Sincere thanks to those who have my email and sent appreciation for that
epitaph... and yes, I do have more observations to share:
Reagan began his adult life as a liberal Democrat and ended his career as a
conservative Republican, yet he never changed. How was that possible if his
principles, standards, and beliefs never wavered? When he was a young man,
society was so conservative that his belief system put him to the left of
center - and his obvious place was the Democratic Party. Over the decades
the country steadily moved to the left until Reagan found that his position,
which never varied, seemed more and more in the conservative area, right of
center! He eventually shifted to the Republican Party, which more accurately
reflected his views though they had not changed. He was firm in his
convictions, steadfast, morally and socially certain, so much so that he
stood in one position and the country flowed from right to left around him,
so his political shift from left to right was no more than an optical
illusion.
Was he a brilliant man? I don't think so. I've read speeches that he
personally prepared during his SAG days, and though they were competent they
were certainly not the writings of a Brilliant Man. His greatness came from
somewhere else. As California's highly successful governor, and later as
this nation's president, Ronald Reagan demonstrated wonderful skills to
attract and retain brilliant people, to elicit the very best from them, to
synchronize them like the best of the bandleaders, and then - as their
leader - to execute in accordance with their recommendations. Few presidents
in modern history were as trusted by his own team, especially by the
military he led as Commander in Chief.
Henry