Today's Democrats Are Like Reagan

[Project Grudge]

Today's Democrats Are Like Reagan

"By Eugene Robinson

WASHINGTON -- As we mark the centennial of Ronald Reagan's birth, one of our major political parties has become imbued with the Gipper's political philosophy and governing style. I mean the Democrats, of course.

The Republican Party tries to claim the Reagan mantle but has moved so far to the right that it now inhabits its own parallel universe. On the planet that today's GOP leaders call home, Reagan would qualify as one of those big-government, tax-and-spend liberals who are trying so hard to destroy the American way of life.

Some Republicans, I suppose, might be so enraptured by the Reagan legend that they are unaware of his actual record. I hate to break it to Sarah Palin, but Reagan raised taxes. Often. Sometimes by a lot."


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A decent, thought-provoking argument.

[NuclearDem]

1. Hundreds of DUers are twitching now...

[EFerrari]

2. Ugh. Please don't tar anyone with that DNA, Gene. n/t

[hfojvt]

3. I thought Somerby made an interesting point

Some people were talking about how there has been a PR machine to promote the image of Reagan. At the same time there has been a huge PR machine to trash the image of major Democrats, especially Clinton and Gore. And often the left is part of that PR machine. I certainly plead guilty to trashing Clinton - both Clintons actually.

I think they deserve it, because they violate the principles they claim to stand for. Yet we point out that Reagan also violated the principles he claimed to stand for, and yet he is still revered.

Perhaps because he got his key initiative through - the tax cuts of Reaganomics. As such, he provided lots of raw meat for his base. So he also raised taxes. That does not take away from his legacy, because he mostly did not raise taxes on his base - he raised taxes on our base - lower income working people.

An article from Dollars and Sense in April 1984 makes that point with a chart. For family income of $10,000 Federal taxes were 9.9% in 1980 and 12.2% in 1984. For income of $20,000 they went from 17.5% to 18.1%. That's our people - taxes went up on them.

On the other hand, for family income of $100,000 taxes went from 38.9% in 1980 to 35% in 1984, and for income of $250,000 they went from 50.8% to 40.9% with even larger gains for those with larger incomes. As such, he did what he was hired to do, and the have-mores will always sing his praises.

[bluesbassman]

4. The key here is that Repugs never trash their own. Thus the myth of Raygun.

Even Bush the Lesser, who by any rational standard was the worst president of modern times is not trashed by the right. Just doesn't serve ther agenda.

spelling edit - bbm

[w4rma]

5. And Repugs don't attack their base. But, DLC Democrats sure do. (nt)