I don't know if you are old enough to remember him but in 1981, Carter's ineptness had driven house interest rates to 21%, his inability to correctly utilize the military had resulted in the Debacle in the Desert, with Iran still holding our ambassador and his staff for 444 days, and Carter had publically stated that our best days were behind us and that we would just have to get used to it.

Reagan and his cronies conspired with the Iranians to keep the hostages there so he could win the election. How is that Carter's fault?

As a former Marine Corps officer in Vietnam (1969) and a police officer at the time, I had watched our country desinagrate into chaos, perhaps typified by the woman on the street who was stopped by the TV cameras right after the failed hostage rescue attempt, and sobbed into the camera "Can't we do anything right?"

Sounds like a bunch of military minds with their heads up their asses - maybe you had a part in that?

The Democrats had ruined the country, controlling all the legislature for over forty years. Taxes were set at over 28% for incomes under $15,000 (they are now less than 15%) and far higher for greater incomes. The farmers of the American Agricultural movement had driven to DC in their tractors, laying waste to my county on the way, and had rioted on the mall of the Capitol. The Country was literally in a stall.

Those farmers were being bought out by huge conglomarates that were aided by Republicans. Over all the taxes (and not just income taxes) increased across the board in the 8 years of Reagan reign. And even though he campaigned on balancing the budget, Reagan never even came close to submitting one. Fuckin' liar.

Then came Reagan, and, as any almost any reading of any newspaper in the world during the last couple of days will inform you, the rest, God love him, is history.

Yes, let us all believe the sophistry of the press. The press isn't in the pockets of the conservatives or the liberals - they're in the pockets of the millionaires who own the companies and who are willing to prostitute themselves to make more money. The press are whores. You pay them - you're a John.

My tax situation improved almost immediately, I was able to refinace my house.

Congratulations - I'm so glad you speak for 200 million people - you probably think you're "down with the negroes" in the ghettos too.

When the greedy bastards at PATCO struck (with the center of the strike in Leesburg, VA, where I was a Sgt on the force) he fired them.

Nice to see you're anti-labor - Maybe if you have ever done something as hard as being an air-traffic controller, you might change your tune.

When the Marines were bombed at Kobar, he immediately took full respondsibility, and three days later invaded Grenada. The military, which had been allowed to decline, began to improve (I was then a Captain of Marines in the Reserves).

Gee, a Marine - so that explains all this. Yes - the best thing to do when you screw up militarily, is attack a completely different place to rescue stoned med students (Claymore, do you read this stuff as you're writing or is it more like when you vomit - you don't care what came out, you're just glad for the relief).

People began to assume responsibility for their actions and the courts convicted the guilty without excuse. When he found out about Oliver North (who had served with me in Vietnam) he immediately had his Attorney General make instant release, long before any newspaper had a clue as to the situation. (Which brings the question, when will the papers get around to asking John Kerry why he voted for the Boland Amendment?)

OK - you got me there - more vomit, I guess cause I don't know what the hell you're saying. Oh wait - you say people assumed responsibility for things - why not have the idiots who tried that rescue mission in Iran do so? By the way - ever broken a law and NOT assumed responsibility?

Now you may quibble about the above, but when he asked the ENTIRE country "Are you better off now than you were four years ago", every state in the Union, including the Territories and with the exception of Minnesota and DC, answered "YES". I rest my case...

Yep - the general public is pro popularity contests. They're stupid. and believe lies when told by a nearly brain dead hack actor. You're the best example of that. Isn't it nice to know that you're good at at least one thing?