Ronald Reagan’s legacy remains 20 years after his death

NewsNation) — Twenty years after his death, Ronald Reagan’s legacy as America’s 40th president remains multifaceted and tied to a straight-talking leader who was tasked with leading a nation through difficult economic times while also working internationally to end the Cold War and other global problems. crises.

Reagan, who died in 2004 at 93 years old, he is seen as the Great Communicator and a tough negotiator who was willing to meet the other side halfway as a means of serving the greater good, without ever backing down from a fight.

His eight years in the White House were marked by a series of victories and setbacks, both on the foreign and domestic front; almost all of this was accomplished after a gunman attempted to take Reagan’s life in an assassination less than two months into his term as president.

But two decades after his death and with the nation sharply divided politically and socially, Reagan continues to be remembered in countless ways by those on both sides of the polarizing political divide – a divide the actor-turned-commander-in-chief has always felt. he was. trying to assemble.

How an assassination attempt affected Reagan

The 1981 attempt on Reagan’s life by John Hinkley Jr. served not only as a crucial turning point for the president personally, but also to define what he was able to accomplish during his tenure as leader of the free world. .

After spending 12 days in the hospital after being injured in the shooting, Reagan became convinced that his life was spared so that he could pursue peace by ending the communist threat and nuclear proliferation during the Cold War.

“Perhaps coming so close to death made me feel that I should do everything I could in the years God gave me to reduce the threat of nuclear war,” he wrote in his autobiography, “An American Life.”

How Reagan governed with commitment

Historians say that although Reagan’s life was spared, the failed assassination attempt led both Reagan’s Republican and Democratic colleagues to look at the president with compassion and empathy.

However, regardless of one’s political allegiances, Reagan’s overtures across the political aisle were received more favorably due to his reputation for acting civilly.

Tasked with fixing America’s economy while pressuring the government to reduce federal spending, Reagan liked to tell Chief of Staff James Baker that he would “rather get 80 percent of what he wanted than fall off a cliff with the flag flying.” hoisted.”

Although his methods did not always achieve what he hoped, the means he used to convey his message were never forgotten.

“I think that spirit of improvement was part of Reagan’s appeal, and he meant it,” said George Will, senior political contributor at NewsNation.

Ronald and Nancy: a genuine love story

Although Reagan’s relationships with former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and former US House Speaker “Tip” O’Neill have been well documented and help tell the story of his presidency, they could never be viewed in terms like his bond with his wife, Nanci.

When the two embarked on the White House, they faced intense scrutiny in the public eye, but their support for each other never wavered.

Nancy Reagan became known as her husband’s most trusted advisor and supporter, a role he reciprocated to her.

“Ronald Reagan was a very friendly man with a friend and he married her,” Will said.

How Reagan Ended the Cold War

As historians and political experts continue to consider Reagan’s presidency, his role in ending the Cold War is at the top of his list of accomplishments.

While his predecessors in the White House spoke in terms of managing the Cold War, Reagan made it clear, in unequivocal terms, that he would be fundamental to ending it.

Although the Cold War never led to direct armed conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, each superpower supported the armed struggles of pro-communist or pro-democratic groups in other parts of the world, such as Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East. East. East.

“I decided that we had to send as powerful a message as possible to the Russians that we would no longer stand by while they armed and financed terrorists and subverted democratic governments,” Regan wrote in his book. autobiography.