REAGAN "MORNING IN AMERICA"? (AND BUSH I)

aka “THE ‘ME’ DECADE”

EUGENIA LANGANMATER ACADEMY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOLHIALEAH GARDENS, FLORIDA

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

WHAT LED TO THE CONSERVATIVE "REVOLUTION" OF 1980?

WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT A COUNTRY THAT ELECTS AN ACTOR PRESIDENT?

WHAT WAS "REAGANOMICS" AND DID IT WORK?

MOVIE ACTOR AND TV STAR RONALD REAGAN

ELECTION OF 1980

REAGAN POSITIONS:

ECONOMY:

"SUPPLY-SIDE" ECONOMICS – CUT TAXES STIMULATE BUSINESS AND EFFECTS WOULD "TRICKLE-DOWN" TO CREATE JOBS AND PROSPERITY FOR EVERYONE

DISMANTLE GREAT SOCIETY, MORE POWER TO STATES ("NEW FEDERALISM") AND BALANCE BUDGET IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS: GET THEM FREED

FOREIGN POLICY: INCREASE MILITARY AGAINST "EVIL EMPIRE"

WOMEN'S RIGHTS:

OPPOSED ABORTION (ABOUT WHICH PRESIDENTS CAN DO NOTHING

NEITHER PRESIDENTS NOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS NOR STATE POLITICIANS CAN BAN ABORTION -- WHY DO THEY ALWAYS HAVE TO TAKE POSITIONS ON IT IN CAMPAIGNS?

PROMISED TO APPOINT WOMAN SUPREME COURT JUSTICE

SCHOOL PRAYER: SUPPORTED IT – SAME QUESTION AS ABOUT ABORTION!

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, REAGAN'S RUNNING MATE

FORMER CIA DIRECTOR, U.S. REPRESENTATIVE AND AMBASSADOR TO CHINA, U.N. AMBASSADOR – BUT LOST REPUBLICAN PRIMARY TO AN ACTOR

DURING PRIMARY: CALLED SUPPLY-SIDE "VOODOO ECONOMICS" AND SUPPORTED ABORTION RIGHTS

FLIP-FLOPPED WHEN REAGAN TAPPED AS VEEP RUNNING MATE (AND STAYED FLIPPED TO GET ELECTED PRESIDENT IN 1988!)

REAGAN FIRSTS:

FIRST ENTERTAINER TO BE ELECTED PRESIDENT

OLDEST PRESIDENT – 69 WHEN ELECTED, 77 AT END OF TERM

FIRST PRESIDENT TO HAVE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE WHILE IN OFFICE

FIRST DIVORCED PRESIDENT -- BUT MAJOR SUPPORTER OF "FAMILY VALUES"

ELECTION OF 1980: RONALD REAGAN, GEORGE H.W. BUSH, 50.7% OF POPULAR VOTE, CARTER/ MONDALE 41%

IN CONGRESS – DEMOCRATS RETAINED CONTROL OF HOUSE, REPUBLICANS GAINED MAJORITY (53 SEATS) IN SENATE

NOTE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT THAT AIDED REAGAN (AND OTHER CONSERVATIVES) – BY 1980, THE POPULATION OF THE "SUN BELT" (SOUTH) EXCEEDED THAT OF NORTHEAST

AND WITH THE RISE OF THE SUN BELT: THE NEW "CHRISTIAN RIGHT"

TELEVANGELIST JERRY FALWELL AND THE "MORAL MAJORITY"

"FAMILY VALUES"

ANTI-ERA, ANTI-ABORTION, ANTI-GAY, ANTI-DÉTENTE

ANTI-JEW, ANTI-CATHOLIC, ANTI –MUSLIM, ANYONE NOT A "FUNDAMENTALIST" PROTESTANT

A FOURTH GREAT AWAKENING? BUT THIS ONE WAS PRIMARILY POLITICAL AND IT CONTINUES

A MIRACLE! AS REAGAN MADE HIS INAUGURAL ADDRESS, THE HOSTAGES IN IRAN WERE FREED!

ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT BY JOHN HINCKLEY (TO IMPRESS JODI FOSTER)

“HONEY, I FORGOT TO DUCK!”

ECONOMIC RECOVERY TAX ACT OF 1981 (ERTA)

CUT INCOME TAX RATES 23% ACROSS THE BOARD

TOP RATE FROM 70% TO 50% (-20%) BOTTOM RATE FROM 14% TO 11% (- 3%) CUT WINDFALL OIL PROFIT TAX

REAGAN SIGNING ERTA INTO LAW AT HIS RANCHO DEL CIELO, CA

GDP CHANGES (BLUE LINE) – AVERAGE GROWTH = RED LINE == RECESSIONS IN 1982!

