Governor Reagan His Rise to Power

Governor Reagan is a well-crafted book by the biographer that seems to know Reagan best. Since Cannon has already written an in-depth book on the Reagan Presidency (Role of a Lifetime), this book serves as a perfect lead into that one. Surprisingly, there's a good deal more about Reagan's early life and Hollywood career than the title would lead you to believe. We don't get to the Governor's race until page 129 and the last 100 pages of the book are about Reagan's post Governor days including the challenge to Ford in 1976 and his 1980 campaign win. In essence, this becomes the Reagan Presidency prequel. What's great about Cannon's work is that he seems to take an even-handed approach to his subject. That's uncommon for writers who usually give Reagan a heavy diet of adulation or scorn. Cannon contends that Reagan's experience as a union leader gave him the ability to find compromises through negotiation. It helped him a great deal in California with an Assembly led by the opposition. He was ideological sure but Reagan also wanted to accomplish something. He was willing to concede certain points to win the bigger ones. This is a good point that probably isn't made enough when discussing his success. I found Reagan's six years between offices and how he nearly (and probably) won the Republican nomination in 1976 the most interesting. It was a tough decision to challenge the incumbent President of his own party. He didn't want to alienate fellow Republicans or hurt his future political chances. Therefore, the challenge was full of drama and Cannon writes a roadmap from primary to convention. The book ends with the 1980 Reagan campaign and his becoming President Elect. If you're interested in Reagan you won't find a more thorough account of his political career before Washington.

Remember all the commotion when DUTCH, the biography of Ronald Reagan written by Edmund Morris, was released? Morris had played an unforgiveable trick on his readers byfictionalizing large sections of his book, arguing thatit was the only way he could come to grips with or partiallyexplain certain aspects of Reagan's life and psyche.By so doing, Morris may have made a ton of money just from thepublicity such an unusual approach generated, but he madehis work utterly worthless, and in no small way, damaged foreverhis reputation as a historian (I, for one, will never read another book by him simply because I would find it hard toknow what is real and what Morris has made up).Lou Cannon, on the other hand, who has been following Reagansince his California days, is a student in the old, honoredtraditional school of political biography. His research iscopious, his writing compelling (I actually think he becomesa better writer with each book), and his judgements arefair; so fair, in fact, that this book will probably anger those who idolized Reagan as well as those who detestedhim. For everyone else, Cannon's book is an instructive exploration of how one of the most successul American politicians of the American Century worked. It is hard to come away from this book without the impressionthat some political leaders just have sharper politicalinstincts than others; that it is an art, not a science, andperhaps cannot be taught. It is also hard, upon reaching the end of Cannon's latest,to not feel that the writer represents the best of politicaljournalism, the kind once defined by Theodore White in hisfamous "Making of the President" series, and, today, perhapsonly by David Broder.I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understandhow effective political leadership in a democratic republic works, and why Reagan (hint: he was often underestimated byhis foes) thrived so well in our particular form of celebrity-driven politics.

First off, I am a liberal. This is important to know because despite my political leanings, I loved this book not because it bashes Reagan, but rather because it is fair and takes the good with the bad, of which there are plenty. After reading Cannon's "President Reagan," I expected a well-researched, exhaustive account (relying heavily on cabinet minutes and interviews) with this volume, and I was not disappointed. Still, the title is a bit misleading as the book begins as a traditional biography (at least 150 pages of back story leading up to the 1966 run), and ends with Reagan's 1980 run for the White House.As such, this is not a "liberal" book, nor is it a right-wing puff piece. The Reagan of Cannon's sketch is flawed to be sure, but also savvy, intelligent, and ambitious. And, to my surprise, Reagan was much more pragmatic and flexible as governor than people seem to remember. Many bills he signed (including the largest tax increase for any state in U.S. history, as well as a bill liberalizing abortion law) are contrary to his image and are even more left-wing than his predecessor Pat Brown.Overall, an engaging read that never plays favorites and doesn't try to rewrite history to anyone's advantage. Reagan is far from the simplistic boob his critics portray, but he was not a saint either. Above all, Reagan was a political animal -- always striving for the next step, which makes his "outsider" status a bit silly. He was never completely "of Washington," but he lived for politics and he never gave up in pursuit of his vision.

As a lifelong Californian pushing 50, I remember Reagan's '66 and '70 campaigns and two terms as Governor very well. Mainly I remember his seemingly extreme right-wing rhetoric from the broadcast and print reporting of the time.Yet Lou Cannon's new Reagan biography, focusing on those years, offers valuable and surprising insight. Primarily, that Reagan, at least Governor Reagan, was nothing like the rigid far-right ideologue that his friends, enemies, and Reagan himself, based on his rhetoric, would have us believe. In fact, this book convincingly makes the surprising case that for liberals (by today's definition at least) Reagan was a much better governor than either of the Browns who preceded and followed him. Today's Republicans would have probably tried to recall this guy.Some of the evidence: Seeing the need for a massive tax increase after taking office in '67, he teamed with Democratic legislative leaders to jam one through. He narrowed welfare eligibility a bit but significantly increased benefits. He helped pass and signed what was then the most liberal abortion rights law in the nation. He did enact the first "tuition" (in quotes because the use of that word was as controversial as the real question of whether students should pay for college) at the University of California, but also greatly increased state funding for higher education and financial aid. (My generation was the first to pay "fees" to attend UC, in the early 70s, and as a result, we campus liberals considered Gov. Reagan a demonic figure--his face was on a dart board in my dorm room). He blocked dam building on scenic wild rivers, and acted boldly to preserve a vast stretch of threatened Sierra wilderness that I've visited and enjoyed repeatedly in the decades since.A previous reviewer complained that there's much familiar material in the introductory and closing segments. True, but so what? This is a fascinating and enlightening look at an important time in California's history and the dominant public figure of the period.

Having worked on Governor Reagan's staff in Sacramento, I was very interested to read Lou Cannon's new book. I was happy to find an excellent analysis of the times and events, based on Cannon's first hand observations and interviews (many with persons who are now deceased). What makes this book especially insightful is that Cannon analyzes particular events which have been remembered and written about in different ways, and comes up with what he considers the most valid explanation of what really happened. Sometimes his conclusions differ from accounts he had written previously, but he forthrightly explains why his opinions have now changed. The book is a particularly interesting read today, of course, in light of recent political events in California. Those advising Arnold Schwarzenegger would find some interesting lessons here, and reading the book could be quite helpful to the Governor-elect himself! For the rest of us, it is fascinating to see how circumstances in California influenced the development of one actor-turned-governor, and speculate on how things may turn out for the second.