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October 6, 2006

The Real Ronald Reagan

remember back in 1980 after Reagan was elected President a young woman telling me that he was going to cause a nuclear war. I remember telling her that when he leaves office and no nuclear war has broken out, that she might want to think about the people who programmed her into believing such a lie.

I wonder if with the Berlin Wall coming down and the collapse of the Soviet Union, that woman ever engaged in self-reflection to recognize how she had bought into obscene political propaganda.

At that time, I had a healthy respect for Reagan, being a Californian and liking for the most part what he had done for California. I disagreed with him on abortion and other issues, but I respected that his beliefs came from something substantive rather than something merely political.

I've made it a point over the last few years to learn more about the American Presidents. I commute enough that it's worthwhile for me to get audiobooks of presidential biographies and listen to them. I came away with a much more healthy respect for Harry Truman after listening to David McCullough's book. I also have enjoyed books on Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and Teddy Roosevelt.

But none of them affected me more profoundly and moved me more deeply than a simple little book by Peter Robsinson called "How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life."

I knew Peter Robinson from a 1/2-hour PBS show called Uncommon Knowledge. I always admired his intelligence and even-handedness in generating discussions with his guests. (You can go to the website and listen to his programs for free. They are excellent.)

So when I found a copy of his audiobook in a used book store, I hesitated for a moment, but then I went ahead and bought it. It turns out that his first job right out of university in his mid-20s was writing speeches for Vice-President Bush, and then starting in 1983 for the President, Ronald Reagan. Peter wrote the famous "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" speech among others. That story is amazing.

But what is more amazing is the character of Reagan that comes out of Peter using him as a touchstone for his own growth and understanding how to live life. He covers 10 major things that Ronald Reagan taught him about how to live life.

Reagan comes off as one of the few genuinely human presidents, relaxed and principled, error-prone in regards to Iran-Contra and other mistakes, but still genuinely warm, wise, personable, and curiously apolitical in his positions and willingness to do what he thought was right even when most or all of his advisors stood against him. Peter shows how profoundly Reagan held on to what was "simple," not merely simplistic.

I urge anyone who wants to get a true measure of this man to LISTEN to this audiobook. Peter Robsinson reads it himself, so his voice comes through clearly.

It truly moved me, even bringing tears to my eyes at times.

Ronald Reagan, despite my disagreements with some of his positions and certain of his actions (I thought he should have resigned for the U.S. Marines killed in the barracks at Beruit by Hezbollah), is one of a handful of truly "great" presidents, and the greatest of the 20th century.

Here are Peter's 10 Maxims as taught to him by Ronald Reagan.

Posted by witnit at October 6, 2006 10:33 AM

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Posted by: Ruth at October 8, 2006 5:55 PM

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