SOURCE: U.S. BUREAU OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

INFLATION – NOT AS BAD AS IN 1970s, BUT STILL A PROBLEM IN 1980s

FEDERAL RESERVE KEPT INTEREST RATES HIGH IN 1980s TO COMBAT INFLATION

Unemployment Rate: 1980-9Year % Unemployed

1980 7.01981 7.51982 9.51983 9.51984 7.41985 7.11986 6.91987 6.11988 5.41989 5.2

Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States. Table 608.

MASSIVE INCREASE IN HOMELESSNESS BEGAN IN 1980S, DUE IN PART TO DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION

SUPPLY-SIDE THEORY – THE LAFFER CURVE

BASED ON A SKETCH LAFFLER DREW ON A NAPKIN – THEORY THAT VERY LOW AND VERY HIGH TAXES SUPPRESS GOV. REVENUE. NOTE THAT IT DOESN’T SUPPORT “TRICKLE-DOWN” OR MASSIVE TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH!

HOW WELL DOES SUPPLY-SIDE/ TRICKLE DOWN WORK?RED LINE = AVERAGE MARGINAL TAX RATE. GREEN BARS = CHANGES IN GDP (SOURCE ALSO BEA!)

SO WHAT DID REAGAN REALLY DO? HE RAISED TAXES (LARGEST PEACETIME TAX INCREASE IN HISTORY) AND INCREASED FEDERAL SPENDING!

SOME REAGAN TAX INCREASES:

1982:

TAX EQUITY AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT (TEFRA) – RAISED TAXES $37 BILLION (1% OF GDP) – FURTHER REDUCED TOP TAX RATE TO 23% BUT LIMITED DEDUCTIONS, ETC.

HIGHWAY REVENUE ACT: INCREASED GAS TAX BY $3.3. BILLION – SALES TAXES ARE REGRESSIVE!

1983: SOCIAL SECURITY ACT AMENDMENTS RAISED SOCIAL SECURITY TAX – IT IS CAPPED – GOES UP TO ABOUT $108,000 (ADJUSTED ANNUALLY FOR INFLATION) – ANYTHING OVER IS TAX-FREE – FAVORS HIGH EARNERS!

OTHER HIDDEN TAX INCREASES IN DEFICIT REDUCTION ACT OF 1984 AND OMNIBUS BUDGET RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1985.

WHO GOT THE BIGGEST BENEFIT FROM REAGAN AND BUSH INCOME TAX CHANGES?

FEDERAL DEBT:

TOP IN TRILLIONS OF $

BOTTOM, AS % OF GDP

RED BARS = REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS, RED BARS = DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTS

SO IN WHAT SENSE WAS REAGAN A CONSERVATIVE?

FISCALLY?

ONLY IF HIGH TAXES, HIGH FEDERAL SPENDING, AND HIGH FEDERAL DEFICITS ARE FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE!

WHY IS HE ADMIRED BY OBAMA AND REPUBLICANS ALIKE AS A FISCAL CONSERVATIVE?

WHY DOES OBAMA SAY THE NEW DEAL DIDN'T END THE GREAT DEPRESSION?

WAS REAGAN CONSERVATIVE OTHERWISE?

SOMETIMES – HE WAS A PRAGMATIST!

REAGAN ON CIVIL RIGHTS

OPPOSED CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 AS INTRUSION ON BUSINESS; OPPOSED VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965 AS "HUMILIATING" TO SOUTH

VETOED CIVIL RIGHTS RESTORATION ACT OF 1987 (ACT APPLIED CIVIL RIGHTS ACTS TO FEDERAL CONTRACTORS AND FUNDS RECIPIENTS)

FIRST PRESIDENT SINCE ANDREW JOHNSON TO VETO CIVIL RIGHTS ACT! (CONGRESS OVERRODE VETO)

CUT FUNDING FOR FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT

FEW BLACK APPOINTEES – BUT HARD TO FIND A BLACK REPUBLICAN THEN!

REAGAN ON WOMEN'S RIGHTS:

SUPPORTED HYDE AMENDMENT (1976 ANNUAL RIDER THAT BARS USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS TO PAY FOR ABORTIONS)

1981: APPOINTED SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR TO SUPREME COURT (FIRST WOMAN)

ON DRUGS: NANCY REAGAN'S "JUST SAY NO" CAMPAIGN ENACTMENT OF HARSH DRUG LAWS + MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES U.S. HAS HIGHER % OF POPULATION IN PRISON THAN ANY OTHER NON-DICTORIAL NATION

AND SPEAKING OF DRUGS:

REAGAN NOMINATED U.S. COURT OF APPEALS (D.C.) JUDGE DOUGLAS GINSBURG TO SUPREME COURT IN 1987

GINSBURG HAD TO WITHDRAW WHEN PRESS REVEALED THAT HE'D SMOKED MARIJUANA WITH HIS STUDENTS AT HARVARD LAW SCHOOL

BUT HE'S STILL ON THE D.C. CIRCUIT!

