The difference is he has owned up to it. As I said in another thread he answered his accusers with " Yea, so what? Bite me ".
Americans have demonstrated they will forgive. They have demonstrated they will back someone who has a vision. They have also demonstrated they will abandon someone who appears weak, or who demonstrates weakness, look no further than Jimmy Carter and Barrack Obama.
Reagan had that vision and was able to articulate it and further he implemented it. You may not have agreed with him. Generally people have come to respect the man despite their loathe for his policies.
Do I think newt is a new Reagan? No, but I can hope. I don't remember having much faith in Bonzo goes to Washington either. I like being wrong once in a while.