Ronald Reagan: Difference between revisions

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	Ronald Reagan began his political life as a ~~staunch~~ ] / ] ~~supporter~~. He gradually became a staunch anti-Communist. His political career started through the presidency of the ] (SAG). He gained political stature through radio broadcasts and speaking tours sponsored by the ] company.		Ronald Reagan began his political life as a supporter of ] and his ]. He gradually became a staunch anti-Communist. His political career started through the presidency of the ] (SAG). He gained political stature through radio broadcasts and speaking tours sponsored by the ] company.



	In 1966, he was elected governor of ] and tried to gain the Republican presidential nomination in 1976 over the incumbent ]. After his defeat at the ]he want on to be elected president in 1980 and 1984. During his presidency, Reagan survived an assassination attempt by John Hinckley, Jr. Like most successful politicians, he had great stage presence, and great instincts for how to come across to people and make them like him. But all that would have been meaningless without his ~~rampant~~ enthusiasm for America and ~~believe~~ in the individual.		In 1966, he was elected governor of ] and tried to gain the Republican presidential nomination in 1976 over the incumbent ]. After his defeat at the ]he want on to be elected president in 1980 and 1984. During his presidency, Reagan survived an assassination attempt by John Hinckley, Jr. Like most successful politicians, he had great stage presence, and great instincts for how to come across to people and make them like him. But all that would have been meaningless without his enthusiasm for America and belief in the individual.


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	He was:		He was:

	* Anti Communist, Pro Freedom		* Anti-Communist, Pro-Freedom

	* in favor of tax cuts		* in favor of tax cuts

Revision as of 02:06, 1 January 2002

Ronald Wilson Reagan (R) was the 40th president of the United States, from 1981-1989. Longest-lived president at age 90 (as of 2001).

Child of an alcoholic father, Reagan developed an early gift for storytelling and acting. He was a first-rate radio announcer of Chicago Cubs games, getting only the bare outlines of the game from a ticker and relying on his imagination and storytelling gifts to flesh out the game. Once in 1934, during the ninth inning of a Cubs-Cardinals game, the wire went dead. Reagan smoothly improvised the play-by-play.

Reagan had a successful career in Hollywood as a second-rank leading man, as his face and body were as handsome as his voice. There he acquired the nickname "the Gipper," which he retained the rest of his life.

Ronald Reagan began his political life as a supporter of Franklin Roosevelt and his New Deal. He gradually became a staunch anti-Communist. His political career started through the presidency of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). He gained political stature through radio broadcasts and speaking tours sponsored by the General Electric company.

In 1966, he was elected governor of California and tried to gain the Republican presidential nomination in 1976 over the incumbent Gerald Ford. After his defeat at the Republican Conventionhe want on to be elected president in 1980 and 1984. During his presidency, Reagan survived an assassination attempt by John Hinckley, Jr. Like most successful politicians, he had great stage presence, and great instincts for how to come across to people and make them like him. But all that would have been meaningless without his enthusiasm for America and belief in the individual.

He was:

Anti-Communist, Pro-Freedom

in favor of tax cuts

in favor of smaller non-military government

in favor of removing regulations on corporations

supportive of business interests, both small and large

supportive of some individual liberties

tough on crime

a big fan of jellybeans

He is credited with:

building up the military

lowering taxes

creating the Earned Income Tax Credit

greatly escalating the "war on drugs"

beginning antimissile defense research (Star Wars)

coining the term "volunteerism"

firing the air traffic controllers when they illegally striked

defeating the Soviet Union through the escalation of the Cold War arms race

reviving the US economy through deregulation

Debate continues as to his impact in:

damaging race relations

He was the first divorced person to be elected president.

During his administration, there was a major scandal and investigation of his administration's covert support of wars in Iran and Nicaragua in what came to be known as the Iran-Contra Affair. His quick call for an independent consul and cooperation with consul kept the scandals from affecting his presidency.

Reagan currently suffers from Alzheimers disease.