The Great Communicator President

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  the great communicator president: The Greatest Communicator Dick Wirthlin, 2007-08-24 The outpouring of grief and heartfelt tributes following Ronald Reagan’s death demonstrated the love and admiration people still have for our nation’s 40th president. Now, in this affectionate memoir, Reagan’s chief political strategist and friend for 36 years offers a fascinating close-up portrait of the Great Communicator. Taking us inside the 1980 and 1984 presidential campaigns and beyond, Dick Wirthlin shares illuminating anecdotes, off-the-record remarks, and private moments that reveal the true Ronald Reagan. Through it all, Wirthlin points out the unique qualities and talents that made Reagan such a strong leader-and such a great communicator. For anyone who has fond memories of the late president, this admiring reminiscence brilliantly conjures up the strong values, gregarious charm, and all-American optimism that made Ronald Reagan great.
  the great communicator president: The Great Communicator Ronald Reagan, 2010 A selection of speeches from Ronald Reagan. The conservative Reagan Revolution, of free-market economics, the Religious Right, and American military power, dominated American politics for three decades. This volume includes the Evil Empire speech, the Government is the problem speech, the Tear down this Wall speech, and many others.
  the great communicator president: President Reagan Lou Cannon, 2008-08-04 Hailed by the New Yorker as a superlative study of a president and his presidency, Lou Cannon's President Reagan remains the definitive account of our most significant presidency in the last fifty years. Ronald Wilson Reagan, the first actor to be elected president, turned in the performance of a lifetime. But that performance concealed the complexities of the man, baffling most who came in contact with him. Who was the man behind the makeup? Only Lou Cannon, who covered Reagan through his political career, can tell us. The keenest Reagan-watcher of them all, he has been the only author to reveal the nature of a man both shrewd and oblivious. Based on hundreds of interviews with the president, the First Lady, and hundreds of the administration's major figures, President Reagan takes us behind the scenes of the Oval Office. Cannon leads us through all of Reagan's roles, from the affable cowboy to the self-styled family man; from the politician who denounced big government to the president who created the largest peace-time deficit; from the statesman who reviled the Soviet government to the Great Communicator who helped end the cold war.
  the great communicator president: When Character Was King Peggy Noonan, 2002-10-01 No one has ever captured Ronald Reagan like Peggy Noonan. In When Character Was King, Noonan brings her own reflections on Reagan to bear as well as new stories—from Presidents George W. Bush and his father, George H. W. Bush, his Secret Service men and White House colleagues, his wife, his daughter Patti Davis, and his close friends—to reveal the true nature of a man even his opponents now view as a maker of big history. Marked by incisive wit and elegant prose, When Character Was King will both enlighten and move readers. It may well be the last word on Ronald Reagan, not only as a leader but as a man.
  the great communicator president: An American Life Ronald Reagan, 1990-11-15 Ronald Reagan’s autobiography is a work of major historical importance. Here, in his own words, is the story of his life—public and private—told in a book both frank and compellingly readable. Few presidents have accomplished more, or been so effective in changing the direction of government in ways that are both fundamental and lasting, than Ronald Reagan. Certainly no president has more dramatically raised the American spirit, or done so much to restore national strength and self-confidence. Here, then, is a truly American success story—a great and inspiring one. From modest beginnings as the son of a shoe salesman in Tampico, Illinois, Ronald Reagan achieved first a distinguished career in Hollywood and then, as governor of California and as president of the most powerful nation in the world, a career of public service unique in our history. Ronald Reagan’s account of that rise is told here with all the uncompromising candor, modesty, and wit that made him perhaps the most able communicator ever to occupy the White House, and also with the sense of drama of a gifted natural storyteller. He tells us, with warmth and pride, of his early years and of the elements that made him, in later life, a leader of such stubborn integrity, courage, and clear-minded optimism. Reading the account of this childhood, we understand how his parents, struggling to make ends meet despite family problems and the rigors of the Depression, shaped his belief in the virtues of American life—the need to help others, the desire to get ahead and to get things done, the deep trust in the basic goodness, values, and sense of justice of the American people—virtues that few presidents have expressed more eloquently than Ronald Reagan. With absolute authority and a keen eye for the details and the anecdotes that humanize history, Ronald Reagan takes the reader behind the scenes of his extraordinary career, from his first political experiences as president of the Screen Actors Guild (including his first meeting with a beautiful young actress who was later to become Nancy Reagan) to such high points of his presidency as the November 1985 Geneva meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev, during which Reagan invited the Soviet leader outside for a breath of fresh air and then took him off for a walk and a man-to-man chat, without aides, that set the course for arms reduction and charted the end of the Cold War. Here he reveals what went on behind his decision to enter politics and run for the governorship of California, the speech nominating Barry Goldwater that first made Reagan a national political figure, his race for the presidency, his relations with the members of his own cabinet, and his frustrations with Congress. He gives us the details of the great themes and dramatic crises of his eight years in office, from Lebanon to Grenada, from the struggle to achieve arms control to tax reform, from Iran-Contra to the visits abroad that did so much to reestablish the United States in the eyes of the world as a friendly and peaceful power. His narrative is full of insights, from the unseen dangers of Gorbachev’s first visit to the United States to Reagan’s own personal correspondence with major foreign leaders, as well as his innermost feelings about life in the White House, the assassination attempt, his family—and the enduring love between himself and Mrs. Reagan. An American Life is a warm, richly detailed, and deeply human book, a brilliant self-portrait, a significant work of history.