REAGAN AND THE SUPREME COURT: HE RESHAPED IT

IN ADDITION TO SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR, HE APPOINTED ANTONIN SCALIA AND ANTHONY KENNEDY (ONLY SCALIA TURNED OUT TO BE CONSERVATIVE -- BUT NO MORE "LIBERAL" COURT)

JUSTICE SCALIA JUSTICE KENNEDY

"BORKED"!

1987 – SAME SUPREME COURT VACANCY: REAGAN APPOINTED JUDGE ROBERT BORK TO THE COURT (FORMER HARVARD PROF. AND SOLICITOR GENERAL)

SENATE REJECTED BORK

HIS ROLE IN WATERGATE "MIDNIGHT MASSACRE"

HIS MANY SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS ON CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES

RESULT: PRESIDENTS WON'T APPOINT ULTRA-QUALFIED PEOPLE TO SUPREME COURT AND SENATE HEARINGS ARE A JOKE!

REAGAN ON AIDS EPIDEMIC – NOTHING

MORAL MAJORITY SAID AIDS WAS DIVINE PUNISHMENT OF GAY PEOPLE (AND LITTLE KIDS WHO GOT BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS AND PEOPLE WHO GOT AIDS FROM DENTISTS?)

REAGAN ON DEFENSE: BIG INCREASE IN DEFENSE SPENDING (BUT NO WAR!) AND PROPOSED STRATEGIC DEFENSE INITIATIVE (STAR WARS)

REAGAN ON FOREIGN POLICY

THE SOVIET UNION WAS "THE EVIL EMPIRE"

BUT: RONNIE AND GORBIE! INF AND START TREATIES (INF 1987, START PROPOSED BY REAGAN BUT RATIFIED 1991)

BUT WHEN THE SOVIET UNION WAS ON THE POLITICAL-ECONOMIC SKIDS DUE TO AFGANISTAN, REAGAN (AGAINST NIXON’S ADVICE) REFUSED TO SEND ECONOMIC AID

AND OF COURSE CONTINUING AID TO BRUTAL SOUTH AMERICAN DICTATORSHIPS – LIKE "REVOLUTIONARY JUNTA" IN EL SALVADOR

JUNTA HANDIWORK: FOUR AMERICAN MARYKNOLL NUNS, ALSO ARCHBISHOP OSCAR ROMERO, MURDERED – OK WITH U.S.!

AND SECRETLY (BECAUSE CONGRESS PROHIBITED IT), ARMING CONTRAS IN NICARAGUA TRYING TO DEPOSE SANDINISTA GOVERNMENT

ABOVE: CONTRASLEFT: AUGUSTO SANDINO

RIGHT: SANDINISTA DANIEL ORTEGA

GRENADA INVASION, 1983: PROTECTING AMERICAN MEDICAL STUDENTS FROM THREAT OF CUBAN WORKERS BUILDING RUNWAY AT AIRPORT! WAG THE DOG!

1984 ELECTION

DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE WALTER MONDALE WITH FIRST WOMAN VICE-PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE GERALDINE FERRARO

DEMOCRATS KNEW THE COULDN'T WIN AGAINST "UNCLE RONNIE"

REAGAN= 54,451,521 (58.8%)MONDALE= 37, 565,334 (40.5%)

WHY?

IRAN-CONTRA SCANDAL

1986: LEBANESE NEWSPAPER REPORTED THAT U.S. SOLD ARMS TO IRAN (THROUGH ISRAEL) TO GET HOSTAGES RELEASED IN 1981. ARMS SALES CONTINUED UNTIL STORY CAME OUT

FOLLOWUP REVEALED – MONEY WENT TO BUY ARMS FOR NICARAGUAN CONTRAS (IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW)

SPECIAL COMMISSION (CHAIRED BY TEXAS SENATOR JOHN TOWER) AND SENATE HEARINGS FOLLOWED

ON NOVEMBER 13, 1986, AFTER STORY OF ARMS SALES TO IRAN CAME OUT, REAGAN GAVE TELEVISED SPEECH:

"MY PURPOSE WAS... TO SEND A SIGNAL THAT THE UNITED STATES WAS PREPARED TO REPLACE THE ANIMOSITY BETWEEN [THE U.S. AND IRAN] WITH A NEW RELATIONSHIP... AT THE SAME TIME WE UNDERTOOK THIS INITIATIVE, WE MADE CLEAR THAT IRAN MUST OPPOSE ALL FORMS OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AS A CONDITION OF PROGRESS IN OUR RELATIONSHIP."

