I have nothing against being optimistic. The problem is that Reagan was pathological in his optimism, beyond even just having 'rose tinted glasses.' The homeless? They were that way by choice, nothing to worry about. Black people? Racism isn't that big of a problem, really! Environment? You don't have to worry about it, after all trees cause pollution. The list goes on and on. Reagan (and the GOP) went beyond simply disagreeing with the left about how to solve America's problems -- he actively denied we actually had a lot of societal problems. The results have been nothing less than disastrous.
I concur with NDN. The Republican Party was once a polar opposite of what it is today. I am sure if Teddy Roosevelt was to wake from the dead and walk upon this planet he wouldn't recognize the Party. He would probably think that the Democratic Party is the
new Republican Party and in a sense it is.