Posted on 06/06/2004 8:07:08 AM PDT by knighthawk
Ronald Reagan was American's most telegenic President, and television said goodbye to him yesterday with the fondness often reserved for one of its own. All major stations and networks except Channel 4, which stayed with Arena Football and the Belmont Stakes, began saluting Reagan as soon as they got word of his death at 4:09 p.m.
Much of the familiar footage showed how the former President came to be called The Great Communicator, showcasing his wit, his ease in public speaking and his reassuring grandfatherly tone.
Networks also made note of his long and loving relationship with his wife, Nancy, whose own image has taken a sharp upturn since Reagan left the White House in 1989.
As is customary in first-response obituaries, discussion of Reagan's presidential legacy was largely restricted either to compliments from his admirers or diplomatic words from those who found his legacy more mixed.
Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, speaking on MSNBC, noted that "many other forces" besides Reagan contributed to the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, but credited him with seizing the moment.
Besides Channel 4, only Channels 11 and 13 stayed with regular programming. Channels 2, 5, 7 and 9, along with CNN, the Fox News Channel and MSNBC, all went to full Reagan commemoration.
Channel 2 switched back to its scheduled PGA Golf around 5:30 and Channel 9 went back to regular programming at 6. Both Channel 5 and Channel 7 carried Reagan features well into the evening, with ABC using a Barbara Walters special. Channels 5 and 7 also carried President Bush's Reagan tribute live.
Channel 4 began its own Reagan special after the much-anticipated Belmont.
Television coverage was made easier because all the networks had time to prepare advance features. Reagan's final decline was widely reported earlier in the day.
With neither family spokespersons nor government officials immediately available, all networks interspersed these features with news reports and the first guests they could find who had a connection to Reagan.
These included Bill Bennett, Reagan's education secretary, who called him "the greatest President of the modern era."
Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Reagan and FDR were the great Presidents of the 20th century and said Reagan changed American politics. Before he was elected in 1980, said McConnell, "'Conservative' was a derogatory term and 'liberal' was a good thing to be. ... Today, 'liberal' is the derogatory term."
Ping
What a clown.
Soon, the same people will be saying, "George W. Bush, perhaps best known for the Abu Graib Prisoner Panties scandal..."
I've been out-of-pocket since yesterday, watching the major cable news coverage. MSNBC, CNN and Fox News. I didn't see anything unfavorable towards Reagan. I saw maybe 2 references to Iran-Contra, and they didn't dwell on it; the coverage was far and away very respectful. I'm sure as the days go on, there will be more criticism, but yesterday and this morning it was very positive.
I can't help thinking, though, that the lefties are more than likely avoiding watching the news this weekend. (Hehe!) I was trying to watch the D-Day events live this morning, and even I couldn't get away from the Reagan coverage. The cable news channels would have a split screen showing the ceremonies on one half, but on the other half they would have a guest on talking about Reagan, so I couldn't hear what was being said at the ceremony.
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