SarahNET

Ronald Reagan was born 99 years ago today--and boy, is he missed! Americans are crying out for the common sense conservatism he embodied. We're gravitating toward those leaders who share those priciples while voting out those who do not.

Burt Folson wrote an article for Big Government called "Why Was Ronald Reagan the Greatest President of the 20th Century?" He stated:

Reagan had three parts to his genius. First, he was a visionary; he believed that people wanted freedom and would do well when more of it was given to them.

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Second, Reagan had character, and in the eyes of America’s Founders, character was a necessary ingredient for greatness. Reagan stood for a set of ideas, and when trouble came he looked not to polls, but instead he applied courage, kindness, and persistence to achieve his ends.

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Third, Reagan was teachable. That trait was essential. If one has vision and character, he must also be teachable to make his life flow in a constructive direction.

Publius, also of Big Government, chimed in with this:

Today, in 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in rural Illinois. He’s the kind of leader who ordinarily comes along only once in a life-time. We’re hoping we can beat those odds.

Now, we have all heard the President Reagan-Governor Palin comparisons. I've heard such things as "If Ronald Reagan is the mind of conservatism, Sarah Palin is the heart" and "Sarah Palin is Ronald Reagan in a skirt."

The governor surely exemplifies the characteristics Folson presents. It is her vision for the nation's purpose and potential that Americans have embraced. Her character rained down upon her the ire of the good old boys in the state of Alaska, while granting her the respect of those on the right side of ethics and reform. Her willingness and ability to continue learning and evolving have awarded her the reputation of being the quick study that she is. The similarities are obvious.

I'm currently reading Rendezvous with Destiny: Ronald Reagan and the Campaign That Changed America by Craig Shirley. Nothing has illustrated the Reaganesque Palin to me more than this book. I plan to provide an essay on this when I've completed it.

It may be too early to say for sure how it will all unfold, but I'm leaning toward telling Publius we've beaten the odds.