The Greatest Communicator: What Ronald Reagan Taught Me About Politics, Leadership and Life FROM THE PUBLISHER
This is an admiring personal reminiscence of Ronald Reagan from the strategic genius behind his presidential campaigns. But Dick Wirthlin's relationship with Reagan was more than strategy and polls. They were friends who shared values, love of people and respect and admiration to forge a friendship that weathered 36 years of political ups and downs. From their private moments and shared experience, Wirthlin will share a story others cannot tell.
SYNOPSIS
Advance Praise
"For twenty years, Ronald Reagan relied upon Dick Wirthlin as his pollster, chief political strategist, and increasingly, as his trusted friend. Dick has waited until now to tell the inside story, but the wait has been more than worth it." —David Gergen
"A lot of people claim to have been in Reagan’s inner circle; Dick Wirthlin truly was. . . . must-reading for anyone who admired President Reagan." —Lyn Nofziger
"A must-read for anyone who wants to understand the inner workings of President Reagan’s ability to communicate—and how he accomplished so much." —Edwin Meese
"Dick Wirthlin was there at the beginning of the Ronald Reagan prairie fire that began with the speech for Barry Goldwater in 1964 and spread across the nation with the election to the presidency in 1980. . . . His recollections are a valuable part of the real history of the Reagan revolution." —Michael Deaver
"A window into the secrets of Reagan’s success . . . with a level of intimacy and grace that only comes from someone who was there from the beginning to see it from the inside." —James Carville
"Was anybody more important to the Reagan revolution than Dick Wirthlin?. . . The president trusted him, in fact, thought the world of him, as did so many of us who worked with him on three presidential campaigns and in the White House years. He has quite a story to tell." —Tony Dolan, author of the "Evil Empire" speech
"No one knew and understood Ronald Reagan the leader better than Dick Wirthlin . . . a smart and insightful book, indispensable to understanding Reagan." —Fred Barnes, executive editor, The Weekly Standard, and cohost, The Beltway Boys, FOX News
"This is not a book about what I did for Ronald Reagan, but about what he did for the world. . . . Those of us who were at Reagan’s side from the beginning will tell you that he gave us more than we ever imagined. We will tell you that our lives are forever better for having worked in his shadow. And we will mean it." —Dick Wirthlin
Ronald Reagan was a man of tremendous vision, strong moral character, and unwavering patriotism. The public outpouring of love and admiration at his passing shows just how beloved America’s fortieth president was. The legacy he leaves behind was built over many long years of personal and professional ups and downs. And while speechwriters, chiefs of staff, and media advisors came and went during his political career, Dick Wirthlin—the strategic genius behind Reagan’s greatest victories—was there with Reagan through it all.
Reagan once told a reporter, "When Dick Wirthlin speaks, I listen!" Now, Wirthlin speaks for Reagan one more time in The Greatest Communicator,a heartfelt personal reminiscence of the man Wirthlin respected and admired without reservation. He shares candid stories of Reagan no one else can tell, drawing on treasured memories of their many private moments and shared experiences, as well as an immense trove of files and notes.
From his first meeting with Governor Reagan in the fall of 1968, Wirthlin could see that this man was different. Some politicians love policy; Ronald Reagan loved people. Wirthlin was impressed by Reagan’s warmth, his lack of pretense, his humble spirit, and, above all, his desire to build a strong and secure base for America’s future. Here, Wirthlin reveals how Reagan forged a special relationship with the American people through his greatest gift: the extraordinary ability to communicate both publicly and privately, changing lives—and indeed, the world—with words.
Wirthlin shares the many lessons Reagan taught him, taking us on a behind-the-scenes journey through milestones in Reagan’s political career: the 1976 loss to President Gerald Ford in the primary, one of the GOP’s closest fights in modern history and the only time Reagan ever tasted electoral defeat; the tense meetings, awkward moments, high-stakes debates, and tough decisions on the road to winning the White House; the landslide victories of 1980 and 1984; and the reflective moments with Reagan to which only Wirthlin was witness. He also reveals how he unlocked one of the master communicator’s greatest secrets: Reagan’s rhetorical method that won over the hearts and minds of Democrats.
Brimming with affection, humor, and remarkable honesty, The Greatest Communicator is a shining tribute to the man Wirthlin was honored to serve for over two decades—and the dear lifelong friend he will never forget.
Author Biography: DICK WIRTHLIN was Ronald Reagan’s chief strategist and pollster from 1968 to 1988, including his 1980 and 1984 presidential campaigns. He is founder of Wirthlin Worldwide, an international strategic opinion research and consulting firm he created in 1969. Wirthlin has appeared on virtually every news television program, including FOX News, Larry King Live, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Good Morning America, and others. WYNTON C. HALL is an award-winning presidential scholar and speechwriter. His published work has appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, and the Washington Times.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
A lot of people claim to have been in Reagan's inner circle; Dick Wirthlin truly was. As his chief political strategist and pollster, no one understood Reagan's ability to communicate better than Dick. The Greatest Communicator is must reading for anyone who admired President Reagan. — Lyn Nofziger
Dick Wirthlin was one of the few individuals who was with Ronald Reagan from the very beginning. In The Greatest Communicator, it becomes clear why Reagan kept Wirthlin at his side all those years. The book is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the inner workings of President Reagan's ability to communicate--and how he accomplished so much. — Edwin Meese
For twenty years, through two victorious elections to the White House, Ronald Reagan relied upon Dick Wirthlin as his pollster, chief political strategist, and increasingly, as his trusted friend. Dick has waited until now to tell the inside story, but the wait has been more than worth it. A scholar, a gentleman and one of the country's best political analysts, Dick has written a warm, illuminating story that helps us all understand why America remains so drawn to Reagan. — David Gergen
Dick Wirthlin was there at the beginning of the Ronald Reagan prairie fire that began with the speech for Barry Goldwater in 1964 and spread across the Nation with the election to the Presidency in 1980. Dick was a member of the Reagan strategic team and his recollections are a valuable part of the real history of the Reagan revolution. — (Michael Deaver, political advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to Ronald Reagan and author of A Different Drummer: My Thirty Years With Ronald Reagan)
Was anybody more important to the Reagan Revolution than Dick Wirthlin? Like Reagan himself, Dick Wirthlin was a man of personal gentleness and goodness who was also insightful, wise and talented. The president trusted him, in fact, thought the world of him. As did so many of us who worked with him on three presidential campaigns and in the White House years. He has quite a story to tell. — (Tony Dolan, chief speechwriter, Deputy Assistant to President Reagan, and author of the Evil Empire Speech)
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