An Extraordinary Leader

The greatest accomplishments of the twentieth century were not achieved by the scholarly Theodore Roosevelt, or the stately Woodrow Wilson, or the aristocratic Franklin Roosevelt, but by a man who was deemed as the most un-intellectual man in politics: Ronald Reagan. He brought the Soviet Union to the negotiating table and drove it to its demise. He reduced the tax burden on the American People and stimulated the American Economy for years to come. He rebuilt America’s oldest institution: Her military. He reaffirmed America’s faith in itself by speaking of her greatness and righteousness. Accolades could be sung about Ronald Reagan’s achievements, but they are the derivatives of what made him great. It was the character of Ronald Reagan that made him the most influential American. Reagan had all the virtues of a leader: Vision, Action & Consent. Reagan went to Washington without having lost his innocence and passion. His education as an actor taught him to be a superb negotiator and role player. His ability to convey to the American People his thoughts and upon finishing they would shout “Dam’n Right,” earned him the title of the Great Communicator.

In 1981, Ronald Reagan walked into a position that hosted several problems of great magnitude. The Office of the President had lost the nation’s trust. President Nixon’s Administration was tarnished by the Watergate Scandal. President Carter’s was too detail-oriented to be effective. The lack of action by Carter allowed Reagan to pose the question, “Are you better off now than four years ago?” Also, the American Economy was infected with Stagflation: High unemployment with high inflation, something by Keynesian Economics was never supposed to happen. The Carter Administration downplayed this spiralling economic slump by calling it a recession. While on the campaign trail, Reagan said that “A recession is when your neighbour loses his job. A depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his.”

Ronald Reagan’s belief in strong convictions can be easily recognised when, at the RNC Annual Gala, he said “Speech delivery counts for little on the world stage unless you have convictions, and, yes, the vision to see beyond the front row seats.” Like James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Ronald Reagan never lost faith in America’s core principles. Reagan’s rhetoric about America’s exceptional moral standing was in keeping with the former presidents. However, the major difference between his predecessors and him is that Reagan incorporated it into his day-to-day operations. Reagan believed that Communism was inherently wicked and that containment and appeasement, which were popular ideas of the day, were not enough to defend the American People from destruction and the encroaching “evil empire.” The Soviet Union had to be brought to the negotiating table and forced into submission. Also, Reagan believed that America’s greatest resource was her citizens and that, when enticed with incentives, such as the cutting of marginal taxes, they would be more productive. With the notion of increasing production, or supply-side, the economy could be stimulated for great levels of growth.

Ronald Reagan was known for driving a hard bargain. Not always did he get everything that he wanted, but usually got almost everything by trying his adversary’s patience until there was nothing left to give up. Speaker Tip O’Neill claimed that Reagan’s style of bargaining was on the verge of blackmail. The peace talks with the Soviet Union were classic Ronald Reagan arbitration. Up until 1983, the United States and the Soviet Union were each building their nuclear arsenal to a level that would surpass the other’s level. Reagan knew that this would simply continue the uneasy peace. He created the idea of the Strategic Defence Initiative to render nuclear missiles obsolete. While many in the United States deemed this as a “castles in the air” approach, it scared the Soviets into believing it was a reality. The Soviet Union Politburo realised that it needed to change its strategy and placed Mikhail Gorbachev as General Secretary. Reagan, an avid believer in personal diplomacy, met and like Gorbachev and knew exactly how to pressure him to adopt the “Reagan approach.” He called the Soviet Union an “evil empire,” which troubled Gorbachev. He called on Gorbachev to “tear down [the Berlin] wall” for the sake of peace, prosperity and freedom. He called on Gorbachev to dismantle his nuclear arms program and, in Iceland, when Gorbachev said he would not, Reagan walked out of the peace talks. Through the constant reiteration of American values, Gorbachev and the Soviet Union began its withdrawal as a belligerent power.

Ronald Reagan carried his experience as an actor to the White House with the notion the statecraft meant a bit of stagecraft. Reagan believed that his acting background allowed him to govern more effectively. His great asset while on the campaign trail was that his opponents viewed him as a buffoon. He enjoyed not being held to high expectations, which would keep him from tackling the real issues. Reagan saw actors not as fakers, but as people who could convey noble ideas. His real-life hero was John Wayne, a man whom embodied the values of American Men of the time; whom would refuse a role because it did not fit with his public persona. Though John Wayne was charged as a hypocrite, the media missed the point that it was Marion Morrison who became John Wayne, just as it was Ronald Reagan who became the President. By having been an actor, Reagan also knew the difference between criticism and success. When a movie would be a success in the box office, what did it matter what the critic said. As President, if an economic package worked and Americans were better off for it, what does it matter what the critic says.

The American media called Ronald Reagan a lot of things, but the one that was correct was the title of the Great Communicator. To paraphrase Lady Thatcher, it is not only that Reagan was the Great Communicator, but that he had a message to communicate and Reagan’s words fight like soldiers and lifted the spirit of this nation. Reagan had an uncanny talent for uniting the American People by exemplify by preaching liberty and equality and by clearly defining what it means to be an American. Reagan had a way with the English language that could take very complex concepts and simplify them so that the American People could understand his message. After convincing the people, his strategy was simple: He would urge them to write their congressman and then cut a deal with Congress as close to what he wanted. As his aide, Dinesh D’Souza put it, “He spoke in poetry and governed in prose.”In January 1989, Ronald Reagan met with his advisors. He said, “We have had a revolution and the revolution has been a success.” Reagan’s leadership style brought the United States out of its dark ages and created a time for choosing. In ending will be Ronald Reagan’s own words: “You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on Earth, or we will sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.”