Reagan's Centennial Legacy Revisited

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright February 6, 2011
All Rights Reserved.                                

            Taking inventory on the 100th anniversary of the late President Ronald Reagan’s birth, too much has focused on when he developed Alzheimer’s disease during his term in office, Jan. 20, 1981 to Jan. 20, 1989.  More schools, libraries, airports, freeways and public buildings bear his name, attesting to his enduring impact on contemporary American culture.  Vilified by the left as a vapid actor and glorified by the right as a living symbol of conservatism, Reagan was his own man, defying political labels or ideologies.  Today’s conservatives invoke his name, ideas and values without displaying Reagan’s genteel spirit, not to be confused with weakness or passivity.  Reagan simply made his points relentlessly with the opposition through good humor, politeness and dogged persistence.  No one got the better of Reagan, without getting an eventual earful of his point of view.

          Speaking today in Simi Valley, Calif. at the Reagan Library, his wife Nancy expressed her gratitude to the icon of today’s conservative movement.  “I know Ronnie would be thrilled and is thrilled to have all of you share in this 100th birthday. It doesn’t seem possible, but that’s what it is,” said Nancy Reagan, expressing her own disbelief at how time flies, recalling a life gone-by with her late husband.  As the Democratic Party found out after the untimely assassination of President John F. Kennedy, it’s hard to replace an icon simply on political philosophy.  Though representing opposite political parties, Kennedy and Reagan had much in common:  Gifted public communicators, relishing every minute on the public stage.  Reagan’s acting background forever obscures the essence of a man crafted not by Hollywood but rather embodying all that’s admired about the American dream.

          Unlike JFK, Reagan grew up poor, from a broken home, as he once said, so close to the railroad tracks in Dixon, Ill, he could feel his home shake.  Gifted at public speaking and acting. Reagan pursued a career in sports broadcasting in 1932 at the age of 22 before passing a screen test and moving to Hollywood in 1937 to pursue an acting career.  His humble beginnings factored into his eternal optimism that anything was possible in the land of opportunity.  Not one day went by were Reagan forgot his roots, using himself as a symbol of the American dream.  He lived it, he believed it and he conveyed it in all his commentaries, speeches and testimonials.  “I’m in awe.  The life story of Ronald Reagan is truly worthy of its own 10-part miniseries,” said actor Gary Sinese, who played double-amputee Vietnam war vet-turned fishing-boat-entrepreneur Lt. Dan Taylor in the 1994 Best Picture “Forrest Gump.”

            Making it from the bottom and living the Dream, Reagan personified what he called the “big hearted,” generous American character, often reminding his audience about the qualities of generosity, decency and kindness that make up the American spirit  For his eight years in office, Regan showed the world the best qualities of the American character, combing politeness and good manners with a fierce competitiveness and strength that symbolized a foreign policy of peace through strength.  For all Reagan’s detractors pointing to “Trickle Down Economics,” bloated military spending and exploding deficits, Reagan rescued the economy from record high inflation and interest rates and sluggish economic growth.  Like JFK, he refused to see America as anything short of first in its economy, foreign policy and opportunity.  His eternal optimism got the nation through tough times.

            Today’s GOP candidates like to quote Reagan and his political ideology but fail to see the essential non-combative style that was so successful in winning friends and influencing people.  “He taught us how to be proud again, he taught us how to think big again, well he taught us how to love.  I have to tell you, I think he taught us how to love,” said former Reagan Treasury Secretary James Baker, talking about Reagan as the nation’s good father figure.  Throwing civility to the wind, today’s fierce battles between rival political parties run counter to Reagan’s grace and civility that prevailed despite political differences.  Newly minted Republican Party chairman Reince Priebus focuses on Reagan’s conservative principles rather than, more importantly, his civility, sense of humor and as a good role model.  President Barack Obama antagonized his Party in 2008 recognizing Reagan’s special gifts.

            Capturing Reagan’s essence is no easy job for any politician looking to unlock the magic of his success.  Whether you liked his politics or not, Reagan was the consummate leader showing the kind of principled resolve, selling his conservative ideas with respect and class.  “Today, I’m afraid, we have lost a lot of that.  You don’t see much reaching across the aisle.  There is a certain incivility in our politics today, which is quite regrettable.  I think,” said Baker, fondly remembering Reagan’s smiling Irish eyes in good times and bad.  Upbeat, cheerful, ever-optimistic, Reagan infected a nation with his image of a “shining city on a hill.”  Reagan had Republicans and Democrats cheering for him while he confronted the Soviet Union’s menacing threat. When the Berlin Wall came tumbling down Nov. 9, 1989, only 11 months after leaving office, Reagan got the credit and his place in history.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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