  the great communicator president: Morning in America Gil Troy, 2013-10-24 Did America's fortieth president lead a conservative counterrevolution that left liberalism gasping for air? The answer, for both his admirers and his detractors, is often yes. In Morning in America, Gil Troy argues that the Great Communicator was also the Great Conciliator. His pioneering and lively reassessment of Ronald Reagan's legacy takes us through the 1980s in ten year-by-year chapters, integrating the story of the Reagan presidency with stories of the decade's cultural icons and watershed moments-from personalities to popular television shows. One such watershed moment was the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. With the trauma of Vietnam fading, the triumph of America's 1983 invasion of tiny Grenada still fresh, and a reviving economy, Americans geared up for a festival of international harmony that-spurred on by an entertainment-focused news media, corporate sponsors, and the President himself-became a celebration of the good old U.S.A. At the Games' opening, Reagan presided over a thousand-voice choir, a 750-member marching band, and a 90,000-strong teary-eyed audience singing America the Beautiful! while waving thousands of flags. Reagan emerges more as happy warrior than angry ideologue, as a big-picture man better at setting America's mood than implementing his program. With a vigorous Democratic opposition, Reagan's own affability, and other limiting factors, the eighties were less counterrevolutionary than many believe. Many sixties' innovations went mainstream, from civil rights to feminism. Reagan fostered a political culture centered on individualism and consumption-finding common ground between the right and the left. Written with verve, Morning in America is both a major new look at one of America's most influential modern-day presidents and the definitive story of a decade that continues to shape our times.
  the great communicator president: The Education of Ronald Reagan Thomas W. Evans, 2006-12-05 In October 1964, Ronald Reagan gave a televised speech in support of Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater. The Speech, as it has come to be known, helped launch Ronald Reagan as a leading force in the American conservative movement. However, less than twenty years earlier, Reagan was a prominent Hollywood liberal, the president of the Screen Actors Guild, and a fervent supporter of FDR and Harry Truman. While many agree that Reagan's anticommunism grew out of his experiences with the Hollywood communists of the late 1940s, the origins of his conservative ideology have remained obscure. Based on a newly discovered collection of private papers as well as interviews and corporate documents, The Education of Ronald Reagan offers new insights into Reagan's ideological development and his political ascendancy. Thomas W. Evans links the eight years (1954-1962) in which Reagan worked for General Electric—acting as host of its television program, GE Theater, and traveling the country as the company's public-relations envoy-to his conversion to conservatism. In particular, Evans reveals the profound influence of GE executive Lemuel Boulware, who would become Reagan's political and ideological mentor. Boulware, known for his tough stance against union officials and his innovative corporate strategies to win over workers, championed the core tenets of modern American conservatism-free-market fundamentalism, anticommunism, lower taxes, and limited government. Building on the ideas and influence of Boulware, Reagan would soon begin his rise as a national political figure and an icon of the American conservative movement.
  the great communicator president: Winning Your Audience James Rosebush, 2020-04-07 President Ronald Reagan taught James Rosebush to be an impactful speaker. Now he's going to teach you. Public speaking isn't easy. Just ask anyone who's ever blown a sales pitch, failed a class, or fumbled their way through a presentation because they froze up or couldn't find the right words. No wonder more than 75 percent of people in the United States suffer from Glossophobia, the fear of speaking in front of crowds. Luckily, public speaking isn't some innate ability. It's a skill. And given the right amount of time, energy, and perseverance, anyone can learn how it's done. In Winning Your Audience, James Rosebush draws on several decades of experience working with presidents, politicians, and business leaders to write his own manual for delivering a message with confidence. He looks back on the lessons he learned travelling the world with President Ronald Reagan, whom he served under for five years in the White House, and lays out the keys to the Reagan speech template: Question, Inform, Inspire, Ask. Rosebush also studies some of the great political orators of our time. Vital lessons from the likes of Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and President Donald Trump are distilled down to a few simple rules. Among them are:· Be authentic· Know yourself· Practice and rehearse...and then do it again · Don't care what your mother thinks of you No matter what kind of speeches, toasts, or presentations you have to give, this book can help. Use it like a textbook. Write in the margins. Tear out pages. Winning Your Audience can make even the most timid speakers among us into a genuine leaders. Read it now and learn how to win your audience.
  the great communicator president: Ronald Reagan: Quotes and Quips David Stanford Burr, 2015-10-09 Enjoy this collection of Reagan's greatest stories, quotes, and jokes from his presidency. Perfect for any fan of politics or great presidents.
