Let's play a game II... Titus' turn

James and I talked a bit about this, so I guess his views may mirror what I write here. We'll have to see...

What were Reagan's greatest FAILURES as a President?

I will list them in no particular order, as I understand them to be, okay? Feel free to comment at your ease.

1. For a President that stated time and time again that he would NEVER negotiate with terrorists, I feel Reagan did a whole lot of just THAT... negotiating with terrorists. Delaying the release of the hostages until AFTER the inauguration borders on criminal. Then selling them (the Iranians) weapons ILLEGALLY only 3 years later... wow. Then there was the terrorist attack on the Marine barracks in Beruit in 1983. After those 200+ Marines died by a murderous "jihadist" attack, the US had withdrawn ALL military presence from the country. I think the message sent with that action was "You win... we quit" in Lebanon, and the terrorists maintained a war of terror against our "ally" every day since. Finally, let's not forget that the FIRST US President to officially recognize the PLO as a legitimate elected governing body, and recognize Yassir Arrafat as its leader, was Ronald W. Reagan on Dec 14, 1988.
2. Ryan only recently beat me up for acting shamefully by suggesting that I MIGHT support Obama in the primary election, based (partially) on a President's power to appoint judges. I submit that another failure of the Reagan years was the appointment of O'Connor and Kennedy to the Supreme Court. What two justices have gone further to "legislate from the bench" than those two? None, in my book. This is a legacy that America has had to live with for 20 years and more, and the precedents these two judges set in their actions and findings will continue to plague America for decades to come. I also feel his lack of support in defending his Bork appointment has had echoes down the decades as well... we haven't seen a President DEFEND an appointment since until Bush Jr. took office, and I think the reason for that is the precedent that Reagan set in letting a Democratic Congress hound him into making a different choice.
3. (NOTE: This is James' input... not entirely mine, but I agree 100%) Reagan's 1st Inaugural Address pledged "...to demand recognition of the distinction between the powers granted to the Federal Government and those reserved to the States or to the people." Stirring words, but he forgot them when he forced all 50 states to raise the drinking age to 21, or risk the loss of ALL Federal highway funding... even if the states expressly held that the determination of the legal drinking age was a STATE RIGHT.

Gotta cut this short for now... more later, I hope.