Ronald Reagan

It should be no surprise that Ronald Reagan is regarded as one of the best presidents of the 20th century, but to millions of Americans the Reagan presidency was something of an unexpected turn for the best.

It's the kind of surprise that leaves you filled with pride, patriotism and a sense of strength -- all of which are essential for a prosperous nation.

When asked early in his political career to name the president he admired the most, he quickly named Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Democrat whose New Deal brought America through the Great Depression. This was no contradiction. Ronald Reagan looked for the best in everyone, and he found the ideals of a great leader in FDR, who was able to unite a country besieged by economic turmoil, unemployment and drought. In short, FDR and Reagan were both leaders who tapped the inner strength of the people to make life better and to overcome tremendous obstacles.

Reagan's first brush with politics was as a liberal Democrat. But he shifted to a conservative Republican philosophy over time, eventually being persuaded to run for governor of California instead of just campaigning for others. His two terms in the governor's mansion paved the road to the White House.

During his eight years in Washington, Reagan espoused a simple but effective plan for the nation he so dearly loved. His forthright tactics worked. The economy rebounded. The Berlin Wall came down. The Soviet empire collapsed. The Cold War ended.

Just as Reagan could admire the FDR presidency, Democrats found much to admire in Reagan, even if they were philosophically opposed to many of his ideas. But, as David Broder acknowledges elsewhere on this page, Reagan was the Great Persuader. He managed to get things done in a way so that, in the end, everyone could nod in agreement and say it was the right thing to do.

Perhaps no Reagan legacy, however, is more precious than his 50-plus-year marriage to and abiding love for his wife, Nancy. In a nation besieged by challenges to the foundations of the institution of marriage, Ronald and Nancy Reagan remained steadfast symbols of all that is good about traditional values.

Reagan was an eloquent speaker who was most comfortable with a script. But so many of his utterances are etched in our collective memories:

"There you go again."

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."

"Win one for the Gipper."

"Dear First Lady, I love you."

As the nation mourns President Reagan's death, there will be ample time to reflect on our own lives and how they have been changed for the better because of a man who, days away from his 70th birthday, became the leader of the free world.