Let's see. Republicans elected Mr. Deficit, Ronald Reagan. Should have been impeached for lying to Congress in Iran-contra Scandal. 
Then, GHWB: S & L Scandal sank the economy for years.
Then, W. (No Republicans "claim" him; his eight years might as well have occurred in the Twilight Zone).
Intelligent Republicans elected an obviously declined Reagan to a second term and granted another four years to W.
Meanwhile, we had the candidacies of McCain (who allowed Bush falsely to accuse him of fathering a black child yet embraced him weeks later; now, after Trump similarly assassinates his character for his service to his country--- Johnny embraces him, too). 
Sarah Palin. Not worth the ink to criticize. 
Mitt.
Goodness, what a pantheon of fools.
Meanwhile, Clinton balanced the budget, handing W a future where the debt would have been retired.
After W, we have Obama who saved GM and is halfway to paying off the MASSIVE federal debt that staggeringly was run up by W's wars.