Tear Down This Myth

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In this provocative work, award-winning political journalist Will Bunch explores how a right-wing faction appropriated the complex legacy of Ronald Reagan, transforming him into a bronze icon to rejuvenate their waning ideology. This appropriation reached its peak when all GOP presidential candidates in 2008 sought to align themselves with Reagan, regardless of the incongruity. Bunch candidly reveals that, despite the idolization of the past fifteen years, Reagan's average approval rating was merely average, lower than several modern presidents. During his presidency, most Americans opposed many of his policies and felt the nation was on the wrong track by 1988. Contrary to popular belief, Reagan's 1981 tax cut, which favored the wealthy, did not spark the economic recovery of the 1980s; that was primarily due to falling oil prices and the fiscal policies of a Federal Reserve chairman appointed by Jimmy Carter. Furthermore, historians largely agree that Reagan's military buildup did not "win the Cold War." His genuine efforts to engage with Soviet leaders and eliminate nuclear weapons are often overlooked. The rollback of Reaganomics by George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton in the 1990s led to a decade of prosperity, yet the myth of Reagan has been inflated to restore right-wing dominance, resulting in war and debt. Bunch compellingly argues that as the Obama administration forges its path, it should do so free from the burdens o