  the great communicator president: The Greatest Speeches of Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan, 2022-09 With twenty-eight speeches spanning the Reagan era, The Greatest Speeches of Ronald Reagan provides readers with a direct source into President Reagan's profound belief in God, freedom, individualism, limited government, and his great love for his country. Ronald Wilson Reagan, the fortieth president of the United States, was also one of America's greatest orators. Known as The Great Communicator, he shared his vision of the greatness of America while guiding the nation to an unprecedented prosperity and renewed vigor. When President Reagan assumed the presidency in 1981, America's economy ebbed with 12 percent inflation and 8 million unemployed. Reagan's predecessor spoke of a national malaise. Abroad, America's adversary, the Soviet Union, was expanding its influence. The Soviet Union's nuclear weapons capability surpassed that of the United States and previous nuclear arms treaties were failures. President Reagan's goals were simple: To reduce the size of the federal government Lower taxes Stabilize the economy Restore the belief of the American people in their government Win the Cold War When President Reagan left office in 1989, these goals had been achieved: Americans were enjoying the longest uninterrupted span of prosperity in the nation's history. After a massive military build-up, the largest in peacetime, President Reagan had negotiated a nuclear arms treaty that greatly reduced the threat of nuclear war. By expanding the military, he achieved peace through strength and set the stage for the demise of the Soviet Union. From the time he arrived on the political scene in 1964-throughout his presidency and beyond, Ronald Reagan used his speeches to inspire and reinvigorate America. When he spoke, Reagan said he was preaching a sermon. The American people saw his vision of America and his dreams for the future, and they overwhelmingly responded; he was re-elected in 1984 by the largest number of electoral votes in the nation's history. In this collection of twenty-eight speeches spanning the Reagan era, with an Introduction from his son, Michael Reagan, you may read for yourself his inspirational sermons. From his first speech in the political arena in 1964 to his Last Letter to America, informing Americans of his Alzheimer's disease, Ronald Reagan's words show a profound belief in God, freedom, individualism, limited government, and his great love for his country.
  the great communicator president: The Eloquent President Ronald C. White, 2007-12-18 The fact that Abraham Lincoln is now universally recognized as America’s greatest political orator would have surprised many of the citizens who voted him into office. Ungainly in stature and awkward in manner, the newly elected Lincoln was considered a Western stump speaker and debater devoid of rhetorical polish. Then, after the outbreak of the Civil War, he stood before the nation to deliver his Message to Congress in Special Session on July 4, 1861, and, as a contemporary editor put it, “some of us who doubted were wrong.” In The Eloquent President, historian Ronald White examines Lincoln’s astonishing oratory and explores his growth as a leader, a communicator, and a man of deepening spiritual conviction. Examining a different speech, address, or public letter in each chapter, White tracks the evolution of Lincoln’s rhetoric from the measured, lawyerly tones of the First Inaugural, to the imaginative daring of the 1862 Annual Message to Congress, to the haunting, immortal poetry of the Gettysburg Address. As a speaker who appealed not to intellect alone, but also to the hearts and souls of citizens, Lincoln persuaded the nation to follow him during the darkest years of the Civil War. Through the speeches and what surrounded them–the great battles and political crises, the president’s private anguish and despair, the impact of his words on the public, the press, and the nation at war–we see the full sweep and meaning of the Lincoln presidency. As he weighs the biblical cadences and vigorous parallel structures that make Lincoln’s rhetoric soar, White identifies a passionate religious strain that most historians have overlooked. It is White’s contention that as president Lincoln not only grew into an inspiring leader and determined commander in chief, but also embarked on a spiritual odyssey that led to a profound understanding of the relationship between human action and divine will. Brilliantly written, boldly original in conception, The Eloquent President blends history, biography, and a deep intuitive appreciation for the quality of Lincoln’s extraordinary mind. With grace and insight, White captures the essence of the four most critical years of Lincoln’s life and makes the great words live for our time in all their power and beauty. From the Hardcover edition.
  the great communicator president: The Wit & Wisdom of Ronald Reagan James C. Humes, 2007-10-22 Ronald Reagan is more than a revered and popular president--he is a hero to millions, beloved as a persuasive leader who inspired America and shaped the future more than any other modern president. Reagan's everyman insight--stemming from his unique background as actor, sports broadcaster, and labor leader--make him America's most quotable president. In The Wit & Wisdom of Ronald Reagan, author James C. Humes brings together the best observations and opinions of the Great Communicator. Spanning one-liners, anecdotes, zingers, and little-known stories, this collection also includes commentary about Reagan from friends and foes as well as analysis of his great speeches. The Wit & Wisdom of Ronald Reagan is an exceptional tribute to America's adored fortieth president.
  the great communicator president: The Great Communicator Ronald Reagan, 2000-01-01
  the great communicator president: Governor Reagan Lou Cannon, 2003 Written by the definitive biographer of Ronald Reagan, this new biography is a classic study of an individual's evolution from a conservative hero to a national figure whose call for renewal stirred Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike.
  the great communicator president: Reagan on Leadership James M. Strock, 1999-08-18 Ronald Reagan led the West to victory in the Cold War and led the revolution that unleashed the power of private enterprise. Through it all, he demonstrated a deceptively simple management style that was profoundly effective. Through quotes, anecdotes, and analysis, readers will learn the Great Communicator's leadership techniques.
