Challenge: An Even More Successful Reagan Presidency

Han

Your mission, should you accept it, is to make Reagan's Presidency even more successful in the eyes of historians than it already is. Now you might be saying: "But Reagan is already seen as successful!" While that is true, your job is to make Reagan's Presidency from 1981-1989 so successful that he replaces FDR in the top three greatest Presidents among historians. Most historians from what I've seen rank the top three Presidents something like:

1. FDR
2. Abraham Lincoln
3. George Washington

Your mission is to make that ranking:

1. Reagan
2. Lincoln
3. Washington

And......begin! ;)
 

theReturner

Sorry, but Reagan can't replace Washington or Lincoln for the number one or number two spot. He could replace FDR for number three, but the only way I think that could happen is if we have another "Cuban Missle like crisis" where he manages to avert Nuclear War, and deal a serious blow to Soviet foreign policy, and somehow bring about the collapse of the Soviet Union while he is President.
 
black angel

black angel

maybe change the Red Scare, Reagan stays a New Dealer (and a Dem) the POD leads to a Nixon Presidency in 1960 and reelected in 1964, civil rights moves more slowly, no Great Society or War on Poverty, Vietnam is more or less OTL Reagan runs and wins in '68 he pushes Great Society and War on Poverty stuff, wraps up civil rights, goes to China and gets Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the USSR, mix the best of Nixon and LBJ and give it the face of JFK.
 

wolf_brother

Banned
black angel said:
maybe change the Red Scare, Reagan stays a New Dealer (and a Dem) the POD leads to a Nixon Presidency in 1960 and reelected in 1964, civil rights moves more slowly, no Great Society or War on Poverty, Vietnam is more or less OTL Reagan runs and wins in '68 he pushes Great Society and War on Poverty stuff, wraps up civil rights, goes to China and gets Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the USSR, mix the best of Nixon and LBJ and give it the face of JFK.
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Somehow I doubt that's what the OP was looking for :p

But TBH I agree; I'm not sure you could achieve a 'more successful' Reagan without completely changing the man himself.
 
Plumber

Plumber

black angel said:
maybe change the Red Scare, Reagan stays a New Dealer (and a Dem) the POD leads to a Nixon Presidency in 1960 and reelected in 1964, civil rights moves more slowly, no Great Society or War on Poverty, Vietnam is more or less OTL Reagan runs and wins in '68 he pushes Great Society and War on Poverty stuff, wraps up civil rights, goes to China and gets Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the USSR, mix the best of Nixon and LBJ and give it the face of JFK.
Click to expand...
Even this would probably make him #2. FDR would still be King.
You would have to have a big BIG POD.
 

theReturner

Plumber said:
Doesn't make it any more true. The Reagan myth will erode in time.
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I know it isn't true. But I'm not sure if the myth will really erode in time. If anything, I think it will get stronger. Afterall, most Americans think winning WWII was all about them, and to a lesser extent the British.
 

Simon_1969

How about Reagan pulls off (or much more likely makes an impressive but failed stab at) a complete nuclear disarment treaty - he had some tendancies towards that direction and it would definitly be historic and improve how lefty Americans think of him broadening his appeal.
 

Rediv

Talking about the difference between actual accomplishments and perception, then, in thinking of ways to make his presidency more successful, we could think of events that happen after he leaves office to make Reagan look better by comparison. We could have Bush/Clinton/somebody completely different do an absolutely terrible job as president which screws up the US for years, leading people to look back all the more fondly on Reagan.
 
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