Reply #14: The reason that Reagan is as popular as he is

[Time for change]

in my opinion, is the massive propaganda effort over 30 years by a multitude of far right wing sources, including think tanks and our corporate media, with the philosophy that if people hear things repeated often enough they will judge that it must be true.

From the book jacket:

The myth of Ronald Reagan’s greatness has reached epic proportions in recent years. The public rates him as one of the most popular presidents, and Republicans everywhere seek to cast themselves in his image. But award winning journalist William Kleinknecht shows in this penetrating analysis of his presidency that the Reagan legacy has been devastating for the country – especially for the ordinary Americans he claimed to represent.

So how did one of the worst presidents in our history come to be seen in such a glamorous light? Some call Reagan the “teflon president” because none of his many scandals would “stick” to him in the public mind. But there was a very good reason for that. Kleinknecht explains in his introduction:

It cannot be disputed that there are legions of Reagan critics across the country. But why are they never seen on television or quoted in the media? Why is this dissenting view of Reagan’s “heroism” never in the public eye? … When it comes to media assessments of Ronald Reagan’s presidency, the usual standards seem not to apply.