On the right: Norm Ornstein: repub party has moved so far to the right a candidate with Reagan's

[erpowers]

2. I Disagree

There are a number of Republicans and Democrats who make the claim that the Republican Party has moved so far to the right that even Ronald Reagan could not win the Republican nomination. Those people are wrong. Those people seem to focus on Ronald Reagan's actual record as governor of California or his actual record as president. What those people should focus on his how Reagan ran for president.

Ronald Reagan was a mix of Donald Trump (playing the race card), Mitt Romney and others (tax cuts for the wealthy), Ron Paul (government is the problem), and George w. Bush (spend more on the military).

Some seem to forget that Ronald Reagan promoted the myth that welfare recipients drove Cadillacs. Many realize this was a racially charged statement meant to get whites to vote for the Republican Party. Reagan was also a big supporter of supply-side economics, which promoted giving tax cuts to the wealthy. In addition, Reagan was just as opposed to government regulation as the current crop of Republicans. Finally, Reagan supported a big increase in military spending.

I guess one would argue, but he would not be able to defend his record running for reelection today. I would argue that even today with that record he is one of the most popular Republicans within the Republican Party.