Customer Reviews

The Bully Pulpit: The Presidential Leadership of Ronald Reagan

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

William Muir served as a speechwriter for Ronald Reagan when he was governor of California, and also served as a speechwriter under Vice President Bush. However, he is better known as one of the top political science professors at UC Berkeley. Muir's book is an analysis of the speech-writing team that served Ronald Reagan. Familiar names like Peggy Noonan are featured prominently. The book shows how Ronald Reagan, as a President and leader, inspired his speechwriters to compose some of the greatest political oratory since Winston Churchill. Muir is certainly a sympathetic chronicler of Ronald Reagan and his administration, but every reader interested in presidents and the leadership of this particular President will want to read this book. Professor Muir is also the author of LEGISLATURE: California's School of Politics (1975), perhaps one of the most insightful studies of what makes a well-functioning state legislature.

Sometimes there is a question of how to rate a book: does one rate it on how easy it is to read; how well does it support your personal philosophical, world view; or how informative it is. This book does center on President Reagan's speechwriting team, but that is the least important element of the book. Of more importance is an understanding of how Reagan came to understand his personal, political philosophy, the need to pull the country up and out of the malaise exhibited by President Carter's famous Malaise Speech, and how President Regan utilized the bully pulpit of the presidency to successfully convey that message to the country. This important, but little recognized work describes Reagan's philosophy and how he get that message across to the American public by enlisting disciples to carry this message. Thus, the consistent thread though the book is the philosophy.

Much of our understanding of America is defined by the media. Like President GW Bush, President Reagan was for most identified as an affable guy, not particularly bright or intellectual, and successful because of others. Ker Muir has woven an excellent read from what many would regard as a dry subject and presents an entirely different understanding. Here we see a man who had a significant understanding of what America was, how it has been changed by the pernicious effect of big government, and how to return it to the people whom Alexis de Tocqueville chronicled in `Democracy in America.'

I recommend this book highly for the political junkie and novice. I especially recommend `The Bully Pulpit' for that college graduate who has had their political baseline established by our universities' monolithic Poly Sci courses. As Ker Muir describes Reagan's successes and failures, the reader sees a world view that has depth and validity.

What is a presidency? Is it about what a president does? Is it about his accomplishment? Is it about his duties? No, not entirely. These are manifestations of a presidency. They are not the core, the essence.

Reading this book, one sees that a presidency is about the personality of a president. The person of what he is makes up the presidency. The moral, personal and political philosophy of a president is the core, the essence of his presidency. This book gives us the view of the presidency of Ronald Reagan through his speechwriting team.

This book also shows the difference between a statesman and a politician. A statesman cares and inspires his people; a politician cares more for himself than his people.

Why only four stars? The first two-thirds of the book are great. The last one-third somewhat lost its sharp edge and does not expound as well on the central theme of Reagan's presidency through the bully pulpit.