'The Great Communicator' strikes chord with public
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Standing near the Brandenburg Gate that separates East and West Berlin, Reagan tells Soviet leader Gorbachev to "tear down this wall" in June 1987
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In a time when dazzling visual imagery was changing the face of communications, Ronald Reagan made use of the simple spoken word to define his political life. His language gave meaning to a national triumph, comforted Americans in a national tragedy and made complex international policy disputes understandable to millions. He spoke in clear, simple terms -- too simple, his critics said -- and painted vivid pictures that sometimes reflected a reality of his own making.
Reagan put the speaking talent he honed as a Hollywood actor into the
service of deeply rooted conservative political beliefs: reduction of the size
and scope of government, confrontation of the Soviet Union with massive military
hardware and a clear moral distinction of ideologies, and the celebration of traditional American values.
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Reagan speaks on the 40th anniversary of D-Day in 1984
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His closest aides, as well as his biographers, support the notion that Reagan
deserved his nickname of "the Great Communicator."
Voices: Why could Reagan connect?
Video: Watch some of his most famous speeches
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