  the great communicator president: Ronald Reagan Hourly History, 2017-10-03 On January 20, 1981, Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as the 40th president of the United States. That same day, the Americans who had been held hostage in Iran were released. For many Americans, the juxtaposition of those events was no coincidence. Ronald Reagan was the president they elected to restore their country’s sagging influence in the world and disappointing image at home. He was a president who believed in a United States that was truly, as he said in his farewell address, “a shining city.” He believed in the myth of American greatness, and for a nation that was still numb from Watergate, immersed in economic stagnation, and humiliated by international events, he made it believable. Inside you will read about... ✓ The Small Town Boy ✓ Reagan’s Hollywood Career ✓ The Governor’s Race ✓ The Assassination Attempt ✓ Reagan and the Evil Empire ✓ The Alzheimer’s Diagnosis And much more! Ronald Reagan would remain the man who beat the Russians and ended the Cold War, changing the composition of the globe with his conservative politics and his passionate idealism. Even through Reagan’s political trials, the Iran-Contra hearings, the mixed results of his economic policies known as Reaganomics, and the military build-up that swelled the national debt, the nation saw him as the man who restored the country to its rightful place as a leader among nations.
  the great communicator president: Speaking My Mind Ronald Reagan, 1989
  the great communicator president: The Last Best Hope Ronald Reagan, 2016 From the time he arrived on the political scene in 1964 - throughout his presidency and beyond, Ronald Reagan - used his speeches to inspire and reinvigorate America. When he spoke, Reagan, said, he was preaching a sermon. The American people saw his vision of America and his dreams for the future and they overwhelmingly responded; he was re-elected in 984 by the largest number of electoral votes in the nation's history. Here in this collection of twenty-eight speeches spanning the Reagan era, readers can find inspiration in Reagan's sermons. From his first speech in the political arena in 1964 to his Last Letter to America, informing Americans of his Alzheimer's disease, Ronald Regan's words show a profound belief in God, freedom, individualism, limited government, and his great love for his country. In addition to an introduction by Reagan's son, Michael Reagan, each speech features an informative introduction which puts the speech into historical context, making The Last Best Hope the perfect entrée into the influence of one of the major figures of the 20th century.
  the great communicator president: Quotations of Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan, 2013-05-21 Includes some 100 quotations about freedom, faith, war, government, and politics from America's 40th president, whose words have inspired many. The book features a classic portrait of the Great Communicator on the front cover with his signature printed below in gold foil.
  the great communicator president: Movie Nights with the Reagans Mark Weinberg, 2018-02-27 The former special advisor and press secretary to President Ronald Reagan shares a “sentimental but often revealing…enjoyable walk down Memory Lane” (Kirkus Reviews)—told through the movies he watched with the Reagans every week at Camp David. Over the course of eight years, Mark Weinberg travelled to Camp David with Ronald and Nancy Reagan as they screened movies on Friday and Saturday nights. They watched movies in times of triumph, such as the aftermath of Reagan’s 1984 landslide, and after moments of tragedy, such as the explosion of the Challenger and the shooting of the President and Press Secretary Jim Brady. Weinberg’s unparalleled access offers a rare glimpse of the Reagans—unscripted, relaxed, unburdened by the world, with no cameras in sight. Each chapter discusses a legendary film, what the Reagans thought of it, and provides warm anecdotes and untold stories about his family and the administration. From Reagan’s pranks on the Secret Service to his thoughts on the parallels between Hollywood and Washington, Weinberg paints a full picture of the president The New Yorker once famously dubbed “The Unknowable.” A “meander through a simpler time capturing a different time and a different president” (USA TODAY), Movie Nights with the Reagans is a nostalgic journey through the 1980s and its most iconic films, seen through the eyes of one of Hollywood’s former stars: one who was simultaneously transforming the Republican Party, the American economy, and the course of the Cold War. “For those equally enthused about movies and the fortieth president, this book will serve as a welcome change from today’s political climate” (Publishers Weekly).
  the great communicator president: Lead Like Reagan Dan Quiggle, 2014-06-16 A first-hand account of Ronald Reagan's leadership style, with personal insight and practical application. Lead Like Reagan is a guide to more effective leadership, inspired by the Great Communicator himself. Drawing upon his time serving Ronald Reagan, author Dan Quiggle relates lessons learned first-hand from his front row seat to history. Using Reagan and other prominent business leaders as examples, Quiggle illustrates what leadership looks like at the highest levels, why such leadership is effective, and how it can be successfully emulated. Readers will learn strategies to motivate, communicate, and inspire, forming a unique leadership template with personal application. Sitting at the feet of greatness and personally observing what Ronald Reagan did and said, made an indelible mark on Dan's own personal leadership style, shaping his thoughts about the key traits and actions of great leaders. In Lead Like Reagan, readers gain insight into both the personal attributes and leadership traits which are required to lead with vision, excellence, and impact. Practical advice and inspiring vision provide a template to: Assemble the right people to form a successful team Earn loyalty and commitment from others Lead by example to model excellence Manage crises by finding the opportunity in the midst of challenge Leave a lasting legacy of optimism and inspiration Leadership is a process of continual growth and Ronald Reagan provides an inspiring example. Lead Like Reagan is a meaningful and memorable guide to leadership, forging a framework for inspiring greatness and achieving success.
  the great communicator president: The Heart of a Great Nation Ronald Reagan, 2020-10-06 With a foreword from Senator Marco Rubio, a stirring collection of Ronald Reagan's most inspiring speeches, offering his timeless wisdom and guidance for our day. In his 1989 farewell address, Ronald Reagan said, I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didn't spring full bloom from my brow, they came from the heart of a great nation--from our experience, our wisdom, and our belief in principles that have guided us for two centuries. The Heart of a Great Nation brings together Reagan's most powerful speeches, as relevant to our chaotic world as they were when he first gave them. In a period of our country's history consumed by economic stagnation, national instability, and the looming threat of communism, Reagan spoke directly to the hearts of everyday Americans. His wisdom on matters of family, freedom, and nationhood helped guide the country back to its founding principles and ushered in an era of prosperity and national pride. Today, as we find our country treading similar ground, Reagan's wisdom speaks to us once again, offering guidance to everyone looking to navigate the present and remember the legacy of this great nation--which can one day be reclaimed.
