Reagan at Westminster: Foreshadowing the End of the Cold War

2. The Drafting of the Westminster Address

chapter฀ The Drafting of the Westminster Address One of the most enduring images of Ronald Reagan relates to his years as an actor in Hollywood. During his presidency, he often was viewed as a mere actor, who simply mouthed the words that others wrote for him. He was, in this view, the “acting president.”1 It is still common to hear commentators reference his acting ability as crucial to his presidency. For example, in an essay on the Barack Obama administration , Robert Draper gave credit to Reagan aide Michael Deaver for the way he “deployed . . . [Reagan’s] sunny aloofness with a P.R. man’s acumen, thereby elevating the former ‘Grade B movie actor’ to Great Communicator status.”2 Implicitly, those who focus on Reagan as an actor deride his intellectual skills. Even some in his administration took that perspective. Former secretary of state George Shultz writes that “some of his close aides were puzzled. I remember his national security adviser,Bud McFarlane,just a few months before Bud resigned, shaking his head and saying in bewilderment,‘He knows so little and accomplishes so much.’”3 In recent years, however, the view of Reagan as a mere actor to a large extent has been discredited as a number of Reagan’s own writings have been published, including drafts of radio addresses, stories that he wrote, letters that he handwrote to both ordinary citizens and the [8฀] chapter฀ famous,andtheextensive diarythat he compiled duringhispresidency.4 In contrast to the stereotype of Reagan as an actor or mouthpiece,these writings reveal that Reagan often was a careful and engaged writer.For example, in presenting a collection of Reagan’s letters, entitled Dear Americans, editors Ralph E.Weber and RalphA.Weber praise his ability as a prose stylist.5 It is now also clear that at least on Soviet policy, the stereotype of Reagan as a detached and uninvolved leader is inaccurate. For example , Jack Matlock, a crucial figure in negotiations with the Soviets and ambassador to the Soviet Union in Reagan’s second term, notes that Reagan carefully read staff reports about the Soviet Union, even long memos, and often would make “notes in the margins.”6 Oddly, even Mikhail Gorbachev came to believe that Reagan had played a crucial role in developing the words and policies of his administration. Matlock cites an exchange between a British academic,who referred to the former president as “an intellectual lightweight,” and Gorbachev, who responded, “You are wrong. President Reagan was a man of real insight, sound political judgment, and courage.”7 We do not want to overstate this point.Reagan was not a policy wonk,and,as Matlock also notes, Reagan displayed a “lack of sophistication and [an] ignorance of many details and nuances” about the Soviets, but with that said, he “had a knack for cutting right to the core of an issue.”8 Reagan’s speechwriters also generally agree that the president was an involved participant and a skillful writer.For example,one of Reagan’s main speechwriters, Peter Robinson, the author of the Brandenburg Gate address, notes that “the president edited every draft the speechwriters sent to him,condensing materials,enlivening flat passages,and firming up arguments.” Robinson adds that although Vice President (and later President) George H. W. Bush was perceived to be much brighter and better prepared than President Reagan, in fact“the President was more diligent than theVice President”in carefully going over speech drafts.9 The growing consensus is that Reagan was often involved in the creation of his own rhetoric, particularly in major speeches on the economy and foreign policy, especially in the first term. In this view, [9฀] drafting฀the฀address Reagan’s ability as a writer and editor helps explain the policy successes (and failures) of his administration. For example, in his introduction to The Reagan Diaries, Douglas Brinkley notes that “such successes were no accident; Reagan worked hard, coming fully prepared to each difficult decision. His executive ability, and the work habits that went along with it,are evident throughout the diaries.”10 The emerging consensus that Reagan played a substantial role in the creation of much of his own rhetoric is amply supported in the primary materials on the Westminster speech. There is a second issue concerning Reagan’s role in the creation of his own rhetoric.The ReaganWhite House was divided between“pragmatists ” and“conservatives,” the latter sometimes labeling...