ate difference of opinion on the role of Ronald Reagan as a leader. One favorable author, however, commented that many of the skills that his detractors continue to emphasize (hands-off management, etc.) are precisely the strengths that Reagan had to offer (Will, 1989, p. 12, 17-18).
Still others take a dimmer view on the former President, focusing on the ebb and flow of public opinion (Lewis, 1990, p. A19). The scholarly press, however, has a variety of opinions of Reagan as a leader, most of which point to his strong stance on foreign policy, with considerable criticism for his domestic
positions (Deibel, 1989, p. 34-35, 54-56).
In the psychological make-up of the American electorate,
however, Reagan has undergone many stages in his perceived status as a leader. In 1984, for instance, he was "a giant among men," the "Emperor of the West" (Sheehy, 1988, p. 252). As his Presidency progressed, however, that view changed to form more of a cynical view of his qualities as a leader. One perception has been termed the myth of amiability, described as,
On the surface, yes, Reagan was always personable. His greatest gift is not verbal, it is the instinct for knowing how to make other people feel comfortable. Even in his last term, people who attended small private dinners with the Reagans couldn't get over how the leader of the Free World would enter the room, smile, as if to say, 'relax, guys,' immediately and easily dispel any discomfort, and before they could even figure out how, erase any apparent distance between himself and his listeners. And they always become listeners, his audien
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