Ronald Reagan's First Epiphany

    Ronald Reagan recognized that all three branches of the federal government were acting outside the Constitution and that there was no effective political opposition to the left. Further, he recognized that only We the people could take back the unconstitutional powers that government had usurped. And lastly, Reagan realized that only someone with his communication skills could effectively use the bully-pulpit to present the argument to the people in a way that would achieve the desired results. Reagan's epiphany was that if he didn't do it, it was unlikely to happen at all.

    It is probably safe to say that most Americans that have ever entertained any fantasies about becoming President quickly wrote off any serious consideration because of the life-altering requirements that go with such aspirations. Ronald Reagan enthusiastically accepted these requirements and then efficiently set out to obtain the goal he had set for himself. Reagan recognized that nobody else was getting the job done nor was there anybody evident who could do it as well or as quickly as he could. He did it with conviction and without any apparent doubt. From his words and actions it would be hard to imagine that Ronald Reagan did not believe that his destiny and America's future were linked and both under the guidance of the Divine Hand of Providence.

    Not long after Gorbachev rose to power, Reagan had a second epiphany. He recognized that he could set the wheels in motion that would destabilize the Soviet Union and that he could profoundly reduce the threat of nuclear armageddon by ending the insane policy of MAD. This became the focus of his second term leaving the task of cutting the size of government and its socialistic programs unfinished. Having set his priorities, President Reagan decided to rely on his successors to deal with the problem of big government socialism.

    If any conservative ever wished to question Reagan's judgment, his decision to retain Vice President Bush as his running mate for his second term would be the starting point. Long after no one remembers anything about the 1990 budget deal, everybody will remember one of the most unforgettable political mistakes in history, "Read my lips..." Ronald Reagan wasted no time. He quickly corrected his own mistake.