Posted on 06/09/2004 8:20:45 AM PDT by Paul Ross
One Reporter's Opinion: Reflections on My Friend 'Ronnie'
George Putnam
Wednesday, June 9, 2004
It is this reporter's opinion that I am perhaps the one newsman old enough to have referred to President Ronald Reagan as "Ronnie" before he gained his international and long-lasting acclaim. I also think of him as "the Gipper." What a remarkable man! Truly one of our greatest presidents.
Reagan did things that people didn't think were possible, such as defeating Soviet Communism. Remember the 1970s; the Soviets were on the march and Reagan put them into retreat - not just with military buildup, but by standing up for the principles in our Declaration of Independence.
In 1983, Mr. Reagan denounced the Soviet Union as the "Evil Empire." In 1987, Reagan stood before the Berlin Wall and demanded of the Soviet dictator, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" In the words of Margaret Thatcher, "Reagan won WWIII without firing a shot."
Reagan's other chief achievement was providing the conditions of our economic growth of the past two decades. He cut taxes, the top rate dropping to 50 percent from 70 percent.
He held a tight rein on inflation. He signed tax indexing that kept the rates steady with inflation; the cuts and indexing helped our middle class and liberated our entrepreneurs to invest their earnings in the creation of new jobs, instead of giving most of their money to the government in taxes.
Adoption by the Clinton administration of the economic policies advanced by Reagan produced the most vibrant economy. Clinton now claims credit for having caused the economic boom during his presidency, but the truth is the policies advocated by Reagan are what did it.
Reagan won the Cold War, revived the American spirit, made the world safe for capitalism and democracy, and made us proud to say "I am an American." He most certainly fulfilled his campaign pledge of 1980 to restore "the great, confident roar of American progress and growth and optimism."
"The Gipper" coined one of our own favorite quotes, "Government isn't the solution; government is the problem," and reinvigorated the principle that "Government governs best that governs least."
What an amazing man Ronald Reagan was! He was, as I am, a product of the Depression, a time when one scratched out a living, enough to eat, hand-me-down clothes to wear ... and shelter. We learned the hard way - Reagan, working on farms and at menial tasks.
Tom Brokaw refers to ours as the greatest generation, and rightly so. All of this, plus Reagan's wartime experience, his broadcasting and acting training, built this sterling character.
It's no wonder both Ronnie and I look to FDR, the Democrat, as our hero. FDR gave us hope and promised us a better life. Later, Ronnie became a Republican. I stayed with the Democratic Party, but Ronnie always said, "The Party left me; I didn't leave the Party."
All that he was taught about "the value of a dollar" led to reduction of government, cutting taxes, regulating interest, building the military, defense of America and pride in our beloved country.
There is no puzzle, no myth about Reagan's character. His experience as president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the trying period in which communism challenged Hollywood - all of this provided the fiber of the man. But it was the Goldwater speech that brought him to national prominence, when he outlined his own belief in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and its Bill of Rights.
Reagan, the humble man who on one occasion told me he did not aspire to such great heights - that he would have been happy to have been a sports announcer, which he was; work a farm, which he did; or manage a hardware store - any of those things ... became a Hollywood star and an unrivaled political genius.
Underlining all of his great success was an unusual discipline and a will to win. The singularity of purpose with which he pursued his basic goals is unequaled. Aside from his unique charisma, his ability to articulate was one of his countless talents that many discounted.
And he could write! True, there were the Peggy Noonans and the William Safires, but when you come to the guts of the thought on paper, there he is - "the Gipper." He knew how to edit a script and measure an audience.
It's funny to know that despite the abundant press references to them, Reagan never used 3x5 cards for notes. The cards were 4x6 and Reagan used them and his own special shorthand in preparing, editing and delivering his own speeches.
Ronald Reagan genuinely liked people - there was no shilly-shallying or sham with Ronnie. He actually took great pleasure in brightening your day. There was nothing insincere about him. He may have been an actor, but never a fake; and you didn't have to agree with him to like him.
Americans often disagreed with the president, but they trusted him. They knew he was genuine. He was focused and determined to beat the commies, cut taxes and reduce the government. He accomplished all but the latter.
Much of his accomplishment would not have been possible without Reagan's defense buildup and his move to develop the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The curtailment of technology transfer to the Eastern Bloc. It was the Reagan Doctrine that created all those problems for the Communists in their own backyard; and it was the hard-lined policies of the Reagan Era that were the crucial factors.
I reflect on the quiet moments - the horseback rides and how he loved horses; quiet conversations with his greatest and leastknown adviser, Lawrence Bielenson, and talks with Sam Cohen, the father of the neutron bomb.
When it came to his advisers, it was Reagan who did most of the listening. He was a sponge and always hungry to learn more.
One outstanding characteristic of Reagan's was that he knew how to delegate authority; once he selected his trusted associates, researchers and advisers, he gave them complete rein and they had better get it right. He understood the absolute need for that paramount quality when it comes to successful leadership.
Forgive these personal references. Please indulge me for a moment ... I recall one incident with my friend Ronnie when Knott's Berry Farm installed an exact replica of Independence Hall in California. There was a question as to who would give the address. Ronnie said to Walter Knott, "I want George to do it."
And then again at the Fred Schwartz Communist Crusade at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, it was Ronald Reagan who stepped aside and asked Dr. Schwartz to have me give the key address. At dozens of meetings and gatherings, in radio and television panels and interviews, it was always Ronald Reagan who, rather than take the limelight, stood by and supported others. That's why we call him "the Gipper."
In his entire life, Ronald Reagan expressed a deep emotional need for only two people: his mother and Nancy. I was privileged to know his mother, Nelle, his brother, Neil, and his darling Nancy.
Among many moments I can recall was the time his mother brought Ronnie to the studio to watch how I do my evening newscast. Based on that, you can tell that mama, regardless of circumstances, was the driving force. She was a regular listener of my television news program, which made me feel so good.
And Ronnie was sought after by all the beautiful ladies of Hollywood. He dated Doris Day after a picture they did together. I asked her, "How did it go?" She said, "Every woman loves him dearly, but frankly, our dates were a bit of a bore - all he wanted to do was talk politics!" And she wasn't the only one who made that observation.
Ronald Reagan has never realized or fretted over his place in history. But when "the Gipper" throws the ball, be sure you're there to catch it. Whenever I think of my friend Ronnie, the words I shout are "DUTY!" "HONOR!" "COUNTRY!" - the heart and soul of Ronald Reagan.
The legendary George Putnam is 89 years young and a veteran of 69 years as a reporter, broadcaster and commentator ... and is still going strong on KSPA-AM, 12 noon to 2 p.m. Pacific Time - simulcast all over the world on the CRN Radio Network.
fyi :^)
What a wonderful tribute. George Putnam has always been one of the good guys.
Thanks for posting this.
Reagan won that battle, but it appears as if the Reds won, or at least are winning, the war for Hollywood. There are still a few holdouts of course. Gibson, Selleck, et all, and lots of country music types, Charlie Daniels, Reba, etc.
Yes. The problem is that they switched their focus from the SAG...to the offices of the producers CEOs themselves. Hence people like Michael Eisner, Harvey Weinstein and so forth are without question fellow-travellers, and we get films such as 'Reds' but never, ever a film about Stalin murdering 20 million people, or Mao Tse Tung 60 million people.
You're welcome. I have missed him for such a long time...I so love to hear stories of and about him...
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