He was an elderly white guy with a background in the entertainment industry. As president, he had little interest in policy details. He cut taxes and increased defense spending, thereby blowing up the deficit. Abroad, he was viewed as a cowboy and a dangerous blowhard. At home, he pandered to reactionaries and the religious right to an unprecedented degree. They responded with unconditional love in spite of past issues with his personal life.
Yes, sports fans, we’ve been here before–Trump and Reagan, on the surface, have a lot in common. What is more important, however, is what they don’t share:
- Reagan wasn’t a habitual liar or a narcissist.
- Reagan had relevant political experience before becoming president.
- Reagan surrounded himself with competent people.
- Reagan actually had an ideology other than self-love.
- Reagan’s message was mostly hopeful, not fearful, and focused on the ability and energy of the American people, not himself.
- Reagan didn’t present any kind of challenge to our constitutional rights. No one accused him of being a fascist.
In the final analysis, the most important difference may be that Reagan was a traditional politician who saw the need to win over swing voters in the center. Trump doesn’t do that; his model of politics revolves solely around base mobilization. As a result, he is constantly dividing the country, not uniting it. That will be a big, and unfortunate, part of his legacy when he is done, regardless of what else he accomplishes in office.