Democrats, including party leaders and the progressive blogosphere should be ready to demolish the Reagan mythology. Fortunately, this will not be hard, and there are plenty of resources. Probably no source has been more vigilant than The Nation. Start with The Nation's editorial "The Reagan Legacy," a succinct wrap-up of the damage done by the Gipper. Proceed to Alexander Cockburn's blistering essay "Reagan in Truth and Fiction."
An interesting handful of articles about the most treasured myth of Reagan-worshippers, that he single-handedly won the cold war, can be accessed at this link. For a good overview of the damage done by "Reaganomics," check out Steve Kangas' "The Reagan Years:A Statistical Overview of the 1980s." Walter Field's "No Tears for Reagan" at BlackAmericaToday.com explains how Reagan obstructed Civil Rights gains.
The GOP will almost certainly wield the Reagan Myth with increasing frequency during the campaign ahead, if only because they have nothing else to project in a positive light. Democrats are not running against Reagan, but some well-crafted sound bites about Reagan's real record whenever his name is exalted will help show voters which candidates -- and which party -- tell it straight.
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