Measure of Difference Between Trump and Reagan [PHIL-OSOPHY]

I didn't think I'd ever see a great president like Ronald Reagan again until nonconformist Donald Trump was elected. He left office with a list of achievements from repairing trade agreements and energizing oil and gas development, to rebuilding our economy, and creating historic low unemployment that resulted in wage growth for our working-class families.

From the tax cuts and Jobs Acts to championing the deregulatory effort, President Trump's mastery was notable, as was his foreign policy with China, NATO, the ruination of ISIS and his ability to avoid getting us involved in another pointless war. And I admired that he treated Israel as a friend and not an exile.

Trump's accomplishments took place despite, from day one, a perpetual, sustained and around-the-clock detestation and hostility from, among others, the press, big tech social media, the Russia hoax, the federal bureaucracy, public and higher education, the China lobby and Hollywood, which found his agenda a radical departure from their ideology.

On the one hand, when I consider all his successes, I also see outside contempt, hatred, a killer plague and his own personal defects defeated Trump.

Ronald Reagan, by way of contrast, had charisma, strength of personality and appeal to impart to his opponents such as Tip O'Neill and others who had a much different political agenda. I remember the press also having it in for Reagan, but he handled the hostility much differently. Be that as it may, when Reagan ran for re-election in 1984, he hit a grand slam. I believe one of them was fluent in communicating the golden rule while the other was not.

Ronald Reagan deserves credit for his landslide win, partly based on his down-home, friendly persona. Contrastingly, even with all the animosity he faced daily and all good he did for the American people, Donald Trump's personality flaws warrant proportionate responsibility for his Waterloo.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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