The Reagan Precedent.
How the Republican parties northern star went from Lincoln to Reagan.
Donald Trump cut taxes in his first term (primarily for the wealthy), and all signs point to him doing it again if he is elected for a second term. But of the many things that he has done during his time as president, his economic policies were by no means the most shocking. Going in we knew Trump was a Republican candidate, and Republican candidates absolutely adore tax cuts, especially when they involve the 1%. However it wasn’t always like that. For example Eisenhower increased social security, increased minimum wage, and even increased corporate taxes. In fact, at the end of his second term, corporate taxes had reached 52%. Even Nixon, in spite of everything that came with that fiasco, increased taxes on the wealthy. And if you’ll remember, even after Watergate and his ensuing Impeachment, many Americans took a while to renounce him. However since Reagan, every Republican candidate that received continued support has enforced significant tax cuts. So how exactly did this happen.
Before jumping into, ‘Reaganomics’, and the lasting effect that it left, we have to begin with Reagan’s predecessor, Gerald Ford. Ford came into office and was handed an objectively raw deal. In the face of Watergate as well as a declining economy, it was clear that Ford would need to make some quick, tough, and decisive decisions. Decisions that would at times be unpopular. And for a while he did just that. His initial plan increased taxes and capped government spending. A decision that wasn’t entirely popular with either side, Democrat or Republican, but at that time the American people understood they needed a firm leader to guide them. However after facing pressure from his own party, Ford folded and gave moderate tax cuts. Regardless, at this point his reputation as a weak leader was already set, and he did not win reelection. Overwhelmingly people believed he was a good man, but that he was simply not strong enough to lead the country through a difficult time(an unfair reputation as a klutz may have had an effect as well). Then in 1980, Ronald Reagan, a good looking, charismatic movie star, launched his campaign.
On top of his cosmetic advantages over Ford, Reagan offered something else that Republicans fell in love with, ‘Reaganomics’. The 40th president of the united states offered a clear plan out of the recession, slicing taxes across the board, and especially on the rich. When Ronald Reagan entered the oval office, the top tax bracket in the single tax brackets, was $108,300, at which it was 70%. By the time he left in 1989, the top tax bracket in that same category was $18,550, at which it was 28%. Now whether you champion Reaganomics or oppose them, I would fall firmly on the side of opposing them, Reagan followed through on his promise. And while the effects of Reaganomics are still a hotly debated topic (I would argue that it crippled the lower and middle class, check out this well written article by Thom Hartmann for more information on that), those who did like the policies, really liked them. Inarguably the wealthy profited tremendously from this change in thinking, and thanks to that, as well as his all American image, Reagan remains one of the most popular Republican presidents in recent memory.
With Reaganomics in place, as well as the promise that taxes would never raise above 28% (which lasted 3 years), George H.W. Bush raised the bar and promised absolutely no taxes. This was obviously impossible and Bush went back on his promise, but still taxes were only raised slightly, the highest single tax bracket was $51,900 at which the rate was 31% the year that he left office. However he was still not reelected for another term. His son, George W. Bush, certainly did not slash taxes in the same manner that Reagan did, but he did lower taxes slightly, again predominantly on the rich. Unlike his father, he was reelected (which I’ve touched on in The Death of the Moderate Conservative). It was clear that after Reagan, Republicans would no longer tolerate a president who was not dramatically laissez-faire. But that may not be entirely because of the effects of these policies.
The truth is Reagan was a cosmetics candidate. Yes, Reaganomics played a role in how beloved he has become, but it was not what his supporters initially fell in love with. Instead it was his flash, his charisma, and his optimism. Ronald Reagan was a well known actor with charm to spare. His self deprecating sense of humor, and seemingly genuine disposition helped him greatly in the eyes of the public. On top of this he was uniquely optimistic, and at a time of uncertainty, the American people flocked to that. Reagan had won over the general public before the introduction of his famous economic policy, and once he unveiled an idea that could be simplified as “little to no taxes”, very few people were hesitant to jump on board. And while his policies were less than ideal for those in the lower and lower middle class, for upper middle and upper class white American’s, Reagan’s approach to government coincided with an economic boom. Now these cuts were hardly the only cause of this partially booming economy, as tax cuts rarely are, but that didn’t really matter, the timing could not have been more perfect. Not only the timing during his presidency, but the timing before it as well. Following an almost 10 year recession, as well as a period of just general uncertainty, it was pretty easy for Ronald Reagan to look good. The Republican party bought his presidency and everything that came with it. They fell in love, and since then they have only been looking for candidates that can in someway be compared to him. H. W. Bush was his VP and promised no taxes, W. Bush championed a free market and was the son of Reagan’s VP, and Trump was a proud promoter of big business, with an aggressive optimism aimed at making America great again (Reagan’s slogan in 1980 was “Let’s make America great again”).
Unfortunately Regan wasn’t only a president with a clear bias towards the wealthy, he was also notably racist. Not only am I referring to the recordings of his conversation with Nixon (who was in many ways the precursor to Reagan) that were released last year, but also his famous “Welfare queen” statement. These beliefs did not only materialize in a few separate remarks, as the Netflix documentary “13th” illuminated, Reagan intentionally stereotyped and devastated black communities. I wish that was where it ended, but Reagan shared a disdain for the LGTBQ community as well which, led him to largely ignore the aids epidemic. When Ronald Reagan said “Let’s make America great again”, what he meant was, let’s make America what it was again, or at the very least ensure it progresses no further. Let’s make the wealthy and powerful more wealthy and more powerful. Let’s take the little power that workers have and strip it away. Let’s take the oppressed members of our society and increase the amount of obstacles in their paths. And knowingly or not, the Republican party bought all of this. The evidence is pretty damning too. From H.W. Bush’s Willie Horton attack ad (although he was admittedly the president who coincided the least with this line of thinking , but then again he wasn’t reelected nor did he have a rabid fan base), to his son’s continued tax cuts for the rich, and at best questionable handling of hurricane Katrina, all the way to Donald Trump’s consistently xenophobic remarks and policies, as well as generous tax cuts for large corporations and the rich. Making America great again isn’t new, and it has gotten incredibly old. I’m tired of right leaning Americans using tradition as an excuse to enact racist and homophobic policies while coddling the wealthy.
The Republican party famously champion the fact that they were “The party of Lincoln”, but Lincoln fought back against racism as well as the exploitation of the lower and middle class. Ronald Reagan busted unions, and oversaw the mass criminalization of black neighborhoods. Clearly something has changed, and judging by the candidates that have followed, in the eyes of Republicans Reagan trumped Lincoln. Rather than move on from a candidate who’s legacy continues to grow more convoluted and controversial, the party has insisted on keeping the rosy image of Reagan alive, and follow his example at all costs. But please don’t forget that Reagan himself once said “The judgement of history is left to you, the people.”, so please learn from him don’t idolize him.
