I'm enthralled by the character of men and women who can poke fun at themselves and not be mean to others. President Reagan had a style of graciousness with others and never took himself seriously.
Issues, Yes. himself? No.
In his autobigraphy, " An American Life", Ronald Reagan wrote of his 1976 nomination defeat to sitting-President Gerald Ford: " The votes of 1,140 delegates were needed to win the nomination. As the convention approached, the competition for delegates was nip and tuck and I came under pressure, especially from my more conservative supporters, to go on the attack agaisnt Ford. I refused to attack Ford personally."
He lost the nomination. Won it 4 years later and , along with Harry Truman, remains a favorite example for aspiring Presidential candidates of both Parties for strength, grace, laughter and confidence. We could use a lot of that right now - on all levels.
Den
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