It's Still Reagan's World

Michael Barone does an excellent job of putting the politics of the last quarter-century in perspective.

Thus, the crunchy, confrontational right was in its years in power not so widely popular as the soggy, consensus-minded center-left. Yet surely history will regard Thatcher and Reagan as more consequential leaders than Blair and Clinton. Thatcher and Reagan defined the issues and argued that, as Thatcher once famously said, "There is no alternative."

Barone's history lesson also helps put into perspective Bush's current polling numbers.