Ronald Reagan, Worst President Ever?

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/06/03-8

This article paints a rather negative image of the Reagan Presidency, suggesting it worse than George W. Bush's and the pre-civil war president James Buchanan's presidencies, and this is at a time, in 2009, when the majority of public opinion of Bush was negative following the end of his presidency and the beginning Barack Obama's presidency. This contemporary hatred of Reagan looks at the current issues and crises America is experiencing today such as the economic crisis and the threat of terror and how they can all be traced back to Reagan's presidency.

Robert Parry compares Reagan's presidency to his three predecessors; Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. Parry argues they deserve more credit for their attempts at tackling the problems that now effect America, and that all Reagan did was sabotage any sustained progress the three previous presidents had made. This idea that Reagan is to blame for many of America's issues and crises would stir much hatred from Americans towards Reagan and his presidency. In his article Parry describes Reagan's as being this 'pied piper' who lured 'the American people away from the tough choices that Nixon, Ford and Carter defined.' This comparison of Reagan to this evil fairytale character who was hated for luring all the children away from a village suggests Reagan is hated by Parry for luring the American people away from making tough decisions that could have had a positive effect on the issues that surround America today.

A second reason Parry outlines as to why Reagan is the worst president ever is that contrary to popular belief, Reagan did not win the cold war for America, but that it had been won long before Reagan became president. Parry argues that in the early 1980’s at the beginning of his presidency, Reagan insisted the Soviet Union was surging towards world supremacy, however, Parry’s sources in the CIA suggest at this time the Soviet Union was heading towards collapse.

For Parry, Reagan's failings as a president put him as one of the worst, if not thee worst president of all time, and his argument that Reagan stopped all progress previous presidents had made which is still effecting America to this day would suggest a strong dislike of Reagan, painting him as this evil character.