“Killer trees” you’re wrong. How old are you? (rhetorical ?)
Reagan, imho, was a very good speaker but off the cuff he said some things that were not exactly according to Hollywood script and he did take media bashing for it. That is my recollection from the 1980s, my very first adult presidential race. I never thought RR was perfect off the cuff.
Truth is, nobody is perfect off-the-cuff.
But Reagan's batting average off-the-cuff was around .850 -- which beats just about everybody else.
I’m amazed at how many freepers do not remember the bashing Reagan took for his - as you say - off the cuff remarks and his somewhat stumbling press conferences. Of course we didn’t have the internet then so it was mild in comparison to what Sarah gets but, boy, I remember the stinging criticism! People either have very short memories - or more likely - were too young to remember the 80s.