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In Governor Reagan, Lou Cannon offers--through recent interviews and research drawn from his unique access to the cabinet minutes of Reagan's first years as governor of California--a fresh look at the development of a master politician.
At first, Reagan suffered from political amateurism, an inexperienced staff, and ideological blind spots. But he quickly learned to take the measure of the Democrats who controlled the State Legislature and surprised friends and foes alike by agreeing to a huge tax increase, which made it possible for him to govern for eight years without additional tax hikes. He developed an environmental policy that preserved the state 's scenic valleys and wild rivers, and he signed into law what was then the nation's most progressive declaration on abortion rights. His quixotic 1968 presidential campaign revealed his higher ambitions to the world and taught him how much he had to learn about big-league politics.
Written by the definitive biographer of Ronald Reagan, this new biography is a classic study of a fascinating individual's evolution from a conservative hero to a national figure whose call for renewal stirred Republicans, working-class Democrats, and independents alike.
The Reagan who emerges from these minutes acknowledges ignorance without embarrassment and tells stories at his own expense. While discussing California's role in a scientific project, Reagan related that he had been offered a ride in a submersible then exploring the continental shelf. He declined. The person who proposed the underwater trip persisted. "I kept telling him that I had claustrophobia, and he said, 'you don't have to go down deep, we can find a place only 60 feet deep.' He doesn't know that I have claustrophobia when I draw the curtains," Reagan said.
Taken in their entirety, the early cabinet minutes reveal Reagan as a self-assured governor who did not shrink from decision-making. He is as comfortable as on a movie set, breezily discussing myriad issues and punctuating his comments with outbursts of anti-government rhetoric. When informed of a prospective $29 million deficit in Medi-Cal, California's version of the federal-state Medicaid program that provides medical care for the poor, Reagan exploded. "Those damn state governments," he said. "They pass legislation without knowing what it costs." But later in the same meeting Reagan talked approvingly of a government plan in which doctors would take a lesser fee for their Medi-Cal services, comparing this to a personal experience:
"You know, years ago before there was help available like this, I was in the hospital with a smashed leg. My bill was $10,000. At the same time there was a truck driver with identical injuries as mine in the hospital, treated by the same physician, but his bill wasn't anything like mine. And I knew then that part of my payment was to take care of services the doctor rendered to the truck driver. Bills varied [according] to persons' ability to pay-that's the way it worked."
Continues...
Excerpted from Governor Reagan by Lou Cannon Copyright © 2005 by Lou Cannon. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
| Acknowledgments | ix | |
| Part I | The Rise of Ronald Reagan | |
| 1. | California | 3 |
| 2. | Optimist | 10 |
| 3. | Lifeguard | 17 |
| 4. | Storyteller | 24 |
| 5. | Announcer | 37 |
| 6. | Actor | 51 |
| 7. | Family Man | 62 |
| 8. | Politician | 82 |
| 9. | Company Man | 103 |
| 10. | Visionary | 115 |
| Part II | Governor Reagan | |
| 11. | Candidate | 129 |
| 12. | Winner | 149 |
| 13. | Adversary | 162 |
| 14. | Novice | 171 |
| 15. | Pragmatist | 185 |
| 16. | Conservative | 206 |
| 17. | Leader | 226 |
| 18. | Survivor | 238 |
| 19. | Noncandidate | 256 |
| 20. | Regent | 271 |
| 21. | Conservationist | 297 |
| 22. | Incumbent | 322 |
| 23. | Reformer | 348 |
| 24. | Salesman | 368 |
| 25. | Achiever | 380 |
| Part III | The Pursuit of the Presidency | |
| 26. | Challenger | 393 |
| 27. | Contender | 416 |
| 28. | Heir Apparent | 437 |
| 29. | Debater | 451 |
| 30. | President | 477 |
| Notes | 513 | |
| Bibliography | 548 | |
| Index | 557 |
Overview
In Governor Reagan, Lou Cannon offers--through recent interviews and research drawn from his unique access to the cabinet minutes of Reagan's first years as governor of California--a fresh look at the development of a master politician.
At first, Reagan suffered from political amateurism, an inexperienced staff, and ideological blind spots. But he quickly learned to take the measure of the Democrats who controlled the State Legislature and surprised friends and foes alike by ...