10 Critical Lessons from the Gipper

When times get really tough, I occasionally find myself longing for the days when Ronald Wilson Reagan occupied the Oval Office. His two-term tenure was a period of American ascendency and prosperity… and a welcome relief from the debacle of the Carter administration.

(Sounds a little like the Trump presidency after eight years of Obama-Biden, but I digress…)

Spurred by the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 and the Tax Reform Act of 1986, America’s economy boomed under Reagan. Meanwhile, our once-depleted military was rebuilt from the ground up, leading to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union and the liberation of eastern Europe.

Yes, it truly was “Morning in America”.

And so, a little wistfully, I invite you to take a nostalgic walk down memory lane with me – while, at the same time, learning and applying some valuable lessons from the Gipper that would serve politicians and their constituents well today.

1. Real Americans are eternal optimists. Ronald Reagan, who experienced the lows of the Great Depression, the trials of World War II, the uncertainty of the Cold War, and the social upheaval of the Sixties, understood this fact and it fit his personality to a tee. Americans – tired of Vietnam, Watergate, the Iran hostage crisis, and Jimmy Carter’s malaise – adopted Reagan’s sunny-side-up approach to life like a hand in a glove and we were all better for it. So, let’s keep our chins up and our outlook bright. After all, America’s glass is half-full, not half-empty… and someday soon it may be overflowing once again.

2. People willingly follow leaders who know where they are going. Did every American agree with Reagan’s arch-conservatism? Hardly. However, they saw two important characteristics in our 40th president. First, he had core convictions that weren’t impacted or influenced by politics and poll numbers; and second, he was a “man with a plan”. And so, even some liberals voted for him, at least enough to give him the greatest re-election mandate in U.S. history.

3. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Ronald Reagan had a way of speaking hard truths with a smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eye. You may not have agreed with the Gipper on every issue, but it was almost impossible to dislike him. Just ask Tip O’Neill, the liberal Speaker of the House during most of Reagan’s two terms in office. Somehow, a Goldwater Republican and a Roosevelt Democrat became friends – and occasionally political allies. Hail to the Irish!

4. Perfect is the enemy of good. Attributed to Voltaire, this maxim would be best memorized by Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, Chuck Schumer, and Mitch McConnell alike. It should also be engraved on the walls of the Capitol rotunda and in both the House and the Senate chambers. Reagan famously said that, “The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally – not a 20 percent traitor.” Oh, that our elected officials would realize that there is no shame in compromising on policies as long as you don’t compromise on principles.

5. Spread the credit around, not the blame. Both Harry S. Truman and UCLA basketball coach John Wooden are credited with saying that, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.” Under President Obama, the GOP was sometimes hesitant to pass legislation that would paint him in a positive light. Now, the Democrat majority is even more opposed to handing President Trump a legislative victory. In order to find some degree of common ground, everyone must be portrayed as equal partners – and receive equal credit – in the press.

6. Reagan mastered the Art of the Deal. Donald Trump’s 1987 bestseller may as well have been ghostwritten by President Reagan. After all, he played Mikhail Gorbachev like a fiddle, alternately bluffing and betting “all in” in the arms race that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. As the saying goes, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” In other words, every president needs to have a little Michael Corleone in him.

7. Proper communication is key. Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda, was infamous for saying that, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” On the flip side, if you articulate a vision or a position clearly, consistently, and passionately, you can sway people and win most any argument, election, or legislative battle. There was a reason why Reagan was nicknamed “The Great Communicator”. He kept his messages simple and to the point. Perhaps his governing philosophy was best summarized by his remark that, “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.”

8. Self-effacing humor disarms the opposition and solidifies your support. No chief executive in American history used self-effacing humor more often or more effectively than the Gipper. Whether it was his off-the-cuff debate joke about Walter Mondale’s “youth and inexperience” that quieted concerns about his age and cognitive abilities or his instruction to his staff to “No matter what time it is, wake me, even if it's in the middle of a Cabinet meeting”, Reagan’s quick wit was a real key to his political success from Sacramento to Washington D.C.

9. Have thick skin, but remember to wear your heart on your sleeve. In politics, winning 60% of the vote is considered a landslide victory. But that also means that 40% of the electorate voted against you… and will probably continue to oppose your agenda. So, get used to being raked over the coals by the media, John Q. Public, or whomever. Take it all in stride and don’t let them see you sweat. However, be sure to let them catch glimpses of the “real” you. You know, the one who holds hands with Nancy, chops wood, rides horses, and keeps a jar of jellybeans on his desk. It’s much harder to attack and demonize someone who pets his dog.

10. Always leave them wanting more. Whether it is the State of the Union Address or a presidential press conference, brevity is the key. State your case… and go home. And if reporters keep hollering questions, cup your ear and pretend you can’t hear because of the helicopter noise (even if Marine One is nowhere to be found). In other words, be like Sandy Koufax and go out on top – which is why I am stopping at #10.