Thanks for that Rob....I think he was a good man with a good sense of
the values of the Founders and whatever can be called "The American
Spirit". He had the ability to communicate this well. As far as being a
good president goes, all I can say is "War on Drugs". Figure that
debacle into future economic calculations and social consequences and he
was a disaster. Although maybe we can blame Nancy for that, still he has
to take the heat.
Here's the best commentary I've read so far but it talks more of him as
a person and less of him as a "president". That's the way it should be
in my view.
Michael Denny
"One for the Gipper"
The Gipper is gone. But he will not be forgotten.
Even Ronald Reagan's political enemies salute his optimistic spirit and
his undaunted faith in the American people. It was this connection with
the people that allowed Reagan to remold much of American politics.
Reagan never saw himself as a professional politician. "One thing our
Founding Fathers could not foresee," Reagan once told students, "was a
nation governed by professional politicians who had a vested interest in
getting reelected. They probably envisioned a fellow serving a couple of
hitches and then . . . getting back to the farm."
Unlike career politicians, Reagan had convictions . . . and the courage
of those convictions. Jack Kemp put it this way: "Most politicians talk
about policies and the changing issues of the day. Ronald Reagan talked
about principles -- deeply held beliefs. Policies shift with the breeze
of public opinion, but principles are anchors, even in a storm."
President Reagan also had enormous confidence in the average American.
"My optimism comes not just from my strong faith in God," the Gipper
offered, "but from my strong and enduring faith in man." Another time,
he remarked, "We don't have to turn to our history books for heroes.
They're all around us."
And in his farewell address, Reagan modestly stated, "I wasn't a great
communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didn't spring
full bloom from my brow, they came from the heart of a great nation."
Perhaps the most appropriate way to honor the memory of Ronald Reagan is
to share his abundant faith that, even now, America's best days are
ahead.
This is Common Sense. I'm Paul Jacob.