The mythology of Ronald Reagan

The second Republican presidential debate took place Wednesday night inside the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California so the viewers knew they were going to get liberal (pardon the pun) doses of the former Governor of California and President of the United States and the candidates didn't disappoint. It's a strange thing to watch the debate of an opposition party because many of the things they treasure I don't and their memory of Ronald Reagan is right up there at the top of the list.

The most interesting thing about the slobbering tributes paid to Reagan is that if he were running for President today, he would probably be in the "kiddie" debate rather than the adult one because his poll numbers would be so low. The reason for that is the party has been pushed so far to the right that he wouldn't be popular. That was evidenced in a town hall meeting held by Donald Trump last night when the first questioner from the audience flatly said that President Obama is a Muslim, he isn't an American and that America needs what amounts to an ethnic cleansing of Muslims. Trump nodded as the man was stating his opinions and then responded by saying there are serious problems and that's certainly something his team planned to look into. Remember, Trump was a birther when Obama ran the first time so his response to the question was predictable, the mirror opposite of John McCain's response to a similar question posed by a female when McCain was the Republican candidate running against Obama.

So let's recount some of the things President Reagan did while in office. He granted amnesty to nearly 3 million immigrants. He vastly increased the size of the federal government and used some of his four tax increases to pay for it. He almost tripled the national debt. Before he became President and when he was still governor of California, he signed a piece of legislation that allowed abortions to increase from 500 a year to almost a million. He was for sensible firearms legislation and supported both the Brady Bill and an assault weapons ban. He supplied money and arms to the Afghan rebel group that would grow into the Taliban. He defied Congress by secretly selling arms for hostages to Iran's mullahs. He was President when 248 Marines were killed by terrorists in Lebanon, many more lives being lost there than the Benghazi attack which today's Republicans continue to investigate repeatedly. (September 18, The Week)

In 1982, Reagan's press secretary Larry Speakes said that President Reagan didn't know what AIDS was during a White House press briefing. By the summer of 1992, just 24% of Americans said their country was better off because of the Reagan Presidency while 40% said it was worse off and more Americans (48%) viewed Reagan unfavorably than favorably (46%). During the Reagan years, the number of people living below the poverty line increased by one third. He took frequent naps during Cabinet meetings and Nancy Reagan his wife, took on the services of a full-time psychic.

And yet today he is remembered as the patron saint of all true conservatives when he would most likely be laughed out of the room at any Tea Party gathering.

Social scientists have known for a long time that when looking back at anyone, from leaders of the country to individuals we had relationships with, we remember the good things and conveniently forget the bad. That's what today's Republicans have done with Ronald Reagan. They worship the myth and forget the reality.

This column wasn't written to slam Republicans, only to remind them that their memories are sometimes weak and inaccurate, a malady that infects all of us to one degree or another.