Analysis of Ronald Reagan in Reagan by Lou Cannon
Cannon, Lou. Reagan. New York: Putnam, 1982. Lou Cannon has covered Ronald Reagan for thirty-six years, first as a reporter for the San Jose Mercury News, later as the White House correspondent for the Washington Post. He began with covering Reagan's first campaign for governor of California in 1966 and continued until Reagan's recent death in 2004. His other books on Reagan include Ronnie and Jesse: A Political Odyssey, Ronald Reagan: The Presidential Portfolio, President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime, Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power, and several others. After following and working closely with Reagan, Cannon forms an obvious relationship and opinion of him. Cannon admits that he "like(s) and respect(s) Ronald Reagan while remaining skeptical that his actions will achieve the results he intends," (Cannon, 1981, 15). Cannon writes that he was at first skeptical of Reagan's abilities to perform as president; specifically with foreign policy and his economic theories. However, Cannon argues that Reagan's presidency may mirror his governorship, "he started ineptly but soon evolved into a competent governor who was willing to sacrifice ideology for political achievement," (Cannon, 1981, 15). Because this book was written during Regan's first year as president, Cannon is unable to record complete evidence to support his own theory, although he accomplishes this in his following books about President Reagan. Cannon, an obvious conservative supporter of Reagan, includes criticisms and shortcomings of Reagan as well as praise. Cannon does not let his personal relationship skew his writings and has thus become known as Reagan's definitive biographer. Cannon's mission to provide an in depth biography of the nation's fortieth president and his ability to lead, begins by tracing Reagan's origins, his hopes and dreams, fears, achievements and failures. Cannon provides the reader with insight to Reagan's childhood and adolescent years and attempts to