I imagine Democrats thought the same thing about Reagan when his JAR sank to 35%.
Yep, you are probably right, but we both know that is political rhetoric, and has little to do with how the people see him in the end.
You know I was listening to a show yesterday that had an interesting take on what you are saying here, and it was that simply when Reagan came into office people were starving for a positive outlook from the morass that Carter left us in. We were looking for a strong leader that could put America back on the track to success. Not some goof that told us to put on a sweater when its cold. We wanted someone strong to deal with foreign policy and assert America's power when needed to get our hostages back, not some apologist that wanted to buddy up with thugs, and terrorists. And we wanted to get back to work seeing that the policies of a quasi socialist didn't work, and caused actual misery.
With Reagan from day one, we got a man that told us that we were great, that told us that we could and would do it, and that put the world on notice that we would not take the back seat to any thug, country, or miscreant.
And you know what, for a time things did indeed get worse, and people, fickle as they are started to question, and libs started to attack. But because of the belief in America's exceptionalism, because Reagan unleashed America's business, and those with the means to invest, and because we ARE the greatest nation on the face of the earth Reagan produced the strongest, longest, and greatest growth and strength in American history.
Now what we seem to have is the anti Reagan rather than something that will actually work.
j-mac