Reagan and the Iran-Contra Affair : The Politics of Presidential Recovery

The Iran-Contra scandal rocked the Reagan presidency to its core in late 1986 and 1987. This text examines the efforts of the Reagan administration to recover its public credibility in the 12 months following the exposure of controversial covert operations. Via comparative analysis it explores the impact of scandal upon the presidential office, the problems which confronted President Reagan during Iran-Contra and the centrality of damage-control efforts to the well-being of the modern presidency. The Iran-Contra affair proved to be the deathknell for the Teflon Presidency of Ronald Reagan. Not only did the President suffer politically, his popular standing also plummeted as details of controversial covert operations in the Middle East and Central America trickled out in 1986 and 1987. Having explored the nature of American political scandal and the comparative experiences of a number of presidential administrations, Roger Busby examines the efforts of the Reagan administration to recover its standing in the twelve months following the initial exposure in Iran-Contra. The President had to concoct a plan to establish renewed political credibility in the eyes of the public and his political opponents which proved to be a difficult, dramatic and eventful process. Front Matter....Pages i-xi Introduction....Pages 1-8 Political Scandal in the United States....Pages 9-29 Damage Limitation: the Modern Experience....Pages 30-53 Origins of the Iran-Contra Scandal....Pages 54-66 Teflon Trauma: October–November 1986....Pages 67-97 Riding the Storm: November 1986 — February 1987....Pages 98-128 Searching for Stability: February–July 1987....Pages 129-147 Congressional Finale: July–November 1987....Pages 148-179 Conclusions....Pages 180-185 Back Matter....Pages 186-222 The Iran-Contra affair proved to be the death knell for the Teflon Presidency of Ronald Reagan. Not only did the President suffer politically, his popular standing also plummeted as details of controversial covert operations in the Middle East and Central America trickled out in 1986 and 1987. This text examines the effort of the Reagan administration to recover its standing in the twelve months following the initial exposure of Iran-Contra This text examines how the Reagan administration attempted to recover its public credibility following the Iran-Contra scandal in 1986/7. It explores the impact of the scandal upon the presidential office and the centrality of damage control efforts to the well-being of the modern presidency. Robert Busby. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.