My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“We need you to save this country...” – From a handwritten get well card President Reagan received after his assassination attempt in 1981.
Where in the world did Ronald Reagan come from? My own recollection of him was pretty much begins with him beating President Carter in 1980. Being just a teenager I wasn’t really aware of his history and just how close he came in 1976. This book begins at that point where he seriously challenged Gerald Ford, who was the sitting President, for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1976. Rick Perlstein also attempts to paint a broad picture of our political and cultural landscape from the depths of Watergate and the end of the Vietnam War to our nation’s bicentennial and the reshaping of conservative politics.
The books journey begins just after Nixon had defeated the hapless Democratic nominee George McGovern in a landslide reminiscent of the Republican defeat of Barry Goldwater in 1964 which is the subject of another Perlstein book. Just days later the Vietnam War ends and the POW’s soon come home. Trouble is brewing for Nixon though as the scandal about the “third-rate burglary” just keeps building. Also in trouble Vice President Spiro Agnew, a polarizing figure in his own right, who ends up resigning over bribery charges and tax evasion which brings us to Congressman Gerald Ford becoming Vice-President.
The Watergate scandal continues and then there is a battle over the White House tapes. The just weeks after Agnew resigns Nixon tries to fire the special prosecutor in what became famously known as the “Saturday Night Massacre” when Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus resigned after refusing to follow the President’s orders. Nixon faces immediate backlash politically and from the public. Even after replacing the special prosecutor an official Impeachment Inquiry is soon started by Congress. The battle for Nixon to release the tapes rages until a final battle at the Supreme Court in the summer of 74 which forces Nixon to release all tapes in question. Among these tapes is what becomes known as “The Smoking Gun” tape which incriminates Nixon lying and coordinating the Watergate cover-up. Nixon, facing a certain Impeachment and removal, instead resigns and Gerald Ford becomes President. Soon afterward in an attempt to move past Watergate President Ford pardons Nixon which would come back to haunt him.
The book does look into the lives of both Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter but the main focus is really upon Ronald Reagan. Rick dives deep into Reagan’s youth with an alcoholic father and a resilient mother. It is later as a lifeguard where he seems to find his calling as a rescuer and the attention it gathers. Thru college and then a radio announcer he develops his persona as one who is almost always looks on the positive side of events no matter what may happen. Having only modest success a Hollywood B-movie actor host of GE Theater on TV in the 50’s he then finds success as a political speaker which is brought to national attention when he gives the now famous “A Time for a Choosing” speech on television stumping for Barry Goldwater in 1964. Reagan is surprisingly elected twice as Governor of the state of California.
In the aftermath of Watergate the wheels of the country seem to get wobbly. President Ford, already damaged by pardoning Nixon, has to deal rising inflation, multiple attempts on his life and getting a reputation as a bumbler after tripping down stairs and bumping his head and among other things. So much so starts the tradition of being Presidents being caricatured on the new hip comedy skit show Saturday Night Live. Nationally there are also rising beef prices and a gas shortage erupts after war breaks out in the Middle East. In the midst of this, much to Ford’s dismay, Reagan emerges as presidential contender. Even though he did two years as California’s Governor, Reagan is still not taken seriously even in the Republican Party. Using his trademark optimism and persistence Reagan shocks the incumbent Ford right up until the Republican National Convention in the summer of 1976. Even after narrowly losing the nomination Reagan was still able to steal the show. Many thought this was his end but we now know differently.
At 856 pages or 39 hours of listening (which I did) this isn’t for faint of heart. Perlstein gets into a lot of details and can jump around on subjects or events that don’t seem be relevant at the moment. Sometimes it takes a little stepping back away from the figurative picture he’s creating to see where he’s going. It was interesting to learn more about this period and election as I’ve not seen it covered a lot. My earliest recollection of Reagan was him being elected 4 years later so it was interesting to see where he came from. It is worth the time and effort to dive into this book as it still hold relevance to the beginnings of today’s dysfunctional politics and the public's distrust of its government and politicians. I recently learned Perlstein is working on a follow up book unsurprisingly called Reaganland which I am already looking forward too.
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