Obama, GOP-ers honor Reagan
Reagan’s strength, Obama wrote, was in bringing together Americans of all stripes under the banner of patriotism.Reagan “understood that it is always ‘Morning in America,’” Obama wrote. “We are all patriots who put the welfare of our fellow citizens above all else.”
Reagan “was a believer,” Obama wrote, seeing “that each of us has the power — as individuals and as a nation — to shape our own destiny. He had faith in the American promise, in the importance of reaffirming values like hard work and personal responsibility and in his own unique ability to inspire others to greatness.”
Obama also wrote of Reagan’s willingness to work with his political foes, something the current president has tried to do with varying levels of success.
“No matter what political disagreements you may have had with President Reagan — and I certainly had my share — there is no denying his leadership in the world or his gift for communicating his vision for America,” Obama wrote.
Though Reagan acknowledged that “conflicts between parties and political adversaries were inevitable, he also knew that they would never be strong enough to break the ties that bind us together,” Obama said.
“He understood that, while we may see the world differently and hold different opinions about what’s best for our country, the fact remains that we are all patriots who put the welfare of our fellow citizens above all else.”
On issues including Social Security, taxes and national security, Obama said Reagan sought to find common ground with Democrats and foreign leaders.
More significant than those individual accomplishments might be “the sense of confidence and optimism President Reagan never failed to communicate to the American people,” Obama said.
“It was a spirit that transcended the most heated political arguments and one that called each of us to believe that tomorrow will be better than today,” he wrote. “At a time when our nation was going through an extremely difficult period, with economic hardship at home and very real threats beyond our borders, it was this positive outlook, this sense of pride, that the American people needed more than anything.”
Jim Sergent
. Does she not remember 2016 election? Quiet as it's kept not all white women voted for Senator Clinton.
