When I was a kid, I had four heroes: Luke Skywalker, Captain Kirk, Pete Rose and Ronald Reagan.
I lost one on Saturday.
I was only eight when Reagan won his first term, and don't really remember much about that election. But I vividly remember being captivated by the President when he spoke, the 1984 election and the impact his tenure in office made upon the world.
Reagan was the reason that the United States won the last great war -- the Cold War. He knew how to win and he stuck to the plan, despite the huge deficit that it rolled up. In the end, the payoff was much greater -- millions of people are now free because of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Ronald Reagan was a great man. A man that I looked up to as a boy. A man that I have great respect and admiration for. He was our last great President. He was the Great Communicator. He maintaned a wit, charm and demeanor that no President since has matched. If only George W. Bush were as eloquent, he would be more reminiscent of Reagan.
Reagan believed in America and the American Dream. He was able to unite people in times of plenty and times of sorrow. He helped end an evil empire and give birth to freedom.
He was inspiring. He will be greatly missed.