“Freedom is a fragile thing, and it is never more than one generation away from extinction.” President Ronald Reagan

Today Vision Forum joins America in mourning the loss of our 40th President, Ronald Reagan, arguably the most inspiring leader of the American people since George Washington himself. President Reagan died on Saturday at 4:00, on the eve of the 60th anniversary of D-Day. He was 93.

In his book, The American Presidency, the esteemed historian and political commentator Clinton Rossiter (once my father’s college professor at Harvard) observed that the American President is required to play seven distinct roles including Chief Executive, Chief Diplomat, Commander in Chief, Chief Legislator, Chief of Party, Chief Guardian of the Economy, and Chief of State.

How did Ronald Reagan fare in the first six of these categories? In my view there were some significant weaknesses in some of them, often personified by unwise personnel choices and the policies they implemented, policies which did not live up to the vision of Christian faith, anti-communism, love of life, limited government which Ronald Reagan built his political career communicating to the American people.

But on the occasion of his death, let us set aside that debate. Let us focus on the enormous strength of President Ronald Reagan in the role which he defined—-that of Chief of State.

As Chief of State a President is required to be the moral and inspirational leader of the nation. The president is a living symbol of the nation. It is in this role that Ronald Reagan will be most fondly remembered. It was a role he played so magnificently that Ronald Reagan fundamentally redefined the way America looked at itself. It was a role for which rightly earned him the moniker “The Great Communicator.”

From the moment Ronald Reagan was sworn into office, America breathed an enormous sigh of release. (Iranian radicals timed the release of American hostages with the inauguration of President Reagan.) Reagan symbolized the freedom from the hopelessness of the Carter regime, the disappointments of the Nixon era, and the governmental excess of the New Deal disaster given to us by President Johnson.

President Ronald Reagan single-handedly restored hope to the American people. He was everybody’s favorite grandfather, uncle, big brother, and father all wrapped into one. A president of extraordinary gravitas, he nonetheless was known for his utterly disarming sense of humor and self-deprecation. Free from bitterness, Ronald Reagan was the eternal optimist, and his infectious optimism gave hope to a nation which had been ravaged by the family-destroying excess of both the 1960’s and 70’s.

Reagan made it acceptable once again to be a conservative. He truly loved America. And he understood it. His patriotism was not the stuff of text books, nor was it a starchy patriotism born out of political necessity. It was a deep abiding truth in the heart of Reagan and a fundamental principle which motivated his entire life.

More to be posted later! Come back.