Oh there's a HUGE difference between Reagan and Obama - however there are also some startling similarities.

They both came into office during a disastrous economic period which was instrumental in the incumbent (Carter) or the designated heir to the incumbent (McCain) losing the election.

In both cases, foreign policy disasters (Carter - Iran, Bush - Middle East) only made things worse.

Now, the recipes for recovery are far different - but then there were differences in the situation as well.

Reagan inherited higher tax rates. Obama inherited lower ones. In both cases, the deficit's the inherited got dramatically worse - largely due to increased spending.

[Side note - I have a hard time understanding why Tea Party activists are screaming at Washington about how their taxes have gone sky high when federal tax rates went DOWN. It's STATE tax rates that went up]

Reagan's critics said that he wanted to nuke the planet. Obama's critics say he wants to bring down the Republic.

Both are overstated blowhard demagoguery.