Republican candidates before they loved Reagan

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES: Before they loved Reagan. Money quote, from Rick Perry's Fed Up: How to Save America from Washington: "During the Reagan years of the 1980s, federal spending still doubled, numerous federal agencies expanded, and there was a proliferation of federal criminal laws. Only 12 of 94 programs the administration proposed to eliminate actually ended. And programs that were ‘scaled back’ simply returned in full force in the face of a relentless Democratic Congress." One suspects that the now frequently-demonstrated Republican affinity for Reagan's presidency is drawn from a lack of a single, coherent image for the party. Do they honestly hope that Reagan could be that figurehead? I hope not. Perry explained it himself: Reagan wasn't a particularly good fiscal conservative.

Even the Associated Press is reporting that the 'fiery book' in which the afore-quoted criticism appeared could come back to haunt Perry. It's certainly difficult as a candidate with published opinions, like many who have graced the ranks of candidacy on both sides of the political spectrum over the past few years: all your opinions (from a particular place and time) are all laid out for everyone to see. Suddenly, flip-flopping – now considered a great crime in American politics – becomes that much easier. We've discussed this before, remember?