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The Gipper Makes History Again
By Mike Bayham
February 7, 2002

One of the nation's most obscure holidays has to be President's Day.  The holiday was created by Congress in 1968 to consolidate Washington and Lincoln's birthdays into one holiday and while paying homage the great and the not so great occupants of the oval office.  Because of this streamlining historical giants like the aforementioned are now "honored" on the same day as Taylor, Tyler, Hayes and William Henry Harrison who lasted thirty days.

There are many reasons why the people in the latter group will only have their names uttered during Trivial Pursuit games.  Some presidents presided during times of relative peace and stability so drastic measures that can either make a president famous or infamous were not enacted.  And then there were those who stood at a political crucible and failed to stand up to the test before them.

Of the 43 men to hold the office of the presidency, less than a third will be appreciated or remembered long after their death.  Of these great presidents there are two types.  The first group consists of those who accomplished great deeds before becoming president and managed to enjoy as much success while president.  In this group there are only three individuals: American Revolution General George Washington, Declaration of Independence author Thomas Jefferson, and Hero of the Battle of New Orleans Andrew Jackson.

In most cases a president is defined not by their previous careers but by the events that took place during their administration and the manner in which they addressed them.  This class includes fairly non-distinguished men that went on to become great presidents such as Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Included in this category of course is Ronald Reagan, a man who made national and world history during his eight years in office and has continued to do so to this very day.

On February 6th, Ronald Wilson Reagan became the first president to turn 91 years old.  Several months before, Reagan became the oldest president ever when he surpassed second President John Adams who had died when he was 90 years 247 days old.

Winning One for the Gipper; Losing One To The Tripper

Though Bill Clinton deserves recognition for being able to politically endure, either from a strong constitution or a lack of shame, the plethora of scandals that have stained his legacy, Ronald Reagan possessed the political and physical endurance to make it to the White House and leave to leave it on his own two feet.

When Reagan engaged in his maiden run for political office, he was derided as a political lightweight that would not stand a prayer against California Governor Pat Brown, who had vanquished former Vice-president Richard Nixon in a gubernatorial race four years before.  Though hammered unmercifully by Brown's Democratic machine, whose tactics including a comparison of Reagan to Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth because both were actors, Reagan prevailed in the 1966 governors contest. 

Ten years later Reagan launched his second bid for the Republican nomination (his first attempt was a failed move to deny Nixon the nomination in 1968) by challenging incumbent Gerald Ford.  Things did not look that bad for Reagan's insurgent campaign until Ford won a string of early contests that made his bid look Quixotic.  Despite calls from supporters that the election was over, Reagan stuck to his guns and went on to beat the President in a good number of delegate contests and came within 60 votes of wresting the nomination away from Ford.   

It was because of his strong showing in his unsuccessful campaign against Ford that made him the clear frontrunner for the 1980 GOP nomination.

Mortal Man; Immortal Legacy

Since 1994, former President Reagan has suffered greatly from Alzheimer's disease, yet his physical endurance over the years is truly remarkable.  After all it was 21 years ago when Reagan was almost killed by an assassin's bullet.  The former president also had to enter the hospital several times since then for other surgeries including his latest to repair a broken hip.

Reagan's age was an issue in his two successful presidential campaigns.  When he ran against Jimmy Carter in 1980, the opposition cited that he would be 69 years old when he took the oath of office, only a year younger than Eisenhower was when he was ending his last year in the White House.  The oldest president inaugurated before Reagan was 68 year old William Henry Harrison who lasted only a month. 

But being the embodiment of the adage that one is only as old as he feels, Reagan ran an energetic campaign and consistently came off as charismatic and lively.  After a disappointing performance in a debate with Democratic nominee Walter Mondale, Reagan rebounded in the next one when he deflected the age question with his now famous quip "I'm not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience."

Liberals to this day continue to poke at the rumored naps Reagan would take during cabinet meetings and his lax management style.  However when comparing the results of notorious micromanager Jimmy Carter's administration with that of Reagan's, one might believe the Georgia Democrat should have traded Cyrus Vance and his economic advisers for a hammock and sleeping pills.

While the accuracy of Reagan's supposed laziness is in question, there is no doubt about his effectiveness.  Ronald Reagan's legacy includes the taming of inflation, the restoration of our national stature at home and across the globe, having the courage to fight for domestic measures that would lead to the unprecedented expansion of America's economy, and finally not just outliving the Soviet Union but delivering the fatal blow that wiped it off the map without nuclear holocaust.  Not bad work for a senior citizen.

Happy Birthday Mr. President.