I recently finished the audiobook Reagan: In His Own Voice.

It is a collection of his radio segments from 1975-1979. During that time, Reagan gave more than 1,000 daily radio broadcasts, the great majority of which he wrote himself. There can be little doubt after listening to this five disc set that Mr. Reagan’s title as the “Great Communicator” is well deserved. Politics aside, if you listen to these broadcasts, it will be impossible for you to come away from it with anything but a respect at the very least, for the man’s conviction to his ideals and his thorough understanding of each of the topics.

In later years he was portrayed as a mindless automaton dullard at the whim of the Republican power base (I disagree with that image of him.) To doubt however that, during this time period, he was a highly intelligent, extremely personable and yes – great communicator… is letting your political blinders hide the truth.