Mourning in America: Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
Ronald Reagan dies at 93: Former president had Alzheimer's disease for 10 years
Much will be written in the coming days about Ronald Reagan. Many Conservatives will wax rhapsodic about Reagan and the "Reagan Revolution" that he spearheaded. I, while I extend my condolences to his family, will not be among them.
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Former President Ronald Reagan died Saturday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 93.
Reagan led a conservative revolution that set the economic and cultural tone of the 1980s, hastened the end of the Cold War and revitalized the Republican Party. He suffered from Alzheimer's disease since at least late 1994.
Ronald Reagan was not a great President. He was a great presence, a Great Communicator, and a galvanizing force for those on the right side of the ideological spectrum, but he was neither a great intellect nor a great leader. He was fortunate to be at the right place at the right time, and his experience as actor and his comfort in the spotlight aided in his great food fortune.
Reagan's ascension to the Presidency marked the beginning of an era of divisiveness in American politics. Though he spoke with an optimism that had a way of appealing to common folk, his Conservative partisanship and his unwillingness to engage those on the Left only created a situation that alienated a significant part of the electorate.
Much of what happened during Reagan's Presidency has been credited to Reagan's leadership, but I've always believed that Reagan was fortunate enough to have good fortune thrust upon him, and he took advantage of it. It's not that he didn't handle the job properly or that he didn't represent his country with honor and dignity. No one could reasonably question his commitment to or love for his country. To say that Ronald Reagan was responsible for the end of the Cold War, however, would be to give credit where it simply is not due. The Soviet Union had been in it's death rattle for years. Yes, perhaps the Reagan Administration hastened it's demise, but to say that Ronald Reagan should be credited with the fall of the Soviet Union is overly simplistic. The USSR would have died on it's own, perhaps at about the same time. It was a corrupt construct that had been rotting from within virtually from the outset. The dawn of the Information Age can likely be credited with administering the coup de grace.
No, Reagan was not a great President nor a great leader. He was a great American and a good person, one who valued courtesy and good humor. Even a partisan Democrat such as myself has to admit that. Ronald Reagan will be remembered for many things by many people. I never supported his politics nor the direction he took my country in, but I admired his devotion to his wife, his country, and his sense of humor. Ronald Reagan's legacy makes the current occupant of the White House look like the impostor he is.
