Next month, on February 6, the nation will commemorate the centennial of the birth of President Ronald Reagan.
Sadly, his two sons by different marriages–Michael, adopted by Reagan and Jane Wyman–and Ron, born to Reagan and Nancy Davis–have been bitter enemies since the former President’s death, as they both fight over his legacy.
Michael is a right wing talk show host, and Ron is a left wing talk show host, and both have now written books about their dad. But Ron has not treated his father with total adulation, but has instead demonstrated his love and admiration while seeing shortcomings, such as his belief that his dad may have shown signs of mental disabilities, as in the debate with Walter Mondale in the Presidential campaign of 1984. Also, Ron pointed out in his book that his father may have suffered from deficits due to his advancing age and also from being shot by John Hinckley in 1981, the only time a President was shot in office and recovered to serve his full term in office.
Ron presents Reagan realistically, but Michael condemns him in bitter terms as just trying to make money on a book, as if Michael is not out to make money with many irresponsible statements over the years on his talk show.
Instead, Michael wants to paint his dad as somehow incapable of shortcomings and perfect in every way, a totally unrealistic portrayal! Michael comes across as petty, nasty, and refusing to realize that his dad would not like the trend of the Republican party, were he alive today, unlike Michael, who has no problem with the mean spirit of the GOP in 2011! 🙁
If one wants a sympathetic and realistic appraisal of the 40th President of the United States from a family member, read Ron Reagan’s memoir and ignore Michael Reagan’s propagandistic view of his father!