  the great communicator president: Selling Reagan's Foreign Policy N. Stephen Kane, 2018-03-15 This book examines President Reagan’s and his administration’s efforts to mobilize public and congressional support for seven of the president’s controversial foreign policy initiatives. Each chapter deals with a distinct foreign policy issue, but they each is related in one way or another to alleged threats to U.S. national security interests by the Soviet Union and its allies. When taken together these case studies clearly illustrate the book’s larger thrust: a challenge to the conventional wisdom that Reagan was the indisputable “Great Communicator.” This book contests the accepted wisdom that Reagan was an exemplary and highly effective practitioner of the going public model of presidential communication and leadership, that the bargaining model was relatively unimportant during his administration, and that the so-called public diplomacy regime was a high-value addition to the administration’s public communication assets. The author employs an analytical approach to the historical record, draws on several academic disciplines and grounds his arguments in extensive archival and empirical research. The book concludes that the public communication efforts of the Reagan administration in the field of foreign policy were neither exceptionally skillful nor notably successful, that the public diplomacy regime had more negative than positive impact, that the going public model had minimal utility in the president’s efforts to sell his foreign policy initiatives, and that the executive bargaining model played a central role in Reagan’s governing strategy and essentially defined his presidential leadership role in the area of foreign policy making. This study vividly demonstrates the enormous gap between the real-word Reagan and the one that often exists in public mythology.
  the great communicator president: The Reagan Diaries Ronald Reagan, 2007-05-22 During his two terms as the fortieth president of the United States, Ronald Reagan kept a daily diary in which he recorded, by hand, his innermost thoughts and observations on the extraordinary, the historic, and the routine day-to-day occurrences of his presidency. Now, nearly two decades after he left office, this remarkable record—the only daily presidential diary in American history—is available for the first time. Brought together in one volume and edited by historian Douglas Brinkley, The Reagan Diaries provides a striking insight into one of this nation's most important presidencies and sheds new light on the character of a true American leader. Whether he was in his White House residence study or aboard Air Force One, each night Reagan wrote about the events of his day, which often included his relationships with other world leaders Mikhail Gorbachev, Pope John Paul II, Mohammar al-Qaddafi, and Margaret Thatcher, among others, and the unforgettable moments that defined the era—from his first inauguration to the end of the Cold War, the Iran hostage crisis to John Hinckley Jr.'s assassination attempt. The Reagan Diaries reveals more than just Reagan's political experiences: many entries are concerned with the president's private thoughts and feelings—his love and devotion for Nancy Reagan and their family, his belief in God and the power of prayer. Seldom before has the American public been given access to the unfiltered experiences and opinions of a president in his own words, from Reagan's description of near-drowning at the home of Hollywood friend Claudette Colbert to his determination to fight Fidel Castro at every turn and keep the Caribbean Sea from becoming a Red Lake. To read these diaries—filled with Reagan's trademark wit, sharp intelligence, and humor—is to gain a unique understanding of one of the most beloved occupants of the Oval Office in our nation's history.
  the great communicator president: Ronald Reagan in Quotations , 2011-10-25 President Ronald Reagan's folksy way with words and evocative delivery earned him the moniker The Great Communicator. From witty political challenges like Go ahead, make my day to legendary international demands such as Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall, Reagan's idioms have become engrained in America's historical lexicon. This encyclopedic compilation gathers nearly 2500 quotations from speeches and other public addresses that Reagan delivered, either in person or on radio or television, during his eight years as president. Organized topically into more than 60 primary subject areas, the entries reveal Reagan's policy thought on issues from abortion to welfare reform. Each includes information on the title, date, venue, and audience of the speech from which the phrase is taken. The most comprehensive collection of Reagan quotations available, this accessible work offers new and revealing insights into the mind and heart of the fortieth president.
  the great communicator president: Reaganland Rick Perlstein, 2021-08-17 From the bestselling author of Nixonland and The Invisible Bridge comes the dramatic conclusion of how conservatism took control of American political power--
