Life experience…and comparison with the accomplishments and style of others who’ve held the same job. The job of President entails interaction with thousands of people, decisions that affect the welfare of men, women and children all around the country (and indirectly men, women and children in other countries, too), decisions that result in the loss of life, and a country looking to its President to provide leadership and a sense of national identity. All while dealing with a press and political opponents who pore over your every action looking to find fault and make him look bad.
When Reagan took office, we had a woefully ineffective president who couldn’t seem to do anything right. Inflation and interest rates were at all time highs, we had bailed from Vietnam and had hostages being held in Iran. Ironically, Carter himself spoke of the country’s being in the grip of “malaise.” It’s ironic because he was largely the reason for it.
Reagan’s style and personality were such that he was able to uplift the country, make it feel good about itself and make it optimistic about its future. He was masterful with the press and he was masterful with the Congress. He exuded confidence in and love for the U.S. and his persona was such that this made us more confident and optimistic as well.
Trust me, it’s damn near impossible to pull all those things off. I certainly don’t know of any other person on the politcal scene who could do it.
This is a perfect example of the disconnect between foreign perception and reality. Do you really think “bucks” in our pockets was the main (or even a very significant) part of his leadership. I certainly didn’t get extra bucks as a result of his presidency. To the degree that our population was able to enjoy lower inflation and interest rates and care for our families, it was good however.
Yeah…I guess maybe you’re right about that. Thank you.
Um, I know who many dead politicians are. I would have to be from some other planet to not know who he was. There are many threads about Ronald, this was the one I chose to read. As I type this the “helicopter footage” is being replayed on the BBC world service…how can I not notice it? It is sad. For his family. He has his moment in history. I find it hard to feel sad for dead politicians, celebs etc.
Um that would be boredom. It’s Sunday night and a public holiday tomorrow. No need to go to bed and Ronnie seems to be a major event on the board right now…so shoot me.
UMMMMMMMMMMMMMM did you just say that foreigners perception is not reality? No I don’t think you did either.
I’m sorry I said anything. I do sense that many Americans are feeling a great sense of loss. I don’t understand it but I do acknowledge that you feel that way and have every right to do so.
And as this thread has progressed it has become apparent that I’ve misjudged you. Thank you for your apology.
Now I’ll apologize to you for the foreigners’ perception remark. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. It’s just that those who actually live in the country in question are much more likely to have a greater understanding and perception of events and people in that country, just as I’m sure you have a much greater and more accurate perception of events and your own leaders than those in other countries would have.
“His wit, warmth and unique capacity to communicate helped to make him one of the most influential figures in the second half of the 20th century.”
**- Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin. **
“He was a stroke of luck for the world, especially for Europe.”
**- Former Chancellor Helmut Kohl. **
[sup](Kohl remembered standing next to him in 1987 in Berlin, when Reagan challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.”)[/sup]
and…
“I express my deep regret because Reagan died before facing justice for his ugly crime that he committed in 1986 against the Libyan children.” - Libya’s official JANA news agency, quoting Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
Well, the bombing DID kill his child… I’d bet even a non-terrorist might be peeved.
I’m not saying the bombing wasn’t (or was) justified, just that one shouldn’t expect a person to praise a man who ordered a bombing that killed his infant child.
At the time of the Iran-Contra investigation, I was thinking, “Either Reagan is lying or he has lost his mind” I am charitably taking the position that he had lost his mind. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe he was lying. His vice-president, George H.W. Bush did not have the senility excuse. He claimed he was “out of the loop” when it came to Iran-Contra dealings. I don’t believe he was. I believe he lied.
President Reagan was a macro-manager. He liked to hire the best people he could find, and turn them loose. This approach burned him when some of those folks acted unethically, and in some cases, illegally. I never felt Reagan himself was corrupt, but a good many people he employed were.
I’ve tried to avoid posting anything about President Reagan til I’ve absorbed what I knew was coming. I guess this is as good a thread as any for this.
