05 February 2011

Reagan @ 100 ~ Communicating Great Things...

Peggy Noonan declares in the WSJ about Ronald Reagan at 100...
"He didn't see himself as "the great communicator." It was so famous a moniker that he could do nothing but graciously accept the compliment, but he well understood it was bestowed in part by foes and in part to undercut the seriousness of his philosophy: "It's not what he says, it's how he says it." He answered in his farewell address: "I never thought it was my style or the words I used that made a difference: it was the content. I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things."
This is a notion contemporary leadership might clue in to. Imagine if unequivocal statements were made today to China, Saudi, Israel, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Iran and others with the same moral fervor and righteousness of these immortal words...
"General Secretary Gorbachev... tear down this wall!"

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