I don’t see a quotation of Reagan in your #179 in which he claims he wasn’t ready in advance. All he said was that he couldn’t believe he was actually getting that question. Doesn’t say one way or another whether he had prepared for it.
He could have meant it like a batter saying, “I couldn’t believe he pitched such an easy one at me with no outs, no strikes and two men on base.”
I don’t think I’m being critical of Reagan (or calling him a showman, that’s your bizarro take on it, not mine) by saying he probably prepared for it.
Two questions:
1. Wouldn’t he have been stupid, at his age, NOT to prepare for that question?
2. Does preparing for questions in advance make you a “showman”? (What a bizarre thing for you to say, esp when counselling Palin and Bachmann to do a better job of preparing for questions!!!)
Whether or not Reagan prepared for the famous Age Question in advance, he was NOT a showman. He was a Great President, a Great American and a Great Communicator (as I’ve said before).
JIM LEHRER: Was that one you were laying for? PRESIDENT REAGAN: I never thought about it until I got that was really off the top of my head.
"I never thought about it until I got that question....that answer was really off the top of my head."
Of course he "prepared" for questions. But there is also a thing in genuine people that we seem to have lost. Reagan spent years and years on the campaign trail starting with Goldwater, and he had polished his policy positions quite well. There's a big difference in that and sitting in a corner and writing zingers to be ued at jsut the right time in a debate to win the entire election.
Reagan was genuine. He said he came up with that off the cuff. I don't think Bachman could do that.