I hardly know where to begin.
First, Reagan himself said he made a big mistake going along with democrats to raise taxes. The democrats promised far larger budget cuts in return. Sound familiar? Of course, they never kept their end of the bargain. Once fooled, twice shy.
Most conservatives would say the amnesty was a huge mistake. Again, Reagan was promised comprehensive immigration reform, etc. Never happened. Democrats just kept scheming to get in more poor people who would vote for them. In fairness, many republicans like Bush and McCain were also in favor of more or less open borders.
We have to keep in mind that Reagan was far more conservative than the republican establishment, epitomized by country club republicnas like his VP, George H. W. Bush. They tended to favor symbolic gestures like the King holiday. Also, in both California and Washington, Reagan had to deal with exremely hostile democrat majorities in the legislature and congress. It is a measure of his personal charisma and leadership that he was able to bend them to his will on so many sugnificant issues. Unlike Obama, who seems to think demagogic attacks are the way to get cooperation, Reagan used his considerable charm, negotiating ability and give and take. Remember too, he didn't have a strong Tea Party movement behind him. Much of the republican party establishment detested him and tried to undermine him.
As for the rest of the article, I have not detected the upsurge in Carter's popularity. If anything, the years have confirmed how damaging his presidency was. His raw anti-semitism and reckless use of the racism charge since leaving office have further diminished his legacy.
