More from Ronald Brownstein's political analysis in
todays L.A. Times:

But Reagan established the foundation for the GOP gains
since then. Both the Republican majority in the House
and Senate, as well as George W. Bush's razor-thin
electoral college majority in 2000, rest on the party's
dominance in the South, an advantage bequeathed to them
largely by Reagan.

Reagan also triggered changes that helped revive the
Democrats. His 49-state victory over Walter F. Mondale
in 1984 inspired the creation of the centrist
Democratic Leadership Council, which spearheaded the
critique of traditional liberalism that led to
Clinton's "New Democratic" message and his presidential
victories in the 1990s.

"It was the 1984 election that I think convinced people
… that the old version of the Democratic Party,
whatever its historical and moral merits, was no longer
a viable majority party," said Galston, who served as
Mondale's issues director in 1984 and later worked in
the Clinton White House.

Much of Clinton's agenda — which sought to balance
opportunity and responsibility and prove that
government activism was compatible with fiscal
restraint — tried to retool liberalism to respond to
Reagan's criticisms of it.

At the same time, Reagan inspired thousands of young
conservatives who have come to dominate every aspect of
the Republican Party, from its elected officials to its
executive-branch appointees and political strategists.
Almost everything about George W. Bush's presidency —
from its focus on tax cuts to its moral certitude —
reflects Reagan's imprint more than that of Bush's
father, George H.W. Bush.

This may be the most telling measure of Reagan's
impact. He shook the political landscape so powerfully
that he became one of the few who profoundly influenced
both major parties, forcing Democrats toward the center
while tilting Republicans toward the right.

Long after he returned to California, Reagan shaped the
choices that his successors could pursue. He does so
even today.

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