Reagan Diaries - a great Primer
I really enjoyed reading this book. It's a wonderful study of the every-day life of our President. It would make a great college text for a Political Science Course re HIstory of Presidential Politics, or Presidential Politics etc. I was surprised at how my perception of Reagan changed after reading the bk. I had thought of Reagan as a Ceremonial Figurehead beholden to his wealthy "kitchen-cabinet" i.e. an Oligarchy.
The bk. relates just how engaged Ronald Reagan was in his job. I came away from the Diary a lot more respectful of the man. I really admire his integrity and especially his consistancy. Reagan never tried to be anything but "who he was". He never tried to please everybody; yet he was always respectful of the fact that he was an elected servant of the people. He seldom complained about petty stuff; he tried to remain upbeat throughout hs challenges. The Diary demonstrates the President's candor in terms of the way he evaluted his friends and enemies. He was especially frustrated w/house speaker Tip O'Neil, while in public they appeared to be the greatest of friends.
During Reagan's term in office, I remember the tabloid stories about how he and Mrs. Reagan had dysfunctional relationship with their children. I don't doubt that there were problems. I did read Patty Davi's roman a clef, as well as other family narratives. I thought of the Reagans as being very cold to their children. Seldom seeing any of their family at W.H., not even at Holidays. The Diary reveals that the President was very emotionally involved w/his kids. He rec'd regular visits from his daughter Maureen.regularly. During the holidays at least of their children, plus their spouses + kids, would celebrate with their parents. Reagan kept a sense of humor in dealing w/his children. I have a very different concept of Ronald Reagan as husband and father after reading this book.
In terms of foreign policy, the President relates only the basics of his meetings w/other heads of state. I assume this had to do w/security issues that might exist to this very day. Indeed, it's interesting to read this Diary, which was started back in 1980's & note we are still involved in some of the same conflicts Reagan discusses.
For people who are looking for spicy, hot gossip; they really won't find it here. Reagan does not reveal much about the personalities of his W.H. staff, foreign leaders, or our own congress-reps. He was a very discreet person; he was not interested in knowing about the overly personal lives of his friends or peers. The Diary's strength lies in presenting a wonderful picture of just how our President functions in day-to-day activites in the W.H. You learn about the ceremonial aspects of the Presidency as well as the legislative issues.
My impression of Reagan after reading the Diary: He was a very good man. A very fair person. His accomplisments in bringing down the Berlin Wall, and great Reforms within the Soviet Union should not be minimized. He was proud, he loved hearing applause, and he appreciated the affection of his citizens.
He was very devoted to his wife, so devoted that he hated to spend one night in the W.H. without her. (The Diary reveals that the First Lady liked to get away from the W.H. for long weekends, granted she did have a sick parent in AZ, and an ambitious Anti-Drug Campaign (Just Say No).
Reagan was a conservative through & through, but he was not a mean, selfish man. I could not detect anything sadistic about him. He believed people need to lift themselves up by their own bootstraps. Indeed, our failure with the Great Society of the 1960's might bear this out. It seems certain sub-cultures within American Poverty, just don't get better ,in spite of all the government money thrown at them.
Regardless of how the reader might feel about Ronald Reagan, this is an invaluable book to read. The reader will close the book lots more knowlegable about how the American Presidency worked (at least during the 1980s)..
