Well, the mainstream media is now talking about exactly what many of us were predicting: that the memory of Reagan's grandure could expose how small Bush reall is. This is from the Wash Post:
The death of Ronald Reagan places President Bush squarely in the role of mourner-in-chief. But it's not entirely clear if Bush will emerge from a solid week of tributes and reminiscences resplendent as a self-styled heir to the Reagan legacy, or if he will suffer in comparison from a stature gap....
And, when all is said and done, comparisons to the larger-than-life Reagan may not help Bush.
For instance, Bush's insistence that he is optimistic might look desperate when compared to Reagan's effortless confidence. His recent attempt to liken the war on terror and the war in Iraq to prior global conflicts between good and evil may fall short of Reagan's similar claim about the end of the Cold War.
And some of the things they have in common -- massive deficits, a disengaged management style, ideological stubbornness -- are not necessarily Bush's strongest assets.
