Paul Coverdell: “I . . . met Governor Reagan shortly after my becoming conservative leader in 1975. Even before then I knew about…”

“I . . . met Governor Reagan shortly after my becoming conservative leader in 1975. Even before then I knew about Governor Reagan because Denis [her husband] had returned home one evening in the late 1960s full of praise for a remarkable speech Ronald Reagan had just delivered to the Institute of Directors.. I read the text myself and quickly saw what Denis meant. When we met in person [she is talking about meeting Governor Reagan] . . . I was immediately won over by his charm, sense of humor, and directness. These are all very important characteristics of President Reagan. Charm. The other side all referred to him as Teflon. Sense of humor. It was absolutely captivating to be in his presence because he could so effectively use humor to calm things down, to take the sting out of a confrontation, to move people back to the table. He was the best at using his sense of humor. And then the directness. Directness.”