This is a pretty meager summary of his popularity for someone who wrote a book on Reagan. Barely a mention of two landslide victories, leaving office with high popularity, VP elected to President, his part in ending the Cold War by undermining the USSR early on then rapprochement later on, collaborative work with allies, ameliorating the national mood after the stagflationary 70s, withstanding nasty unpopular recessions early on to get inflation down and stellar economic performance into the 80s, working across the aisle with Tip O' Neill to get things like Social Security, immigration, and tax reform done, high quality Cabinets aside from Haig and McFarlane/Poindexter, surviving an assassination attempt, outstanding speeches and presence on the highest stages, and historical standing that has improved over time. Like any Presidency, there were knocks like Iran-Contra and while Reagan did likely know about arms to Iran (but likely not arming Contras), it was to get hostages out and not some cynical political ploy to get his chestnuts out of the fire like Nixon and Bill Clinton. Other knocks include deficits and not addressing Savings & Loans and AIDS earlier, but our modern deficits make him look like a miser and S&L and AIDS may not have come across his desk amid the pressing issues of inflation, malaise, USSR, recessions, Lebanon barracks of the first term. Overall, I think the great Lou Cannon puts it best - Reagan was great like De Gaulle was great; he embodied its culture and its unique greatness.
Of course, if his opponents wanted to make a point, they could always bring up the fact that he played second fiddle to a chimpanzee in the film "Bedtime For Bonzo"...
This is a pretty meager summary of his popularity for someone who wrote a book on Reagan. Barely a mention of two landslide victories, leaving office with high popularity, VP elected to President, his part in ending the Cold War by undermining the USSR early on then rapprochement later on, collaborative work with allies, ameliorating the national mood after the stagflationary 70s, withstanding nasty unpopular recessions early on to get inflation down and stellar economic performance into the 80s, working across the aisle with Tip O' Neill to get things like Social Security, immigration, and tax reform done, high quality Cabinets aside from Haig and McFarlane/Poindexter, surviving an assassination attempt, outstanding speeches and presence on the highest stages, and historical standing that has improved over time. Like any Presidency, there were knocks like Iran-Contra and while Reagan did likely know about arms to Iran (but likely not arming Contras), it was to get hostages out and not some cynical political ploy to get his chestnuts out of the fire like Nixon and Bill Clinton. Other knocks include deficits and not addressing Savings & Loans and AIDS earlier, but our modern deficits make him look like a miser and S&L and AIDS may not have come across his desk amid the pressing issues of inflation, malaise, USSR, recessions, Lebanon barracks of the first term. Overall, I think the great Lou Cannon puts it best - Reagan was great like De Gaulle was great; he embodied its culture and its unique greatness.
Of course, if his opponents wanted to make a point, they could always bring up the fact that he played second fiddle to a chimpanzee in the film "Bedtime For Bonzo"...