FINDING REAGAN

“Who is this? Why did he write this? Why should I listen to what he says?” All are fair questions many readers may have when first seeing, opening, and reading this. Who am I? More will be told in the “Personal Upbringing” chapter of this book, but succinctly I am a Midwest born and raised private citizen that was brought up in a manner where some may say, “No wonder he has these views,” while reading. However, as I got older, I began thinking for myself (as one does), and began teasing the idea of being an independent on the political spectrum. As one will read, I looked at myself as fiscally conservative, while more center socially. Then, a series of events happened. One of which being I moved to California to work in entertainment. Between breathing, seeing, hearing, and experiencing everything about this state, how it is run, and how people feel about it, along with seeing for myself how media can spin stories to fit a given narrative, I began thinking for myself without believing everything I heard at face value. Why did I write this? As the reader will see, the better question is “Why Reagan?” This just so happens to be the question my girlfriend asked me within the first month-or-so of us dating. More specifically, she asked, “Why do Republicans love Reagan so much?” Little did she know it would turn into a rabbit hole that eventually culminated into a book. Between the research done, my path of finding my voice and my own opinions, and today’s political climate – which includes comparisons of Ronald Reagan to today’s leaders, as well as various attacks or assumptions from both sides on how the 40th President of the United States would have led if he were president today – I wanted to take a crack at it and put hours, days, months, and years of research onto paper. Why should you listen to what I say? This is the trickiest of the three questions. I would not consider myself an expert. I did not major in political science at Michigan State University, nor was it my field of study for my Master’s program through Georgetown University. I have not served in a public office. I am not even sure if “should” is the right word. One, I believe, could be encouraged to read further because they may be experiencing similar troubles as I had. Wondering what is right from wrong. Wondering who to believe, who to trust, and who to do neither. Wondering how to interpret information for oneself and form one’s own opinions. It, also, helps that Reagan himself was an ordinary citizen that was not in the political profession until his 50s – no real background outside of being president of a labor union and doing speeches on the “mashed potato circuit” prior to becoming Governor of California. He did not major in political science – he majored in economics and admitted while in school he focused on getting passing grades so he could participate in extracurriculars. But, according to his aides and historians, he was a voracious reader, reading as much as five newspapers per day and one non-fiction book per week. It’s no wonder he read so much given he said in 1984, “Life involves effort and growth. You won't grow by watching a situation comedy, though you can grow by reading a book. I hope we aren't becoming a nation of watchers, because what made us great is that we've always been a nation of doers.” I wonder if many are already questioning Reagan’s intellect and what his qualifications were for President or even Governor. The reader would not be alone, that was a common critique for Reagan as he gained notoriety, and it continues to this day. Well, roughly 30% of billionaires do not even have a college degree. Abraham Lincoln was a self-taught lawyer (i.e. did not go to law school); Benjamin Franklin stopped schooling at the age of 10; George Washington stopped schooling at the age of 11. Inventors and entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, and John D. Rockefeller never went to, or finished, higher education. This is not to say that education does not matter. It is to say that self-improvement, self-development, and self-teaching does. How one spends their free time says a lot about a person. And it spoke volumes for Reagan. So much so that he became “The Great Communicator” who communicated great things. Things that the people wanted, and wanted to hear. The result of Reagan’s countless hours reading? He became one of the most influential leaders in our nation’s history. None of this is to say that I will follow in his footsteps or that everyone should immediately agree with my findings, research, or thoughts. Or even that reading as much as Reagan means one will find themselves in the Oval Office in their future. Rather, if a book such as this helps readers gain a voice of their own, opinions of their own, as well as research and read more on their own, then I think that is a success in-and-of itself. It also would not hurt for readers to gain a newfound love and appreciation for America, Reagan, and ourselves for just how much we are capable of, how far we have come, and how far we can still go.