I cried when I heard the news. I mean, I absolutely bawled my frigging eyes out. I was 8 when he took office. I remember watching the newscasts with my parents about the hostages, I remember the images of Soviet tanks rolling into Afghanistan to occupy them, I remember the news of Olympic boycotts. I remember the unadulterated joy I felt when we won at Lake Placid. I was too young, at the time, to understand the ramifications of everything happening. (My parents were liberal Dems, so no coaching)
What did it was when I was in 7th grade. I was in the first row from the door, 4th seat in History class. The teacher brought a tv so we could what the Challenger lift off. IIRC, every room had a tv to watch it, as the first teacher was to go into space. With all the buildup for 2 weeks, we were excited to see this happen. Then tragedy. Most of us felt bad, but we were young, it didn’t really affect us. But it affected almost every teacher we knew, and *** that*** affected us. For most of us, it was the first time something horrific affected someone close to us. Someone we knew.
Later, President Reagan addressed the nation, and gave one of the most touching speeches I’ve heard to this day. The line where he alludes to the astronauts reaching for the stars, and touching the face of God still gives me goosebumps. That’s when I knew I’d always love him.
Godspeed Mr. President. Please watch over us, left and right.
I was in grade 11 when Iran-Contra happened. My history teacher said, “He’s damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. If he knew and let it happen, he’s liable. If he didn’t know, he’s not on top of things like he should be.”
I raised my hand and said, “He should just say, whether it’s true or not, that North went behind his back, and was so good at covering up that he [Reagan] didn’t know there was anything to know.”
Either way, he took full responsibility for it, telling the nation that he and he alone as president was accountable for the scandal. And he said that the whole concept of trading arms for hostages was a mistake. I do wish Bush could muster the same sort of manhood about Iraq and his Weapons of Mass Distraction. (Apologies to Dolly Parton.)
Too bad he didn’t resign as part of taking responsibility for the lawless actions of his administration. Too bad he tried to excuse it by saying it wasn’t all that much stuff and not really that weapony anyway.
BTW, I think you left the word “eventually” out from between “he” and “took.”
In the spirit of this thread, I too would like to express my appreciation to Mr. Reagan for his efforts which, like them or not, he did with the conviction that they were right and just. He was a good man and a good husband and, on the whole, was good for America. Not everything he did was to the betterment of all parties. Politically, that’s damn near impossible. He probably delegated too much too and some of those chosen to serve him did so very poorly. His slow response to calls for AIDS funding was a particularly disturbing choice of non-action that still troubles me greatly and was likely his greatest shortcoming. But all in all he was a decent and honest man and you always knew exactly where he stood on matters and could count on him to follow his conscience.
When I first heard he’d died I figured there would be a couple of individuals who would come in here and bash him, even in a thread dedicated to his memory. Sadly, those very individuals I expected to see did not disappoint. Shameful.
There’s a big difference between a great President and an Oscar contender. I suspect that your youth at the time made you very susceptible to being manipulated by images, while being blithely ignorant of the substance (if any) behind those images. I’ve got 20 years on you, and I can tell you that my reaction to that same speech was more along the lines of, “sheesh, what a performance!”
Reagan was superb at playing the role of “President.”
Second, what Reagan conveniently failed to mention was why the shuttle astronauts had died. There were many at the time who were firmly convinced that NASA management had overridden the recommendations of the flight engineers primarily so that Reagan could talk about the “teacher in space” in his upcoming State of the Union address (see Challenger, A Major Malfunction, by Malcolm McConnell, for example). The managers were so eager to please the boss, they put the safety of the astronauts behind political considerations. The astronauts died needlessly. The Reagan administration created the conditions that caused the tragedy, yet some people loved him because he delivered a nice speech when the inevitable disaster occurred. Wow.
I disagreed with his politics more often than I agreed with them. I voted for him in 1980, but against him in 1984 after I’d seen him in action.
But I respect him for doing what he earnestly thought was best for his country. We could argue about the good and the bad all day, and some will. I, for my part, choose to remember that I would have gladly welcomed him into my home. I can’t say the same for any of his successors.
