You know the sentiment about JFK was that it was "Camelot" which was a fairy tale, as is much of the sentiment about JFK.
The Reagan era was a different story: real, strong, robust, and true. His appointments and staff were stellar - the cream of the cop - people who you admire years later. At the time, I thought, "Hey, it shouldn't be so hard to get more Reagans in here, after all he's just a regular guy who loves freedom and America." Maybe that's like watching multiple Triple Crown thoroughbred winners within a short time (1970's). You think, "No big deal" until 30 years later you're still waiting for the next one.
Reagan was exceptional. A real leader, very intelligent and thoughtful and an independent thinker. He would not have lasted a month at an Ivy League school or at CBS News.