make him someone every Conservative, every citizen should want to support. His history of winning, in life, and now in politics, his capacity for winning, is just as important as his ideas. Reagan was a winner. Trump is a winner. America and each of its citizens needs a winner--or we will be lost. Trump offers, substantively, everything Reagan provided America: A free, secure, and prosperous nation. Also, like Reagan, Trump articulates the "right ideas" required to achieve a renewed American vision. However, all that being said, America in the end must accept an aspect of Trump they can minimize but never overlook. Ronald Reagan sported a truly miraculous head of hair and Trump never will. Nevertheless, Trump increasingly appears to be the man for our time, the man capable of salvaging America (or at least one of two). And, though the world may never find Trump "acceptable," it seems more and more likely the world will find him a winner--for us.


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Dr. Brad Lyles -- Bio and Archives

Dr. Brad Lyles is an independent writer for the Tea Party.


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