Opinions & observations: How Reagan’s notions of a ‘good society’ resonate with Trump supporters today
If a ballooning federal deficit, tax breaks for the wealthy, rising income inequality, structural racism and cowboy diplomacy sound familiar, it’s because they were big issues in the 2020 presidential race.
But they’re not new. They also dominated the 1984 contest between Ronald Reagan and his Democratic challenger, Walter Mondale.
Then, as now, Americans faced a bevy of social, economic and political issues that, depending on presidential leadership, would define who they were as a nation. And then, as now, millions voted out of concern for their personal finances rather than address the challenges roiling much of the country.