  the great communicator president: Reagan Bob Spitz, 2018-10-02 From New York Times bestselling biographer Bob Spitz, a full and rich biography of an epic American life, capturing what made Ronald Reagan both so beloved and so transformational. More than five years in the making, based on hundreds of interviews and access to previously unavailable documents, and infused with irresistible storytelling charm, Bob Spitz's REAGAN stands fair to be the first truly post-partisan biography of our 40th President, and thus a balm for our own bitterly divided times. It is the quintessential American triumph, brought to life with cinematic vividness: a young man is born into poverty and raised in a series of flyspeck towns in the Midwest by a pious mother and a reckless, alcoholic, largely absent father. Severely near-sighted, the boy lives in his own world, a world of the popular books of the day, and finds his first brush with popularity, even fame, as a young lifeguard. Thanks to his first great love, he imagines a way out, and makes the extraordinary leap to go to college, a modest school by national standards, but an audacious presumption in the context of his family's station. From there, the path is only very dimly lit, but it leads him, thanks to his great charm and greater luck, to a solid career as a radio sportscaster, and then, astonishingly, fatefully, to Hollywood. And the rest, as they say, is history. Bob Spitz's REAGAN is an absorbing, richly detailed, even revelatory chronicle of the full arc of Ronald Reagan's epic life - giving full weight to the Hollywood years, his transition to politics and rocky but ultimately successful run as California governor, and ultimately, of course, his iconic presidency, filled with storm and stress but climaxing with his peace talks with the Soviet Union that would serve as his greatest legacy. It is filled with fresh assessments and shrewd judgments, and doesn't flinch from a full reckoning with the man's strengths and limitations. This is no hagiography: Reagan was never a brilliant student, of anything, and his disinterest in hard-nosed political scheming, while admirable, meant that this side of things was left to the other people in his orbit, not least his wife Nancy; sometimes this delegation could lead to chaos, and worse. But what emerges as a powerful signal through all the noise is an honest inherent sweetness, a gentleness of nature and willingness to see the good in people and in this country, that proved to be a tonic for America in his time, and still is in ours. It was famously said that FDR had a first-rate disposition and a second-rate intellect. Perhaps it is no accident that only FDR had as high a public approval rating leaving office as Reagan did, or that in the years since Reagan has been closing in on FDR on rankings of Presidential greatness. Written with love and irony, which in a great biography is arguably the same thing, Bob Spitz's masterpiece will give no comfort to partisans at either extreme; for the rest of us, it is cause for celebration.
  the great communicator president: Hail to the Chief Callista Gingrich, 2016-10-11 Ellis the Elephant is back, and he’s headed to the White House! In Hail to the Chief, the sixth in Callista Gingrich’s New York Times bestselling series, Ellis meets some of America’s greatest presidents and discovers how they have led our country throughout American history. In preceding books, including Sweet Land of Liberty, Land of the Pilgrims’ Pride, Yankee Doodle Dandy, From Sea to Shining Sea, and Christmas in America, Ellis learns about the pivotal moments that have shaped our nation. Now, in Hail to the Chief, this adorable pachyderm explores the fascinating lives of those who have held the nation’s highest office. Authored by Callista Gingrich and illustrated by Susan Arciero, Hail to the Chief will delight young and old alike with a glimpse of the leaders who helped make America an exceptional nation.
  the great communicator president: Communicator-in-chief John Allen Hendricks, Robert E. Denton, 2010 Communicator-in-Chief examines the role of new media technologies such as e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, blogs, video games, texting and the Internet in the historic 2008 presidential campaign. Politicians of the twenty-first century will use the Obama campaign's new media technology strategy to not only communicate with the electorate, but also raise money and motivate voters to go to the polling places on election day.
  the great communicator president: Dutch Edmund Morris, 2011-10-19 This book, the only biography ever authorized by a sitting President--yet written with complete interpretive freedom--is as revolutionary in method as it is formidable in scholarship. When Ronald Reagan moved into the White House in 1981, one of his first literary guests was Edmund Morris, the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of Theodore Roosevelt. Morris developed a fascination for the genial yet inscrutable President and, after Reagan's landslide reelection in 1984, put aside the second volume of his life of Roosevelt to become an observing eye and ear at the White House. During thirteen years of obsessive archival research and interviews with Reagan and his family, friends, admirers and enemies (the book's enormous dramatis personae includes such varied characters as Mikhail Gorbachev, Michelangelo Antonioni, Elie Wiesel, Mario Savio, François Mitterrand, Grant Wood, and Zippy the Pinhead), Morris lived what amounted to a doppelgänger life, studying the young Dutch, the middle-aged Ronnie, and the septuagenarian Chief Executive with a closeness and dispassion, not to mention alternations of amusement, horror,and amazed respect, unmatched by any other presidential biographer. This almost Boswellian closeness led to a unique literary method whereby, in the earlier chapters of Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan, Morris's biographical mind becomes in effect another character in the narrative, recording long-ago events with the same eyewitness vividness (and absolute documentary fidelity) with which the author later describes the great dramas of Reagan's presidency, and the tragedy of a noble life now darkened by dementia. I quite understand, the author has remarked, that readers will have to adjust, at first, to what amounts to a new biographical style. But the revelations of this style, which derive directly from Ronald Reagan's own way of looking at his life, are I think rewarding enough to convince them that one of the most interesting characters in recent American history looms here like a colossus.
  the great communicator president: Communication in the Age of Trump Arthur S. Hayes, 2018 This collection of essays and studies covers the 2016 presidential campaign and the first year of the Trump presidency and is suitable for communication and political science students and scholars.
  the great communicator president: Speaking My Mind Ronald Reagan, 2004-08 The most important speeches of America's Great Communicator: Here, in his own words, is the record of Ronald Reagan's remarkable political career and historic eight-year presidency.
  the great communicator president: Promoting Democracy and Peace Ronald Reagan, 1982
