Ronald Reagan Has Died at 93

I loved him as a boy. His personality kept me watching even his worst films. I like and admire Nancy for taking such good care of him.

I've been deeply appreciative of such kindnesses as you show here, LW.

Oddly, Reagan's passing has been surprisingly more difficult for me than I would have expected. I can't imagine I'm the only one. It has been so heartwarming to see most people withholding political comment.

For you, and all the other practicing such discretion, my most sincere thanks.

Here is another page about him

http://www.biography.com/search/article.jsp?aid=9453198&search=Ronald+Reagan

R.I.P., Ronnie.

Death
He actually died about a year ago. His body stopped functioning today.

The Great Communicator is gone.

He became President not long after my father died when I was 15...

He was my Commander in Chief during my entire time in the Army ...

His signing of the INF Treaty eliminated the system I worked on and cut short my military career, but no one was happier to see them go than those of us who had to handle nuclear weapons...

We always felt he cared about those of us in the service...

A true man of principle who made many of us proud to be Americans again...

We will not see another President of his calibre again.

God speed you safely home Mr President.

It does seem like that when you have a serious, debilitating illness. We watched a family member deteriorate with cancer. He was gone from us long before he died.

That's why it's so inexplicable for the feeling of loss to be so new. I guess when they're finally gone, you remember them when they were at their best, rather than while they were ill.

I will always remember him in Death Valley Days and Tennessee's Partner, among others.

I had the honor of being a White House Marine During his first term.The white House marines are the ones you see at the doors every time they show pictures of the White House.
One of my greatest treasures is a photo signed by both him and Nancy,given to my wife and I when we got married.I didnt even know he knew about it,let alone would send a photo and a card.
He made all of us feel like we were important,not just door men.
He will be sorely missed.

I recall his reading of "To Fly" at the national memorial of the Challenger disaster. His ability to resonate with the people was his gift.
he was bold yet he appeared amibiable at all times

Remember when he was questioned about his age when he ran for his second term and he responded to Bill Moyers (I think)
"I shall not exploit for political gain , the youth and inexperience of my opponent"

his bonding with Tip O Neil, was the last of any bipartisanship among the national leadership.

Strange
Reagan's office deflects report of decline.

CNN) --

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/05/reagan.health/index.html

* That was strange, eh?

I agree with lightwizard, and I actually admire Nancy Reagan.

I didn't think much of his presidency when he was in office, but he was so damned likeable. I found myself disagreeing with most of his policies, but defending him on numerous instances overseas. After 15 years or so of dour national self-analysis, bordering on self-loathing, he was able to make many of us feel proud, again, to be Americans.

In recent years, I've taken the time to look a bit more deeply into the man and his presidency and while I can now see that he was a lot brighter and a lot deeper than I and many others appreciated, I still don't put him on the list of top 10 presidents throughout US history.

For the conservative faithful of his time, he was, and remains an almost messianic figure. I think, though, that he was much more remarkable as a pivotal figure in terms of American politics and ideology than in executive leadership, although I give him his due for keeping pressure on the Soviet Union so that they might not possibly recover from their seemingly inevitable death spiral.

In the eight years that he was president, the country made a dramatic ideological shift. During this period there was a remarkable reversal in the public connotation of the term "conservative" and "liberal." It's easy to dismiss this as the result of a seamy disinformation campaign by the GOP, but that's an overly facile conclusion. Reagan, very successfully personified American conservatism in a way that was quite attractive to middle America.

As president, he made several serious mistakes (chief among them the withdrawal from Lebanon after the terrorist suicide bombing, and the Arms for Hostages deal), but I think his greatest accomplishment was in restoring America's pride.

It's instructive that now, so many years after his presidency during which he was quite hated by the left, this politically divided forum has, thus far, maintained a respectful response to this American president's death.

When someone dies there is a natural tendency to see their life in the best possible light, but there is also a, rightful, aversion to voicing petty and jacked up criticisms.

The same, I'm sure, will happen when President Clinton passes on.

It should make us think twice before we allow partisanship to twist our hearts with insane hatred for our fellow Americans based on their politics alone.

Whether or not hatred serves any valid purpose, we should save ours for the many enemies we have in this world who couldn't care less whether they murdered a liberal or a conservative, as long as he or she was an American...or Westerner, for my non-American friends.

Now condescending dislike for the other side...that's OK.

I think he planted the seeds for the rotten and poisonous fruit that has ripened and rotted in the White House today.

I did not like him or his politics and felt that he was the beginning of the end of America as we once knew it.

I am however truly sorry he had to suffer as he did but I don't feel he's worthy of any more sympathy than say an AIDS patient.

I make these statements with no trace of hatefulness or gleefulness at his death.

Strong words, and so one might presume that when the time comes for GW Bush to leave this vale of tears, you will greet the news with satisfaction, if not glee, and if so, this will diminish you.

A sense of proportion is a necessity for a sane existence.

Difficult
It is difficult to seperate a person from the politician. Most people are complex and have many sides to their personality. Reagan was not a simpleton. He had charisma and that carried him for most of his career as a politician. I loathed his policies and found them to be destructive on many levels. I may post my political views of his admin. at a later date.

Right now I extend my condolences to his family and friends.

I will greet the news wth the same indifference as the news of Reagans death. I wish neither of them suffering, but I feel no special emotion about it. My opinions do not diminish me in the least.

I'm glad you are so certain.

Let's don't spar Finn, your opinion of me is subject to the same serene indifference.