June 16, 2004

Wholesale myth-making

Ronald Reagan deserves our respect and/or our admiration for his service. But if we truly respect his legacy, we will confront it honestly.

Since President Reagan’s death, the nation has been subjected to wholesale myth-making. The myths have been created by professionals at PR firms and in right-wing advocacy groups with clear-eyed political objectives in mind.

Democrats have long had memories of FDR and JFK on which to draw. Republicans could hardly invoke Hoover or Nixon. Lincoln was awfully long ago. Republicans needed a hero.

In trying to create one, Republicans have rewritten history. To read the coverage of the last few days, one would have assumed that Reagan was one of the most popular presidents of all times. When he served, he wasn’t.

After he was famously shot, Reagan’s approval rating soared to 68 percent, but it was downhill from there. In 1982, his approval rating averaged 43 percent, about where George W. Bush’s rating now stands.

Bad economic news stuck to the so-called Teflon president — Reagan ended the year with an approval rating of 41 percent after he led his party to a devastating loss of 26 House seats. Voters overwhelmingly disapproved of Reagan’s economic policies, which had brought on a recession. In early 1983, Reagan’s approval rating sunk to 35 percent, a low few other presidents have seen. At that point, The New York Times concluded, “the stench of failure hangs over Ronald Reagan’s White House. The people know it judging by the polls.”

Even at the end of his presidency, almost half the public said he bore all or most of the responsibility for the massive federal deficits that plagued our economy until Bill Clinton and congressional Democrats reversed Reagan’s dangerous policies.

The economy picked up just in time to rescue Reagan from defeat, and he beat Walter Mondale soundly. But soon, Reagan was embroiled in controversy again, this time for trading arms for U.S. hostages in Iran. A majority of Americans concluded that the president was covering up wrongdoing that was at least as serious as Watergate.

Reagan’s apology to the nation was hardly reassuring. “A few months ago,” Reagan said, “I told the American people that I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions tell me that is true, but the facts and evidence tell me it is not.” Imagine the firestorm had Clinton or Al Gore tried to suggest that their intentions were truthful but their statements were not. Unlike Bush, Reagan was at least able to admit a mistake.

But again, the Teflon was hardly adequate. As he was engulfed in scandal, Reagan’s approval rating sunk. He lost 16 points in less than two months, falling to 47 percent in December, the most precipitous fall in approval Gallup had ever recorded.

On average, Reagan had a lower approval rating during his eight years than did Clinton.

Today, Reagan is very popular in retrospect. But Americans do not endorse efforts by the PR pros to rename everything in Reagan’s honor. ABC News polling indicates that people oppose putting Reagan on the $10 bill, 54 to 36 percent. Even fewer (31 percent) want him to replace Roosevelt on the dime.

The Teflon myth is that Americans always supported Reagan in spite of disagreeing with his policies because they liked his optimism and his winning personal manner. During much of his presidency, the public did not support him. Reagan too felt the sting of failed economic policy and scandal. Real events, real successes and real failures still matter in politics.

Mellman is president of The Mellman Group and has worked for Democratic candidates and causes since 1982, including Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) this year.