Dartblog

Grant Bosse ‘94, suffused as we all are with the spirit of the democratic process now spread before us, emails in the following on the occasion of Ronald Reagan’s birthday:

Today would have been Ronald Reagan’s 97th birthday. When I first wrote about Reagan’s legacy over a decade ago, conventional wisdom held that the Gipper was an affable and charming leader; the Great Communicator, who used his skills as an actor to guide America through the upbeat 80s. I argued at the time that Reagan’s legacy had more to do with his substance than his style; more to do with his ideas and conviction than with his warmth and humor. Now, nearly twenty years removed from Reagan’s time in office, history has taken note of his greatness.

I’m gratified that Ronald Wilson Reagan’s place in history has grown over the years, because I’m a bit biased. I’ve been a Reagan fan since I was seven. I got the afternoon off from school to go see the former Governor of California at a campaign stop in downtown Hillsboro. (Growing up around the first-in-the-nation primary has its perks.) I remember shaking the hand of the man who would be one of America’s greatest presidents. In fact, the campaign poster he signed for me that day has followed me from job to job over the past fifteen years, slightly faded over the years, but still inspiring.

I remember the anecdotes; asking the doctors who were poised to extract a would-be assassin’s bullet if they were all Republicans, and later telling Nancy that he forgot to duck; promising Walter Mondale not to use his opponent’s youth and inexperience against him; and reminding Nashua Telegraph Editor Jon Breen that “I paid for this microphone.” But on his birthday, and as we head into this election season, I hope we remember the core values that Ronald Reagan promoted, and the strength of character he showed by sticking to them.

Mr. Bosse is also, to my complete contentment, considering running for Congress as a representative for the second district of the State of New Hampshire. We will keep you updated on his progress here.