Reaganism has been the state-religion of the American Right for over 30 years. And like most official religions it has been diluted and twisted beyond recognition to suit the short-term needs of its political masters. Last week I wrote a piece called Death of the Reagan Revolution that argued, in part, that invocations of Reagan’s name have become less meaningful even as they have become more common and that they have in turn undermined Reagan’s real and valuable legacy.
If nothing else, Trump’s candidacy should force conservatives to move past Reagan. Yes, we honor his work and respect the man and the movement that made him President. But conservatives have too easily retreated to a posture of nostalgia for a golden age that never really existed. Worse, most Americans don’t care about all of the paeans to Reagan offered by the faithful – they want a political movement that speaks to today’s issues.
Seth and I discuss the question of what’s next after Reaganism? It’s something that the Right is only now beginning to face nearly 30 years after Reagan left office. Give it a listen – we had a good discussion and it’s a subject we’ll be returning to frequently.
Let us know in the comments below what you think or if there issues or considerations you’d like us to address in subsequent episodes.