fling93 loves fishies

The Reagan Dime?

You may have heard by now that Republicans have introduced legislation to replace FDR on the dime with Ronald Reagan.

Conservative Republicans angry over an unflattering television movie about Ronald Reagan want to put his image on the dime in place of Democratic icon Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Democrats are just as determined to keep FDR’s profile in coin purses.
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Supporters of the “Ronald Reagan Dime Act” said Roosevelt and his government-expanding New Deal represented decades past, while Reagan’s conservative, anti-communist administration ushered in society as it exists today.

Triggering the dispute is a TV movie that depicts a doddering Reagan dominated by his wife, Nancy. The movie is being aired by Showtime after CBS canceled its plans to show it last month in response to pressure by Reagan supporters.

Interestingly enough, Nancy opposes this, recognizing it as the tit-for-tat that it is.

If you were wondering whether partisanship is up nowadays (in case this latest petty squabble wasn’t enough), just consider how much of a polarizing figure Reagan is. Conservatives credit him for winning the Cold War and killing inflation. Liberals blame him for creating deficits as far as the eye could see and hold him responsible for the AIDS epidemic. Arguably, Reagan is not the right person to credit or blame for any of it.

In general, Presidents always receive too much credit and blame than they deserve, especially for the economy (I discuss this further in my discussions of supply-side economics and this past recession). For that matter, FDR was no different, often credited for ending the Great Depression when in reality it was WWII. FDR’s biggest contribution was probably boosting the morale of the nation during tough times. Interestingly enough, you could say the same for Reagan (though perhaps not quite in such dramatic fashion).

Personally, I don’t think the Republicans are really serious. Reagan’s not even dead yet, and Democrats would never allow FDR to be taken off the dime anyway. I think Republicans just want to get these ideas out there, so that over time, it won’t seem so farfetched to most people.

And in time, if this partisan atmosphere ever dies down, I think Reagan will eventually get his due. Probably not on the dime, but maybe they’ll make the jellybean the national candy or something.

Update 6/16/04

Well, now that Reagan’s passed away, maybe this will happen after all (or maybe he’ll end up replacing Hamilton on the $10 bill instead). But anyway, here are my thoughts on Reagan’s passing.