Mark Kennedy: “our country had suffered its fair share of lumps in the 1970s, and in 1980 we were looking for a leader who would draw a…”

“our country had suffered its fair share of lumps in the 1970s, and in 1980 we were looking for a leader who would draw a line in the sand and say ``no more.'' We found that rare man in Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan succeeded where others failed because throughout his public life he concerned himself with getting things done, not winning applause. In fact, one of Reagan's hallmarks was the plaque he kept on his desk that said: ``There is no limit to what you can accomplish if you don't care who gets the credit.'' As a businessman, I admired Ronald Reagan's dedication to this seemingly modest goal. Putting success ahead of personal accolades is a difficult lesson for many to learn, but a talent all great men seem to instinctively possess. It is an axiom that turns productive individuals into innovative leaders, and it turned Ronald Reagan into one of the greatest leaders and greatest Presidents we have had. Ironically, the more Reagan sought to distance himself from the successes he knew grew from the sweat and tears of the American people, the more it turned out that those people admired him for his principled leadership. That leadership earned Ronald Reagan widespread respect and helped Reagan form broad bipartisan coalitions to renew America. The results were immediate, winning historic legislative victories on providing tax relief and strengthening our military. The economy flourished as our national pride returned.”