  the great communicator president: Ronald Reagan in Private Jim Kuhn, 2004 During his White House years, President Reagan earned the love and admiration of millions, and altered the course of history. Jim Kuhn, his executive assistant, was one of the very few people privileged to see the Great Communicator not just during his historic public events, but also behind the scenes, during quiet moments.Kuhn was responsible for helping the most powerful man in the world manage his time and information. His memoir of an unguarded and unedited Ronald Reagan captures the laughter, resolve, sensitivity, and discomforts of the man who won the Cold War and restored Americarss confidence. President Reagan frequently shared with Kuhn his personal views on matters great and small, including his thoughts about world leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Margaret Thatcher, and controversial issues such as nuclear weapons, taxes, and womenrss rights. Kuhn recalls many poignant moments that will surprise readers, no matter how much they already know about President Reagan. For example: How the President reacted when staff disappointed him and things didnrst go as planned The time he felt distraught over arms negotiations with the Soviets President Reaganrss true personal thoughts about abortion What aspersion bothered him more than any other How President Reagan felt about the Iran-Contra scandal and the figures involved During his 13 years of service to Ronald Reagan, Kuhn discovered a man who acted the same off camera as he did in front of the world; who showed the same respect to an anonymous caller to the White House as he did to Pope John Paul II; who was more nuanced and perceptive than the press would ever admit; who never let the power and prestige of the Presidency go to his head. Now that Ronald Reagan has passed away, there is a hunger for a deeper understanding of what made him a great President. Jim Kuhn offers a unique perspective on the private Ronald Reagan that will fascinate his millions of admirers.
  the great communicator president: Reagan H. W. Brands, 2016-05-17 From the two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, bestselling historian, and author of Our First Civil War—and the rare academic historian who can write like a bestselling novelist (USA Today)—comes an irresistible portrait of an underestimated politician whose pragmatic leadership and steadfast vision transformed the nation. In his magisterial new biography, H. W. Brands brilliantly establishes Ronald Reagan as one of the two great presidents of the twentieth century, a true peer to Franklin Roosevelt. Reagan conveys with sweep and vigor how the confident force of Reagan’s personality and the unwavering nature of his beliefs enabled him to engineer a conservative revolution in American politics and play a crucial role in ending communism in the Soviet Union. Reagan shut down the age of liberalism, Brands shows, and ushered in the age of Reagan, whose defining principles are still powerfully felt today. Employing archival sources not available to previous biographers and drawing on dozens of interviews with surviving members of Reagan’s administration, Brands has crafted a richly detailed and fascinating narrative of the presidential years. He offers new insights into Reagan’s remote management style and fractious West Wing staff, his deft handling of public sentiment to transform the tax code, and his deeply misunderstood relationship with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, on which nothing less than the fate of the world turned. Look for H.W. Brands's other biographies: THE FIRST AMERICAN (Benjamin Franklin), ANDREW JACKSON, THE MAN WHO SAVED THE UNION (Ulysses S. Grant), and TRAITOR TO HIS CLASS (Franklin Roosevelt).
  the great communicator president: The President Will See You Now Peggy Grande, 2017-02-21 Peggy Grande's memoir is the book to read on Ronald Reagan's post-presidential years . . . Among the most unique and touching [books] ever done on the man . . . Wonderful. -- The AmericanSpectator In The President Will See You Now, devoted Reagan insider Peggy Grande shares behind-the-scenes stories, intimate moments, and insights into one of America's most beloved presidents. Grande, who started in the Office of Ronald Reagan as a college student and earned her way into a coveted role as the president's Executive Assistant, offers an unparalleled perspective on the post-presidency of a political icon. Grande's stories and never-before-seen photos show a unique, private side to a public figure and leader who reshaped conservatism, ushered in an era of prosperity, and helped spur the end of the Cold War. Grande reveals what day-to-day life was like in Reagan's California office, including the former president's relationship with the First Lady and his interactions with friends, world leaders, and everyday Americans. Grande recalls how Reagan kept a vigorous schedule for years after he left the White House, his robust engagement with others, and ongoing political advocacy. Despite his eventual Alzheimer's diagnosis, Grande shows how Ronald Reagan remained true to core beliefs, his gentlemanly kindness, and his undying hope for his country. Today the Reagan legacy looms over American politics more than ever. Grande reminds readers why: When Ronald Reagan was president, we not only loved ourselves but also loved America, and the American values he represented: faith, optimism, and patriotism.
  the great communicator president: The Boys of Pointe Du Hoc Douglas Brinkley, 2005-05-31 The acclaimed historian and author of Tour of Duty chronicles the heroism of the brave men of D-Day whose selfless courage was celebrated by President Ronald Reagan 40 years later.
  the great communicator president: Where's the Rest of Me? Ronald Reagan, 1981
  the great communicator president: Ronald Reagan Jr Ed Frederick Ryan, 2001-01-23 This unique collection of photographs and quotations is a celebration of the warmth, wisdom, and wit of Ronald Reagan, one of America's most beloved presidents. Through more than half a century of public life, he spoke with consistency and contagious optimism to the hearts and minds of American people, and his ability to inspire and persuade led to his reputation as the Great Communicator. This volume is the consummate treasury of his insights and unwavering beliefs, carefully selected from thousands of speeches and public appearances. It is a spirited tribute to one of the twentieth century's greatest political leaders, whose captivating humor and enduring optimism helped shape a nation.
GREAT Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of GREAT is notably large in size : huge. How to use great in a sentence.

