Whither the Conservative Movement pg. 8
hallmark of an unfair tax system (Reagan, 1985c, quote II.I.1, II.I.2). He firmly believed, however, that those who were able to do so should pay their fair share of taxes (Reagan, 1985c, quote II.I.3).
Success did not allow for resting on one’s laurels, though. It was not enough to simply solve a temporarily problem. Reagan’s ideology saw over-reaching government, and the taxation that funded it, as an eternal threat to freedom. He therefore sought to provide eternal safeguards against the temptation to slide back into old habits (Reagan, 1985a, quote II.G.3; Reagan, 1985b, quote II.H.1; Reagan, 1987, quote II.K.1). In this, Reagan’s ideology was solidly of the same ilk as Goldwater’s.
George H.W. Bush
GHW Bush was not particularly well known for being articulate. This problem was especially glaring as he followed The Great Communicator as President. GHW Bush fully declared himself a loyalist to Reagan’s agenda, but left the connection to any guiding ideology in the minds of the listener. He promised to hold the line on low taxes and pay down the deficit, but his arguments were made on economic grounds only (GHW Bush, 1989, quotes III.A.1, III.A.2; GHW Bush, 1990, quote III.B.1).
This was enough of a connection with voters when he followed closely on the heals of Reagan and faced a lackluster challenger in Walter Mondale. However, when facing Bill Clinton in 1992, a candidate who may have been as articulate as Regan, GHW Bush was unable to compete. Significantly, one of the charges against GHW Bush was that he went back on his promise of no new taxes. The fact that GHW Bush based his
Go to Page 9
Success did not allow for resting on one’s laurels, though. It was not enough to simply solve a temporarily problem. Reagan’s ideology saw over-reaching government, and the taxation that funded it, as an eternal threat to freedom. He therefore sought to provide eternal safeguards against the temptation to slide back into old habits (Reagan, 1985a, quote II.G.3; Reagan, 1985b, quote II.H.1; Reagan, 1987, quote II.K.1). In this, Reagan’s ideology was solidly of the same ilk as Goldwater’s.
George H.W. Bush
GHW Bush was not particularly well known for being articulate. This problem was especially glaring as he followed The Great Communicator as President. GHW Bush fully declared himself a loyalist to Reagan’s agenda, but left the connection to any guiding ideology in the minds of the listener. He promised to hold the line on low taxes and pay down the deficit, but his arguments were made on economic grounds only (GHW Bush, 1989, quotes III.A.1, III.A.2; GHW Bush, 1990, quote III.B.1).
This was enough of a connection with voters when he followed closely on the heals of Reagan and faced a lackluster challenger in Walter Mondale. However, when facing Bill Clinton in 1992, a candidate who may have been as articulate as Regan, GHW Bush was unable to compete. Significantly, one of the charges against GHW Bush was that he went back on his promise of no new taxes. The fact that GHW Bush based his
Go to Page 9
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