I dunno, this is more a “wag the dog” thing going on, I feel. We choose presidents mainly because they fit the upcoming vibe, and can ride it better. The Carter aesthetic started under Ford, really, and Reagan was simply better at riding the vibe than setting it. It’s also why Clinton beat Bush, why Bush Junior beat Gore. Gore was smarter, but Bush was a fit for the 2000 mood of not wanting to answer tough questions any more, it’s now 2000, man! And the rah rah military fetishism 2002 onwards was not his doing as much as he rolled with it.
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