Reagan: The Greatest
by Jeff Crouere

I will concede that Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Roosevelt were excellent presidents. However, the nation's greatest president died when Ronald Reagan's ten-year struggle with Alzheimer's disease mercifully ended. His suffering is finally over and now is the time to remember a wonderful man and tremendous leader. It is fitting to see such an outpouring of support for Reagan, even Democrats like Ted Kennedy and John Kerry have been effusive with their praise of the 40th President. Yet, when you consider Reagan's outstanding accomplishments, it is hard not to acknowledge his greatness. Tens of thousands of Americans paid their final respects to President Reagan, a testament to the fact that he touched the heart of our country.

Reagan came to politics late in life, after years in Hollywood as an actor, product spokesman and union leader. However, once he entered the national political arena in 1964 campaigning on behalf of Republican Presidential nominee Barry Goldwater, American politics was never the same.

Reagan was elected Governor of California in 1966 and served two successful terms as Chief executive of one of the country's most diverse and challenging states. Reagan ran for President in 1976, when he challenged President Gerald Ford for the GOP nomination. Reagan made a valiant effort and came very close to defeating a sitting President. He finally succeeded in 1980 when he overwhelmingly defeated President Jimmy Carter.

Reagan inherited a disaster both domestically and internationally. Our nation's economy was struggling with high interest rates at 18.9%, a high unemployment rate of 7.6%, out-of-control inflation at 13.5% and stagnant real median family income. Reagan aptly termed these economic statistics "the misery index" because they caused untold problems for millions of Americans. To combat this catastrophe, Reagan had four major solutions: a) cut tax rates b) institute regulatory reform c) slow federal spending d) stable monetary policy.

Overall, Reagan's plan for our economy was a masterful success. When Reagan took office, the top marginal tax rate was 70%. By the time he finished his second term, the top tax rate was only 28%. His policies resulted in strong economic growth of 3.2%, 15% higher than in the Ford-Carter era, and the creation of 19 million new jobs. Overall, his economic plan was a triumph, as when he left office, interest rates had declined to 8.2%, inflation fell to 4.1%, the unemployment rate decreased to 5.5% and real median family income grew by $4,000. Incredibly, the stock market tripled in value during the Reagan years, which added to the net worth of millions of American citizens.

Ronald Reagan also brought relief to the American armed forces. Before he took office, morale in the military was extremely low. Americans were being held captive in Iran and a military mission to rescue them failed disastrously. The Soviets were expanding their evil empire in Afghanistan, Central America and throughout the world. Immediately after Reagan took office, things started improving. The hostages were released, as their captors did not want to face a strong leader in the White House. Reagan started building up our armed forces and restored pride to the ranks of the military. He struck back against communists in Nicaragua and Afghanistan by supporting freedom fighters. He liberated Grenada and for the first time the United States was able to roll back a Communist beachhead. He bombed Libya after that country sponsored a terrorist attack against Americans in Germany. Because of Reagan's strong build-up, the Soviets came back to the bargaining table and the two countries were able to sign significant arms control agreements during Reagan's second term. Most importantly, the Iron Curtain fell, largely due to the fact that the Soviet Union was not able to compete with the American military increases under Reagan. So, thanks to Ronald Reagan, one of the most evil ideologies the world has ever known collapsed and millions of people tasted freedom for the first time.

Reagan was able to succeed as President because he had strong convictions and was able to convey his conservative principles to the American people. He was termed "The Great Communicator" and helped Americans feel proud about their country after the debacles of Vietnam and Watergate. Quite often, Reagan was able to talk directly to the American people who then contacted their congressmen for legislation Reagan advocated. Reagan did not back down in the face of criticism, but, instead, worked to spread his message across the country. It succeeded because of Reagan's great appeal and skill, but also because he shared a special bond with the American people. People could sense Reagan's honesty and integrity and wanted to join with him to turn this country around.

History has treated the Reagan presidency kindly because it is difficult to argue with his success. Reagan was confident in his abilities and optimistic about the American people. He conveyed that optimism effectively and was able to lead our country through very troubled times. He not only was able to create a booming economy for Americans, but he also helped make this country and the world a safer place.

Because of his success, the American public regards the Reagan presidency very highly. A recent Gallup poll ranked Ronald Reagan as our nation's greatest president. The poll is correct because no other American leader has faced such perilous times in the world and economic distress in our country. When Reagan took office, American morale and spirit was low, in fact it was in a "malaise" according to President Carter. America was dispirited, the Soviets were expanding at an aggressive rate. Our military was in shambles and the world faced the terrifying prospect of nuclear annihilation. Our economy was in trouble and some economists were saying it could never be turned around.

Well, along came Ronald Reagan with his sunny optimism and bold plans and his unshakeable faith in the American people. He uplifted our country, dramatically improved our military, revived our economy and changed the world for the better. He won the Cold War and brought down the Iron Curtain "without firing a shot." His stunning record will look even better to the eyes of history.

Jeff Crouere is a native of New Orleans, LA and his Louisiana based program, Ringside Politics, airs from noon to 2 p.m. weekdays on WTIX 690 AM radio and at 8:30 p.m. Friday and 10:30 p.m. Sunday on WLAE-TV Channel 32. His Web site is at www.ringsidepolitics.com.