Reagan got shot on March 30, '81, a mere 69 days into his presidency. Not much correlation there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reagan_assassination_attempt

The invasion of Grenada happened on Oct. 25, 1983. Coincidentally, per Ed's graph, Reagan got an immediate bump of about 7 points.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Grenada#Reaction_in_the_United_States

— a lesson not missed by the infamous W. We 'Merkuns do love us some war. At least at the beginning. And Grenada was over as soon as it began.

Only a cynic would think that distracting from the loss of 241 marines in the Beirut bombing only two days earlier would have anything to do with it. But, gee, dying in actual battle, or better yet, killing stinking Commies (instead being hoist on a truck petard while lolling in your barracks) is so much more glorious.

Cheers!
JzB the cynical, wiki-loving trombonist

Interesting graph, and the general principle I agree with, but the correlation is not entirely linear. What local parameters or mitigating circumstances were going on to explain the jump in approval even though unemployment was above 10% for almost TWO FUCKING YEARS??!!!

Chalk it up at least in part to the admirably American disconnect that allows reality to blossom into delusional fantasy, but there was other things going on which I have neither the time nor resources to remember.

Of course, we know he's a piker compared to W and the GOP who now whine about debt and deficits despite being at the helm while they created one unfunded trillion dollar program and tax cuts for the wealthy after another.

Lest we forget the Bush WH threatened to fire the actuary who was going to testify to the true cost of Medicare Part D.

$50 billion dollar Iraq War – "6 months tops". Ya, sure. Keep voting against your own interests rednecks of America.

In an nutshell, David Stockman, Director of the Office of Management and Budget during Reagan's first term, conceived the idea of "Starve The Beast" – i.e. create large enough deficits that social programs could be dismantled under the claim 'we can't afford them'.

Reagan ran on paying off the national debt, and instead quadrupled it. Of course, we know he's a pike compared to W and the GOP who now whine about debt and deficits despite being at the helm while they created one unfunded trillion dollar program and tax cuts for the wealthy. Now they scream exactly what was initially conceived during the Reagan Administration under "Starve The Beast"

Heard that one lately from the GOP? Thought you might have …