WHEN HE TESTIFIED BEFORE THE TOWER COMMISSION ON DECEMBER 2, HE SAID HE DIDN'T REMEMBER AUTHORIZING THE ARMS SALES

THE MASTERMIND: MARINE COLONEL OLIVER NORTH (WORKING FOR NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR IN WHITE HOUSE)

HAD HIS SECRETARY FAWN HALL SHRED ALL DOCUMENTS, NOVEMBER 21

NORTH WAS CONVICTED OF PERJURY AND OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE BUT CONVICTION WAS SET ASIDE ON A TECHNICALITY

THEN PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH PARDONED HIM

REAGAN'S FIRST NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR, ROBERT MC FARLAND

REAGAN'S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISORS MC FARLANE, JOHN POINDEXTER, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CASPAR WEINBERGER, AND SEVERAL OTHER ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS WERE INDICTED FOR PERJURY

PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH PARDONED THEM

THE "TEFLON" PRESIDENT

MARCH, 1987: "I NEVER LIED TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE" -- BUT TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT HE "DIDN’T KNOW" HIS ADMINSTRATION DID.

EARLY-STAGE ALZHEIMER’S – MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN!

69% APPROVAL RATING

"RONNIE AND NANCY"

JUNE 6, 2004

AND BUSH I

1988 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION:

VICE PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W, BUSH – WWII VET, BUT HAD TO DEAL WITH "WIMP FACTOR" SO PICKED LIGHTWEIGHT DAN ("POTATOE") QUAYLE AS RUNNING MATE

DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE – MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR MICHAEL DUKAKIS

BUSH'S INFAMOUS WILLIE HORTON AD – WHILE DUKAKIS WAS GOVERNOR, HORTON GOT WEEKEND FURLOUGH FROM MASS. PRISON AND COMMITTED A RAPE

"READ MY LIPS. NO NEW TAXES"

CAMPAIGN ISSUES: THE ECONOMY, THE DEFICIT AND WAR ON DRUGS, AND . . .

RESULT: BUSH 53.4%, DUKAKIS 45.7 OF POPULAR VOTE

REAGAN "COAT TAILS!"

Tiananmen Square

REALPOLITIK: BUSH DIDN’T LET CHINESE 1989 MASSACRE OF STUDENT DISSENTERS INTERFERE WITH GRANTING CHINA MFN STATUS (G.A.T.T. URUGUAY 1989)

1989 INVASION OF PANAMA TO REMOVE MANUEL NORIEGA FOR MURKY REASONS (PROBABLY WAG THE DOG) -- U.N. RULED IT A VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

1990 BUDGET DEAL: BUSH AGREED TO NEW TAXES: RAISED INCOME TAX, MEDICARE TAX, GAS TAX, ETC.

SO: GULF WAR, 1990. WAG THE DOG!

1991: SOVIET UNION FELL ON HIS WATCH (THANKS TO REAGAN, NOT HIM)

OCTOBER, 1991: BUSH APPOINTED CLARENCE THOMAS TO REPLACE JUSTICE THURGOOD MARSHALL

CIVIL RIGHTS HERO: LEAD COUNSEL FOR NAACP IN BROWN, ETC., JUDGE, U.S. COURT OF APPEALS, 2D CIR.(NEW YORK), SOLICITOR GENERAL OF THE U.S.

CHAIR, EEOC. BRIEFLY, JUDGE, U.S. COURT OF APPEALS, D.C. CIR.

THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT CHARGE – LAW PROFESSOR ANITA HILL AT THOMAS'S SENATE HEARING

WITH HER LAWYER, MY PARTNER WARNER GARDNER

THOMAS CALLED THE SENATE HEARING A "HIGH-TECH LYNCHING"

WAS CONFIRMED 52-48 VOTE

TO BECOME THE SILENT JUSTICE

SHOWN HERE WITH WIFE VIRGINIA WHO LAST YEAR CALLED ANITA HILL’S OFFICE AT AROUND 6:00 AM ON A SATURDAY TO CHEW HER OUT

RECESSION OF 1990-92 GDP DOWN > 3%, UNEMPLOYMENT UP (CHART TO FOLLOW)

CAUSES – OIL PRICES INCREASED DUE TO IRAQ WAR, PANIC OVER STOCK MARKET CRASH OF 1987, S&L CRISIS AND BANK FAILURES IN 1980s.

JAMES CARVILLE, CLINTON'S LEAD CAMPAIGN STRATEGIST IN 1992: "IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!"

1992 ELECTION -- POPULAR VOTE: CLINTON, 43.0%, BUSH 37.5%, H. ROSS PEROT 18.9%

NEXT: A NEW KIND OF DEMOCRAT – THE THIRD WAY OR TRIANGULATION - IS IT IN THE MIDDLE?