IN HIS NAME

By Edwin Cooney

Ten years ago last Thursday, Ronald Reagan, our fortieth president, silently rode his gallant horse Patriotism off into the sunset. His battle with Alzheimer’s disease was over, however, conservatism, his political faith, he left to all those who loved him best to nourish in his good name.

Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in a five room rented flat above a bakery in Tampico, Illinois on Monday February 6^th, 1911.  Not very many people noticed his arrival.  He was the second son of Jack and Nellie (Wilson) Reagan.  His older brother, John Neil (Moon) Reagan became a successful advertising executive.  Ron became the nation’s fortieth president on a political platform that demanded the return of government to the will of the American people as prescribed by the nation’s founders.

In July of 1980, Republicans met in Detroit and the former California governor easily coasted to nomination having previously knocked out such opponents as Senators Howard Baker and Robert Dole, former Texas Governor (and Nixon favorite for president) John Connally, and Representatives Phil Crane and John Anderson of Illinois.  During the convention, American political junkies were treated to the prospect of former President Ford possibly joining Reagan’s ticket as his running mate to woo more moderate voters who might otherwise be too fearful of Reagan’s alleged “radical” conservatism.  The deal fell through when both men realized there could be no such thing as a “co-presidency.”

The 1980 Republican platform called for deep tax cuts to stimulate economic growth, decontrol of oil and gas prices, rejection of the Salt II Treaty, a constitutional amendment banning legal abortions, a withdrawal of the party’s long standing support for the Equal Rights Amendment (reportedly because passage of the amendment as worded would grant rights to gays and lesbians), an increase in defense spending sufficient to overcome perceived defense lapses during the Carter years, and a balanced budget by 1985.

The president’s first term was true to a number of the promises in the platform including price deregulation, tax cuts and tax reform (although there would be no balanced budget), and no return of prayer to the public schools (a traditional conservative promise that has political value as an issue but no realistic chance of fruition).  Additionally, the president surprised many liberal women when he appointed Sandra Day O’Connor to the Supreme Court.  Despite public demonstrations, President Reagan pressed forward to put cruise missiles in Europe and invaded Granada.  To the surprise of many, he was surprisingly calm and statesmanlike when in early September 1983 the Soviets shot down a South Korean airliner with 269 passengers on board including Georgia Democratic Representative Lawrence McDonald. Mostly, however, millions of Americans were warmed and nurtured by his determination to protect Americans' safety both at home and abroad as well as by his personal affability.

In 1984, President Reagan was renominated in Dallas.  To emphasize its unity, the members at the convention dramatically suspended the rules and renominated the president and Vice President George Herbert Walker Bush on the same ballot.

The president’s second term was a largely successful one with the passage of Social Security reform and adoption of the 1987 Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty.

However, the president’s second term brought out some of his weaknesses. Budget Director David Stockman, Secretary of State George Shultz, top aide Michael Deaver and others attested to the fact that the president was indifferent towards learning the details about the projects and programs which eventually resulted in the infamous Iran Contra scandal.

Still, Ronald Reagan’s overall record as president was far more positive than negative.  Landmark achievements in tax reform and international relations almost obliterated those prejudices and misjudgments for which the president might have been considered liable.

I’m told that a few years ago the living advisors of every recent president met at one of those academic conferences which colleges with strong history and political science departments love to hold from time to time.  It was noted that the advisors to John F. Kennedy and Ronald W. Reagan were the most forceful in insisting that their former bosses were successful presidents.

As noted above, a decade has passed since America’s most eloquent president quietly slipped away.  His beloved Nancy, sons Michael and Ron, and daughter Patti were loyally and lovingly at his side. (His daughter Maureen had died of cancer in 2001.)  The man who was born in a five room rented flat above a small town bakery rode into eternity from a palatial home in Bel Air, the ritziest section of Los Angeles, California.

If few noticed his coming, you can be sure that millions more than noticed his passing!

Especially for conservatives, his name was in full measure a testimony to freedom and Americanism – to God and to family – and to faith in one’s word and accountability for one’s actions.

Thus in his name, conservatives today parade and apply their political faith even beyond the extent to which he practiced it.  To Ronald Reagan, compromise was a patriotic practice and shutting down the government was a breach of full faith and credit as prescribed by the Constitution of the United States.

President Reagan’s attitude was cheerful and optimistic even toward his political opponents.

Those of us who represent different but nevertheless loyal political faiths hope that conservatives may yet avoid the angry and uselessly quarrelsome contentions of conservatism’s most radical spokespeople.

Perhaps one day soon a new generation of conservatives will practice the kind of conservatism to which Ronald Reagan lent his good name!

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

EDWIN COONEY