Ronald Reagan
Posted on 02/06/2007 9:28:26 AM PST by NormsRevenge
Where oh where have the Ronald Reagans of this world gone?
How many times have we heard Americans, especially conservatives, say that over the last few years?
As someone who spent his whole adult life intertwined with the last lion of the 20th Century, it is hard for me to imagine another Ronald Reagan. There are a number of lessons we should have learned from him, but it seems some of Reagan’s greatest accomplishments were lost on our leaders today.
The opportunity to learn from the legacy of Reagan presents itself to those who want to see America’s greatest days lying ahead of us, and not behind us.
The Reagan Library will be having a graveside service with former Reagan confidant Ed Meese serving as Master of Ceremonies. Ironically, I first encountered Ed at UC Berkeley where I was a sit-in demonstrator at Sproul Hall during the Free Speech Movement and Ed was a prosecutor in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office in charge of getting the students out. In two years we both found ourselves in the corner office working for Ronald Reagan despite our different roles at Cal.
Lesson number one is that Reagan saw politics as a game of addition, not subtraction. He sought to win people over and find the common ground that enabled him to move forward his political agenda. There were no litmus tests for Reagan, who only demanded loyalty to the higher calling of serving the people.
When rumors circulated around the Governor’s office that Cap Weinberger, who had been a conservative nemesis as California GOP Party Chairman and stalwart supporter of liberal New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, would soon replace our conservative State Finance Director, I protested personally to Reagan and pleaded that it not be true.
Reagan told his 20-year-old precocious young aide that he saw California as a big ranch. He, as Governor, had been hired on as Ranch Manager for 4 years. Now, Cap Weinberger, a man we had fought with in the past, has asked to come aboard as a ranch hand. Didn’t I think, he said, that someone who would do that is ready to pull the wagons the same direction that we were and shouldn’t we give him a chance? I wasn’t persuaded that day and looked with suspicion on Cap for a couple of years, until his charm and dedication to Reagan even won me over.
Richard Wirthlin, Reagan’s longtime pollster and political strategist, pointed out lesson number two about Reagan that people seem to want to discount. Richard noted that he loved a good fight for his conservative principles. Now, some Republican leaders think fighting for conservative ideas that the media or political elite might not agree with to be too “radical” or politically ill advised. Reagan never saw these as personal battles, but conflicts of ideas. His confidence that the better ideas would ultimately win made him take on causes that most politicians abandon at the first focus group.
Liberals like to praise Reagan today for his good nature, but I don’t recall any of them praising Reagan while he was in the political arena. In fact, Reagan was a polarizing figure when he was in office.
I can’t begin to tell you the abuse that Reaganites were subjected to when Reagan decided to challenge a sitting Republican President in 1976. Even some of my best conservative friends, who had become comfortable with being in power at all cost, viciously criticized me for abandoning our President. But, Reagan was not going to sit still when he felt the GOP has become more interested in power than in protecting U.S. sovereignty or managing the welfare state instead of dismantling it.
His candor in foreign affairs is well chronicled when he called communism “the focus of evil in the modern world” and when he implored Gorbachev in Berlin to “tear down this wall.” Not only were all the members of the “Blame America First” chorus outraged, even the Republican foreign policy establishment was nearly apoplectic. Reagan was undeterred. Reagan said and did what he thought was right. He did it with confidence and was willing to let history be his judge.
Reagan’s stand against the Communist bloc brought out protestors en masse in the U.S. and across the world, but Reagan didn’t back down one bit. He knew the cause for freedom was worthy, and he would discount those who sought the appeasement of evil. This is a lesson for our leaders today who sometimes seem to lack the stomach to win the fight against the world terrorist threat.
No, it is impossible for me to see another Reagan. But, we have plenty of lessons with which our current leaders have to work. This is a good time to try to learn some of the lessons.
Please keep this a thread focused on Ronald Reagan and not a thread full of back and forth on the current crop of candidates and the Road to '08 and all of that.
Thanks!
---
For that, we all owe him our eternal gratitude.
I had the privilege of working for Sal Russo for nearly two years. He is one of the sharpest political minds in California.
Fondly remembering the best President in my lifetime. THank God I was around to see it, appreciate it and benefit from it.
Like President Bush said in his eulogy, "Ronald Reagan always reminded us that our best days were ahead of us..but in his passing..some mighty fine days are behind us as well." I Couldn't have said it better or agree more.
I always loved Reagan, but when Reagan was first elected, I was too young to realize just how special he was and that I will probably never see a leader that good again in my lifetime.
Ronald Reagan
God bless Ronald Reagan!
Well said. After the disaster that was the Carter presidency it was Reagan that inspired me to join the Army when I was eighteen(84)and I was never prouder than to have him as my Commander in Chief.
Thank You, President Reagan.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.