Customer Reviews

Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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 by
fictionalizing large sections of his book, arguing that
it was the only way he could come to grips with or partially
explain certain aspects of Reagan's life and psyche.

By so doing, Morris may have made a ton of money just from the
publicity such an unusual approach generated, but he made
his work utterly worthless, and in no small way, damaged forever
his reputation as a historian (I, for one, will never read
another book by him simply because I would find it hard to
know what is real and what Morris has made up).

Lou Cannon, on the other hand, who has been following Reagan
since his California days, is a student in the old, honored
traditional school of political biography. His research is
copious, his writing compelling (I actually think he becomes
a better writer with each book), and his judgements are
fair; so fair, in fact, that this book will probably
anger those who idolized Reagan as well as those who detested
him. 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 impression
that some political leaders just have sharper political
instincts than others; that it is an art, not a science, and
perhaps 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 political
journalism, the kind once defined by Theodore White in his
famous "Making of the President" series, and, today, perhaps
only by David Broder.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand
how effective political leadership in a democratic republic works, and why Reagan (hint: he was often underestimated by
his foes) thrived so well in our particular form of
celebrity-driven politics.

Cannon began reporting on Reagan as a journalist in California, and the depth of his knowledge about the President is significant. This book expands on the earlier section of his presidential biography "Ronald Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime" and focuses mainly on Reagan's governorship in California and the interlude before he became President. It is an interesting insight into Reagan's early experience in the political process, and ably characterises how Reagan sought to run an administration. The insights into Reagan's (generally positive) environmental record whilst in Sacramento are also particularly illuminating for those only familiar with his subsequent legacy as President - and Cannon offers some slightly scary insight into how this change in policy approach may have been wrought by a casual delegation approach from Reagan himself. The writing is generally sympathetic to Reagan without being overtly biased in a political sense. The book provides a helpful background to understanding the Reagan Presidency and several of the key players around Reagan who came to Washington from California.

Reagan as Governor of California was very different than Reagan as President. Probably because he was in more control then. This was the Reagan that admired Ayn Rand and put forward what was then a very pro-choice stand on abortion and signed some of the most progressive women's rights into law. At the same time he worked hard on fiscal conservatism and chopped a lot of waste.

I find it interesting that a guy who never went to church would run for President like he was born-again (which of course he wasn't). I suppose you do what you must to win. Still, I liked the old Reagan best, which is why I really enjoyed this book.

Lou Cannon was a reporter for the San Jose Mercury-News and covered Reagan's eight years as governor in Sacramento. As a result, this book is based on many personal interviews with Reagan and his staff, detailed research, and several other published works on Reagan's early life.

Cannon used an interesting approach in organizing the book with each chapter describing titled with one word that describes a "role" that Reagan played at that time in his life, such as Announcer, Actor, Conservative, Pragmatist, etc. He describes Reagan's youth and early career in the Midwest, narrates how he came to Hollywood, analyzes his films, and discusses his work with the Screen Actors Guild. He shows how Reagan's work with General Electric Theater was a key turning point for him to move into politicsl. In summary, he understands Reagan's character, motivation, and goals, which is no small feat, given Reagan's very private nature.

Cannon is very fair in assessing Reagan, not taking political sides in the controversies of the day. He lays out Reagan's vision, as well as the pragmatic compromises that he was forced to make in the governorship. The book describes Reagan's six-year campaign for the his first presidential nomination in 1980 and ends with his electoral victory in 1980.

The many stories and anecdotes told by Reagan make this book well worth reading, and Cannon's writing is highly interesting as well. Highly recommended.

Be warned that Cannon's companion volume President Reagan: Role of a Lifetime is a much different and much lower-quality book. See my review of that book on its page.

I own tons of Ronald Reagan books and admired Lou Cannon's book "Role of a Lifetime." In "Governor Reagan" he does not quite get the job done. One problem is that while he was more apt to be fair in the book that evaluates the presidency, here he reverts back to more of a cartoonish picture of Reagan his competitors and the media had of him. My specific complaint is that Cannon will sometimes make him look like an idiot when he was under-managed by his handlers, at the same time he says Reagan does better when he is unleashed. Well you know what they say, "Let Reagan be Reagan." Obviously that is how he rebounded in the 76 campaign, and won in 80. Cannon comes to these conclusions, but his statements are inconclusive. I am being honest, he does in this account put to much of his bias in place. For some reason he feels a need to correct statements or thoughts by Reagan. That being said is he in no way as biased as somebody like Wills, who has an obvious agenda.

In terms of the new material, mainly Sacramento, this is good at times. I felt like he spent a little to much time on intricate specefic policy details such as budgets, welfare reform, and conservation. I would have liked to know even more about his governing style and beating down the student protestors. At the same time I understand he has to be a little "policy-wonkish" because Reagan liked to go home and work at the ranch or watch television, he wasn't getting "Lewinsky's" so his personal life wasn't exciting.

The best part of the book by far was the analysis of the 76, and 80 campaigns. Especially 76, Cannon goes more into depth and captures the obstacles and conflict in the campaign. I admire and like Lou Cannon because he does not do "puff pieces," but this time he went a little far in the other direction. Overall this book has some value because there is new information and that is essential. By the way, Ronald Reagan was the best president of the 20th century.

Lou Cannon really has a knack for making even boring state legislative items (Proposition 1) seem compelling. At first his mixing of commentary with a straight narrative structure is startling, but ultimately it really adds to the story of Ronald Reagan and his decision-making. These types of books are very interesting because they make a reader realize how differently things could have turned out for a leader and his colleagues.