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>He was a showman disaster whose tax cutting and spending reduction did a great deal to build the rich v poor society the USA has today.
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That's not quite accurate. By today's standards, Reagan would be viewed as a "RINO".

Yes, Reagan signed some tax cuts into law. And in the early years of his presidency he tried to reduce the size and power of the IRS.

But in 1982 and 1984 he signed two of the biggest peacetime (at the time) tax increase bills.

He also signed tax reform legislation - which eliminated tax breaks and shelters and effectively led to higher income Americans getting larger tax bils.

As for spending reduction, that's also pretty much a myth. Spending as % of GDP rose under Reagan (much of it on defense)

I've always said Reagan is one of the more misunderstood presidents. He was definitely NOT the free-market capitalist that people say he was - and in foreign policy, he was really more of a disappointment who benefited from events.

I don't think he was a terrible president. He was a good speaker and projected a strong America. But the world view of Reagan is really not accurate.