1202 Synonyms & Antonyms for GREAT - Thesaurus.com
Find 1202 different ways to say GREAT, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.

GREAT Synonyms: 711 Similar and Opposite Words - Merriam-Webster
Synonyms for GREAT: skillful, good, skilled, adept, experienced, proficient, expert, practiced; Antonyms of GREAT: weak, unable, amateur, incapable, inexperienced, unprofessional, …

GREAT Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Great definition: unusually or comparatively large in size or dimensions.. See examples of GREAT used in a sentence.

Great - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com
As an adjective great describes things that are very good, large, or important — like a great movie, a great forest, or a great battle that changed the course of a war.

GREAT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
GREAT definition: 1. large in amount, size, or degree: 2. used in names, especially to mean large or important: 3…. Learn more.

GREAT | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
GREAT meaning: 1. large in amount, size, or degree: 2. used in names, especially to mean large or important: 3…. Learn more.

111 Words to Use Instead of Great (Infographic) - GrammarCheck
Oct 22, 2016 · This is a visual list of 111 alternatives for the word 'Great'. Take a look at this infographic to see 111 of the best, most creative synonyms and similar expressions for the …

great adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage …
Definition of great adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Toggle navigation

Meaning of great – Learner’s Dictionary - Cambridge Dictionary
GREAT definition: 1. very good: 2. important or famous: 3. large in amount, size, or degree: . Learn more.

GREAT Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of GREAT is notably large in size : huge. How to use great in a sentence.

1202 Synonyms & Antonyms for GREAT - Thesaurus.com
Find 1202 different ways to say GREAT, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.

GREAT Synonyms: 711 Similar and Opposite Words - Merriam-Webster
Synonyms for GREAT: skillful, good, skilled, adept, experienced, proficient, expert, practiced; Antonyms of GREAT: weak, unable, amateur, incapable, inexperienced, unprofessional, …

GREAT Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Great definition: unusually or comparatively large in size or dimensions.. See examples of GREAT used in a sentence.

Great - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com
As an adjective great describes things that are very good, large, or important — like a great movie, a great forest, or a great battle that changed the course of a war.

GREAT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
GREAT definition: 1. large in amount, size, or degree: 2. used in names, especially to mean large or important: 3…. Learn more.

GREAT | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
GREAT meaning: 1. large in amount, size, or degree: 2. used in names, especially to mean large or important: 3…. Learn more.

111 Words to Use Instead of Great (Infographic) - GrammarCheck
Oct 22, 2016 · This is a visual list of 111 alternatives for the word 'Great'. Take a look at this infographic to see 111 of the best, most creative synonyms and similar expressions for the …

great adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage …
Definition of great adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Toggle navigation

Meaning of great – Learner’s Dictionary - Cambridge Dictionary
GREAT definition: 1. very good: 2. important or famous: 3. large in amount, size, or degree: . Learn more.