In Praise Of Reagan, Communicator Extraordinaire

Fresh Air

Published February 5, 2009 at 4:55 PM EST

Historian Douglas Brinkley considers Ronald Reagan one of the top five American presidents of the 20th century.

Brinkley, who edited of The Reagan Diaries, says that it was Reagan's ability to connect with the population at large that distinguished him as a leader. In the book's introduction, Brinkley writes that Americans could see "something of themselves reflected in [Reagan] — a modern American unashamed of the nation's majesty and his own pride in time-honored traditions."

A fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, Brinkley is the author of The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

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