Chapter 252: Reaganism II

Alexander knew that this whole Reagan stuff would happen… but he didn't really expect it to become a problematic thorn on his end.

Can't he just plunder something and not have some unexpected baggage that comes with it?

He'd already rectified the whole Wyman and Davis first lady thing when it came to the Back to the Future's creation... and he expected that he'd be free from controversy with that.

Oh… how wrong he was. As it turns out, his good deed had been too good that he had inadvertently made himself into a Ronald Reagan supporter already.

That really did not sit tight with him at all… and it wasn't just because Reaganism sounds a lot like Veganism!

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As Alexander turned silent to contemplate on the implications of Back to the Future being connected to Reagan in such ways… his grandfather happened to note his silence.

The Old Creed also happens to be the few people who can understand his grandson's mannerisms and his old bones' intuition is telling him that the 'Reaganism' he just said may have sent the young boy into deep thoughts.

"Is something bothering you, Alex?" Old Sullivan asked. "Could it be that you don't like Reaganism that much?"

"Do you?" Alexander asked him back instead.

"Hmm…" That in turn made Old Sullivan pause to think but he did have his stance afterward. "I don't really care about who gets to lead this country… but with what Reagan had done, he's pretty okay in my books. He is a 'chill' guy as you mentioned he was. His whole political ideology doesn't really bother our businesses much, so that's a point that goes for him."

"It's still up for debate… and he may or may not have used Back to the Future in his favor!" The old Creed added. "However, his move was also in our favor as well… so the duplicity in his way of doing things can be balanced out."

"Speaking of 'chill', you were quite alright with him a while ago… how come your thoughts swirled when Reaganism came into the picture?" At the boy's age, it was quite out of place to consider his view of politics… but Alex was a different breed, so the grandfather didn't discount that the boy may have some pretty considerable viewpoints on it.

"I don't really like or dislike the whole Reagan thing." This was a fact since Alexander, like his grandfather, is pretty neutral when it comes to who is running these semi-united states. "I just find it weird to have Back to the Future associated with a whole political stance. Since I'm considered a screenwriter and pretty integral in making the time travel story… it kind of makes me a supporter of everything that the current president stands for… even though I really am not."

"We did have that talk about my works being a mirror of myself…" He continued on to make his grandfather ponder. "With all the parallels that people associated to the Reagan thing, does that mean that deep down, I'm a Reagan supporter?"

This is really what made him distasteful of the whole thing.

The presidential support was good… for the box office. However, the entire Reaganism thing didn't sit right with Alexander.

It's not like he didn't agree with what Reagan is gunning for. Alexander just didn't like to be associated with it.

If there's something he can take away from spectating at what the government does, it's that being involved in politics was just a mess.

Everything would be fine if he was just some reclusive programmer in a reclusive store. Even at that status, Alexander didn't really want to be associated with all the leftist and right-ist debacles. He saw it as pointless and a waste of his many free times.

Things were different in this re-life though… he was now a semi-public figure with his 'Alexander Creed' identity. If he made one wrong move… he'd probably be embroiled in all the turmoil that comes when a person has enough influence and is given a political stance.

Clearly, with all the public articles relating 'Alexander Creed' to Back to the Future… and all the Reagan and Reaganism stuff being insinuated in Back to the Future… Alexander may have just made the wrong move already!

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It was really not within Alexander's liking to have Back to the Future become entangled in such a Reagan scenario and Old Sullivan could get the boy was coming from as well.

"Come on... don't worry too much about it, Alex." This was one of the rare moments that he could console his mostly calm and collected grandson and the Old Creed cherished this opportunity. "It's not like you're the one that people associate with all those nonsense. It's the film and Reagan they're focused about and not you."

"That's true… but with the timing of my involvement being capitalized as a focal point… there's bound to be a lot of people that put two and two together." There was really no denying that. A comic creator turned screenwriter… with screenwriter being the role on focus… the political symbolism and scenes would really be associated with him.

"I know that I have a knack for finding your connections in everything that you create… but my associations are the ones that has weight since I know you and they don't. Haha, I'd even admit to myself being crazy, if I'd gone as far as to assume that you've made those picture books as a tribute to the current president." For Old Sullivan, Back to the Future was truly about Alex's wish to turn back time and meet his deceased parents… and nothing else. If he doesn't count making some money on the side and engaging Alex's ideas, that is.

"At best, they are ponderings at most that are made by people that want to shine light into something that isn't even there." Some people just tend to overthink and that was what Old Sullivan wanted to point out. "At most… I sided with them and went with the Reaganism reasoning because it makes the most sense out of all the other nonsense that people came up with."

That was true. Aside from Reaganism… there are a lot of theories and deep dives that came up in publications as to why the Reagan film reaction expose came into fruition.

Even Alexander himself was guilty of it. After all, he did come up with some Old Sullivan puppeteering through his Old Sullivan connection usage or through Old Sullivan actor favor/blackmail.

"Also… do remember that there's still Robert and Bob and the cast…and the entire film trilogy to cover for you." The Old Creed had some really solid arguments to ease his grandson's rare worries.

Alexander found those words reasonable as well. He did just plunder Back to the Future after all and it was Innovative Rob and Curious Bob that should have been the ones to take this heat. At this timeline, he'd at most share the Reagan association with them.

Then, there's the rest of the trilogy as well. With the other two films around, these experts finding Reagan paraphernalia and whatnot from there would be quite far-fetched and delusional. As his grandfather had implied… they'd at most be taking bullshit from nothing.

At this point, Alexander wanted to slap himself for worrying too much in the first place. Had his ego grown way too big … that he'd even assume that the president's actions had some profound meaning towards him?

"Besides, isn't our next film project heavily involved in the military." Of course, Old Sullivan was not yet done as well. "If we play our cards right… won't we have an easy time making it all happen? So if anything… this Reagan stuff did have another benefit that we can use to our favor. I'm neutral with this country's leaders as I said I was… but this Reagan fellow should top the list of people I would probably support."

"With his support and good graces… the filming and renting of jets would be downsized and our budget cost would be much lower than our preliminary estimates. Top Gun would be low cost and hopefully another big-earner like the film trilogy we have in hand." Old Sullivan had quite the excited gleam in his eyes when he said that.

Alexander was quite on board with that Reaganism benefit as well. Wasn't 'Top Gun' considered somewhat of a military conscription film? With Reagan's implicit or explicit support, Creed Pictures would be able to lobby much easier to the U.S. Air Force or whatever department is in charge of pilot training.

"You're right again on that one grandpa." At this junction, Alexander may just give his support to Reaganism as well. It was quite a shift from the distaste that he had just moments ago. Of course, that was all in jest as he'd rather remain as neutral and untroubled as possible.

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Anyhows… the attitude of these Creeds could be gauged from this… as long as something works out well in their favor, they'd maximize that favor as they can.

If his estimates and his memory of past timeline were still to be an advantageous guarantee... President Reagan would quote Back to the Future in his February 4, 1986 State of the Union address. Encouraging the American people to look to the skies as the limit to their achievements, Reagan stated, "As they said in the film Back to the Future, 'Where we're going, we don't need roads."

Aside from Back to the Future and the upcoming Top Gun, there's clearly still a lot that the U.S. President can help with Creed Entertainment's vision and growth.

As such Reagan and Reaganism for the meantime… until the Creeds get what they can from it.

Alexander felt that that was just in line with being a businessman… so this money-making hypocrisy was more to his liking than aligning with another visionary's ideologies.