Obama – Regan Comparison

I read a recent Time magazine article comparing President Obama and President Regan. I was surprised by the comparison. There do seem to be some stylistic similarities in their ability to speak to people and present a positive message rather and the negative messages and fear tactics of most presidential campaigners. But after that I have a hard time seeing the similarities.

Time talked about Regan being a complex man, whereas I always saw him as a bit sophomoric in his understanding of things. Remember he’s the guy who promised to lower taxes, increase spending (military) and balance the budget and got people to believe him and his trickledown/supply side economics. Of course, it couldn’t and didn’t work. He increased the debt by 189% more than anyone since include George W. Bush at 86%. (see my Sept 27 post.) Obama truly is a very smart man with the credentials to back it up if one goes to check.

I believe most economists would agree that decreased debt during a recession is absolutely the wrong thing to do. President Obama, however, listening to the people, seems to try to that while stimulating the economy and getting folk back to work. But we need more stimulus (with the exception of war spending) to get the economy rolling. Working on the debt, which is important, needs to be addressed fully when the economy is strong. We need more New Deal thinking and less protect the rich thinking, to get our infrastructure back on line and to make us competitive in the world and our middle class from constantly losing ground.

In comparison it seems to me Regan spun fairy tales that sounded good but lacked substance. I believe Obama espouses hope for the future but is more reality based in his message and beliefs. It is just too bad he has a congress that wants to do nothing at all, and just cater to the rich that bought them their seats.

P.S. Time has been known as a conservative magazine but in recent times they seem as fed up with the Republican agenda as many of us are. I find it strange.