He went to Washington to change the country, and he ended up changing the world. Today would have been Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday. Reagan was the model for conservatism, and he's clearly the greatest president of my lifetime.
When I think about Reagan, one of my all-time heroes, I don't think of a typical politician. That may be what made him such a great leader. Ronald Reagan had a commonsense approach to solving the country's problems, and his policies did change America and the world.
Within hours of Reagan's inauguration in 1981, the Iranian hostages were released. His presidency has been called the "Reagan Revolution" because it caused a political realignment both within and beyond the U.S. in favor of his brand of conservatism and free markets. His administration is credited with the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War after he left office.
Who will ever forget his famous 'Evil Empire' speech, where he told Gorbachev to "tear down this wall"?
Reagan helped pull the country out of an economic crisis with the largest across-the-board tax cuts in American history. Reaganomics, as it was called, led to a strong recovery in the '80s. He survived an assassination attempt early in his presidency and went on to win the largest landslide in U.S. politics when he was re-elected in 1984.
I absolutely love the Gipper: his politics, his style, his optimism. He truly was a great American. Somewhere, I have a tape with eight hours of coverage from the memorial services in 2004 when he died and his body was flown back to California.
Reagan always said America's best days are still ahead. I agree. If it took Carter to get Reagan, just imagine the great things to come after Obama.
Thank you, President Reagan. You're what the American dream is all about. Now, let's go out and win one for the Gipper!
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