Reagan Quote

The Reagan Diaries: Page 217-218:

"Called a woman in Peoria Il. who had wired after the St. of the U. Her complaint was over freedom of choice. She was referring to abortion & she called herself an ex Repub. who wouldn't vote for me. I was going to write her & then just on a hunch I phoned. It took a little doing to convince her it was really me. We had a nice talk & and I was right that her problem was abortion. I made my pitch that there were 2 people's rights involved in abortion - the mother's & the unborn child. She promised to give that some deep thought. We had a nice visit. She's a 51 year old divorcee working for less than $10,000 a year - has a 17 year old son ready for college & a married daughter. I think I made a friend."


Wow, the thought of a president phoning a constituent to speak on such a hot-button issue as abortion is so incredibly foreign to me. I can't even imagine Bush taking time out of his day to phone someone who he didn't know to "discuss" something. Although the fact that he made a pitch to her leaves a slightly sour taste in my mouth, Reagan's obvious care for the people of this country is startling. How personal and compassionate. He made no strong point in his entry that he had tried to seriously convince her of anything, only offer a differing opinion. How refreshing. The "I think I made a friend" aspect of the entry is where I question its meaning. A friend as in someone who he may speak to again, or a friend as in a supporter? Was he doing it for a vote or for the genuine want to create a connection with someone? Is it a double entendre or sincerity? Obama seems to care so deeply about the "American people" but would even he do this? As much criticism as one can give Reagan, you can't say he didn't care....

Interesting address as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy5YldZ1iaY