Dick Morris, who is not always right, but usually provocative, makes a compelling case that Bill Clinton was Ronald Reagan's "ratifier," taking the Reagan legacy into the Democratic party agenda, and using it to promote welfare reform and a balanced budget. He points out that Eisenhower did a similar thing to FDR's New Deal. And he might have added that Tony Blair Thatcherized Britain's Labor Party with great success.
It seems to me that in this case, Morris knows what he is talking about. Ronald Reagan's disciple was Bill Clinton, much as the Democratic FDR followed in Republican Teddy Roosevelt's footsteps. This alternating pattern may not be a law of politics, but it is an interesting phenomenon.
What it means for the upcoming election is not clear. Perhaps that Kerry can make a play for the Reagan mantle, too.
