June 27, 2008

Where are the Bush Democrats?

By Paul Kengor
"The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He's the one who gets the people to do the greatest things. And that's what's lacking now."  -Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan made that remark in a 1975 interview with Mike Wallace of "60 Minutes." The interview has been largely forgotten, and was brought to my attention by the good folks at the Reagan Ranch Center / Young America's Foundation, which runs the Reagan Ranch near Santa Barbara, California, where this interview took place. Observing the uninspiring presidential leadership of moderate Republican Gerald Ford, Reagan explained to Wallace the need for effective communication. He evoked FDR's fireside chats -- not to mention a harbinger of his own presidency:  "He [FDR] took his case to the people, and he enlightened the people, and the people made Congress feel the heat."While the interview has slipped through the cracks of history, these words of...(Read Full Article)