`COWBOY' REAGAN CHARMS CAPE CROWD (10 YEARS AGO)

Thursday, Sept. 15, 1988; page 1

Reprinted from the Southeast Missourian.

President Ronald Reagan received rave reviews from most who attended Wednesday's historic visit to Cape Girardeau.

Whether standing along the motorcade route for a glimpse, seated in the Show Me Center for his speech, or one of the handful who actually met Reagan, everyone seemed excited about having the president of the United States in the city.

For most, it was their first chance to see a sitting president in person.

A total of 7,718 people -- including the news media, university band, cheerleaders and the Sundancers -- crowded into the Show Me Center to hear the president's speech.

About 400 more watched the speech on closed-circuit television in the Student Recreation Center, adjacent to the Show Me Center. The speech was also broadcast live by several television stations.

"I thought he was very impressive," observed Brad Haertling, a Southeast student from Cape Girardeau. Haertling liked the president's ability to tell stories and anecdotes, varying from the text of his speech.

"You can see why people love him. He just puts people at ease," remarked Cape County Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep, who coordinated the Republican-sponsor reception and spent about 20 minutes with Reagan.

"For the brief time I was with him I could tell this man has a magnetic personality. It is just hard to describe. He's very down to earth and puts anyone he comes into contact with at ease," added Huckstep. "He has a lot of charisma."

Rep. Mary Kasten, who has been with the president several times at other events, joined Reagan on stage. "I'm just bursting with pride about everyone being here," declared Kasten, a visit she attributed to Congressman Bill Emerson's relationship with the president.

"This was an organizational nightmare, but it all turned out so beautifully."

Air Force One landed at the Cape Girardeau airport at 11:35 a.m. Wednesday, and the pilot reportedly said it was one of the smoothest runways he had landed on.

Southeast president Bill Stacy served as Reagan's host and escort from the time the president arrived by motorcade at the Show Me Center until he departed.

Stacy accompanied the president during two receptions held at the Show Me Center -- one for GOP contributors and another for a select group of University Foundation members.

Rep. R.B. Grisham, of Cabool, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, was part of Reagan's welcoming party at the Cape airport.

Grisham agreed with Kasten that Reagan's visit should help Republican candidates in Southeast Missouri. "I should think it would help. President Reagan is a beloved president," declared Grisham.

"It will create more enthusiasm and excitement than ever and will show people of Southeast Missouri that this is a party that cares," said Grisham, who attributes his winning the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor to his support in the 8th district.

Grisham also pointed out that based on meetings he has attended, it is his belief that Vice President George Bush and possibly Sen. Dan Quayle will be coming into the area. Carol Stroder, a Southeast student from Jackson called the Reagan event "neat and exciting." As a voter, Stroder said she is interested in someone who will do the job right but considers herself more of a Democrat than a Republican.

Will Reagan's appearance sway her toward Republican candidates this year? "Maybe a little," she said.

Jason Coleman and David Thomas were among the area public school students who were lucky enough to be chosen to attend the speech. While their Jefferson School classmates were spending nearly two and a half hours along William Street hoping for a glimpse of Reagan as his motorcade drove by, they were seated comfortably in the Show-Me Center.

"I thought it was interesting," said Thomas, a sixth grade student. "It was a good experience. I liked it."

Coleman, a fifth grader, said he attended because he was chosen to receive one of the school's tickets. He planned to go back and tell his classmates what the president had to say.

Jim Hickam, a Jefferson School teacher who recalled seeing former President Harry Truman when he visited Cape Girardeau 25 years ago, said Reagan's speech was not as political as he thought it would be. "I think the president tried to stress his case of what he has done the last eight years and let the crowd draw their own conclusions."

Dan Muser, of Cape Girardeau, was one of the several thousand people along the motorcade route who watched the president.

"I saw him when he went by, but you had to be quick and had to be looking," said Muser. He noted that Reagan was clearly visible, waving to the crowd. "Everyone was very enthusiastic and excited. I thing everyone felt it was worth their while to stand out there."

Muser also observed that most of the people along the motorcade route were a lot closer to Reagan. ~"If closeness counts, most of them were closer than those at the Show-Me Center," said Muser, "even if for a fleeting period of time."

The president took the stage at 12:23 p.m. to the strains of "Hail to the Chief" played by the Southeast Missouri University Golden Eagles Marching Band, a standing ovation of deafening applause and chants of "Reagan, Reagan."

Stumping for GOP presidential candidate George Bush and his running mate J. Danforth Quayle, the president lashed out at the Democratic Party's "policies of liberalism" before a wildly cheering crowd of over 7,000 people at the Show Me Center Wednesday.

"Ultimately, the choice before the American people is the choice between two visions," said Reagan.

"On the one hand, the policies of limited government, economic growth, a strong defense, a firm foreign policy; and, on the other hand, policies of tax and spend, economic stagnation, international weakness and accommodation, and always, always, `Blame America First.'"

Reagan told the enthusiastic crowd that the choice in this election year is between "the policies of liberalism or the policies of America's political mainstream."

Reagan, noting that he was a former Democrat, said there is a big difference between the "rank and file Democrats and the liberal leadership in Washington."

He charged the Democratic leadership "has turned a once proud party of hope and affirmation into one dominated by strident liberalism and negativism."

University students on the arena floor waved "Bush-Quayle" signs.

Some of the loudest cheering came when Reagan, referring to Southeast Missouri University sports teams, quipped "this fall, there will be at least one cowboy who will be rooting for the Indians."

Dr. Peter Bergerson, chairman of the political science department at Southeast, called it "a vintage Ronald Reagan speech; masterfully delivered to an extremely receptive audience. He has not lost a bit of his campaign ability to deliver an effective speech. Judging from the reaction of the crowd, I would say he hit a home run."

Bergerson believes Republican candidates, particularly Emerson, will be helped by Reagan's visit here. Bergerson said he believes the president came to Cape to help Emerson because during eight years in office, Emerson has voted with Reagan about 90 percent of the time.

And, what did Reagan thing of the crowd?

"I think he was very touched by the whole thing and delighted," said Southeast Missouri University's Executive Vice President Robert Foster, who along with Mayor Pro Tem David Limbaugh had the honor of bidding the President farewell at the airport.

Foster said the president's staff indicated they were pleased with the event and felt it was "above average."

Henry Sessoms, chairman of the English department at the university, told the St. Louis Post Dispatch, "This is the biggest event we've ever had. For the Republicans, it's a political event; for the rest of us, it's an historic event.

"Most of the faculty are Democrats," he said. "I've never voted for a Republican in my life."