11-09-2017, 05:26 PM
(11-09-2017, 01:06 PM)Benton Wrote: Eh, for the long list of special interests Ronnie gave a handy to, he definitely wasn't anti-UniParty. I think he was a unique case, though, and it wasn't intentional.
Reagan wasn't as experienced as most of his post-WWII predecessors. He was a smart guy and he knew his international diplomacy and industry-specific knowledge wasn't his strong points, so he listened to the Party and put in a lot of the guys who floated around Washington, much like the Bush family, Clintons, etc. Elizabeth Dole, William Clark (not really a Washington insider, but he took his orders from past presidential handlers), Andrew Lewis, etc.
As far as Obama, meh. I don't think you're party line is going to budge off of it, but Obama was easily the least special interest related president we've had in four decades. That doesn't mean he was good, or effective, just that his actions were less inclined to benefit a small minority of the population compared to Reagan, Bush, Bush, Clinton. Much of that was due to that lack of influence from specific groups. Compromise in Washington usually is just about an industry telling both sides they have to get along. Since Obama didn't have the same roots with them, there wasn't a lot they could do to force him to work out with Republicans. So, not much got done.
Reagan’s big mistake was bringing on Bush as VP. He wanted Rumsfeld. Reagan was fighting his own establishment plus the democrats. No one liked him but his base and after that tax cut he won over the masses.
Which is exactly the same thing Trump is trying to do and I doubt congress allows him.
