President Reagan passes away at age 93

[DDMAN26]

After a long fight with alzheimers Ronald Regan died today

[TheZue]

It's sad he had such a terrible disease the past few years:( At least he isn't suffering anymore though. It would have been great if we had as much of his own perspective on his presidency from him as later presidents, like Clinton, are now giving us.

[Disney Guru]

Yes I am very sad about his death but he has had a bad disease for years. For those of you who don't remember everything about him here is a biography.

It is a fairly safe assumption that if not for a career change which, ironically enough, took him out of the motion picture industry, Ronald Reagan would not rank among Hollywood's best-known stars; a genial if not highly skilled actor, he made few memorable films, and even then he rarely left much of a lasting impression. Of course, in 1980 Reagan became the President of the United States, and with his political ascendancy came a flurry of new interest in his film career. His acting work — especially the infamous Bedtime for Bonzo — became the subject of much discussion, the majority of it highly satirical. Still, there is no denying that he enjoyed a long and prolific movie career. Moreover, he remains among the first and most famous actors to make the move into politics, a trend which grew more and more prevalent in the wake of his rise to power.
Born February 6, 1911, in Tampico, IL, Ronald Wilson Reagan began his acting career while studying economics at Eureka College. He broke into show business as a sportscaster at a Des Moines, IA, radio station, and from there assumed the position of play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Cubs. By the mid-'30s, he relocated to Hollywood, signing with Warner Bros. in 1937 and making his screen debut later that year in Love Is on the Air. Reagan made over a dozen more films over the course of the next two years, almost all of them B-movies. In 1939, however, he won a prominent role in the Bette Davis tearjerker Dark Victory, a performance which greatly increased his visibility throughout the Hollywood community. It helped him win his most famous role, as the ill-fated Notre Dame football hero George Gipp in the 1940 film biography Knute Rockne: All American. At the film's climax he delivered the immortal line "Win one for the Gipper!," an oft-quoted catchphrase throughout his White House tenure.

In 1940, Reagan married actress Jane Wyman, with whom he had two children. The following year, he co-starred in Sam Wood's acclaimed Kings Row, arguably his most accomplished picture. During World War II, he served as a non-combative captain in the Army Air Corps, producing a number of training films. Upon returning to Hollywood in 1947, he began a five-year term as president of the Screen Actors Guild, a position he again assumed in 1959. It was during this period that Reagan, long a prominent liberal voice in Hollywood politics, became embroiled in McCarthy-era battles over communism in the film industry, and gradually his views shifted from the left to the right. He also continued appearing in films and in 1950 co-starred in the well-received melodrama The Hasty Heart. A year later, Reagan accepted perhaps his most notorious role, in Bedtime for Bonzo, in which he portrayed a college professor who befriends his test subject, a chimpanzee; throughout his political career, the picture was the butt of a never-ending series of jokes.

During the 1950s, Reagan freelanced among a variety of studios. Still, his film career began to wane, and in 1954 he began an eight-year stint as the host of the television series General Electric Theater. Among Reagan's final film appearances was 1957's Hellcats of the Navy, where he appeared with actress Nancy Davis, his second wife. He did not make another film prior to narrating 1961's The Young Doctors, and with 1964's remake of The Killers, he effectively ended his performing career. That same year he entered politics, actively campaigning for Republican Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater. In 1966, Reagan was elected Governor of California, and over the course of his eight-year gubernatorial stint emerged as one of the Republican party's most powerful and well-recognized voices. In 1976, Reagan ran against Gerald Ford in the Republican Presidential primary, but was unsuccessful; four years later, however, he defeated Jimmy Carter to become the nation's 40th President. The rest, as they say, is history. — Jason Ankeny

[Son of the Morning]

Let me put it this way: I feel bad for his family.

[MickeyMousePal]

Reagan dies with family by his side
Body of ex-president expected to be brought to D.C. for state funeral
MSNBC News Services

Updated: 8:04 p.m. ET June 05, 2004LOS ANGELES - Ronald Reagan, the cheerful crusader who devoted his presidency to winning the Cold War, trying to scale back government and making people believe it was “morning again in America,” died Saturday after a long twilight struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 93.

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“My family and I would like the world to know that President Ronald Reagan has passed away after 10 years of Alzheimer’s disease at 93 years of age. We appreciate everyone’s prayers,” Nancy Reagan said in a statement.

Nancy Reagan, along with children Ron and Patti Davis, were at the couple’s Los Angeles home when Reagan died at 1 p.m. PDT of pneumonia complicated by Alzheimer’s disease, said Joanne Drake, who represents the family. Son Michael arrived a short time later, she said.

In Paris, President Bush called Reagan’s death “a sad day for America.”

The U.S. flag over the White House — along with flags elsewhere — was lowered to half-staff. At ballparks and at the Belmont Stakes, there were moments of silence.

Reagan’s body was expected to be taken to his presidential library and museum in Simi Valley, Calif., and then flown to Washington to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda. His funeral was expected to be at the National Cathedral, an event likely to draw world leaders. The body was to be returned to California for a sunset burial at his library.

The White House was told his health had taken a turn for the worse in the last several days.

The president planned to participate in D-Day ceremonies in Normandy on Sunday and then fly back to the United States for an international economic summit in Georgia.

A White House spokeswoman said it was not known at this point whether Bush would change his travel plans because of Reagan’s death.

Alzheimer's Disease
Five years after leaving office, the nation’s 40th president told the world in November 1994 that he had been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer’s, an incurable illness that destroys brain cells. He said he had begun “the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life.”

Reagan lived longer than any U.S. president, spending his last decade in the shrouded seclusion wrought by his disease, tended by his wife, Nancy, whom he called Mommy, and the select few closest to him. Now, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton are the surviving ex-presidents.

Although fiercely protective of Reagan’s privacy, the former first lady let people know his mental condition had deteriorated terribly. Last month, she said: “Ronnie’s long journey has finally taken him to a distant place where I can no longer reach him.”

Reagan’s oldest daughter, Maureen, from his first marriage, died in August 2001 at age 60 from cancer. Three other children survive: Michael, from his first marriage, and Patti Davis and Ron from his second.

Over two terms, from 1981 to 1989, Reagan reshaped the Republican Party in his conservative image, fixed his eye on the demise of the Soviet Union and Eastern European communism and, with a Congress that was largely controlled by Democrats through much of his two terms, helped triple the national debt to $3 trillion in his competition with the other superpower.

Very, Very sad news at least Ronald Regan will rest in peace.
A very popular president during the 80's Ronald Regan loved Jelly Belly and liked to watch The Cosby Show.
We will miss him very much.

[indianajdp]

Let me put it this way: I feel bad for his family.

Seriously, why even post in this thread?

[DreamerQ18]

This is really sad news I feel for his family and like someone said at least he is no longer suffering. For me its werid it makes me feel old and its somewhat of a reminder that we are all going to die one day. He was president the year I was born good guy. I hope he R.I.P.

[karlsen]

I just read about this yesterday before I whent to bed. It had just been anounced and I got a good and a sad feeling from it.

Ronald Reagan was not only a former president, and an actor, but he was an American legend. Reagan is one of those that will be mentioned along with JFK as the greatest presidents in US history.

Since I have the same fath in God as Ronald Reagan had I did not feel that sad when I saw the news. I know that he was already gone in this world so now he finaly can rest. As stated in the news he was almost never awake and he could not comunicate at all with his family. He became 93 years old wich is incredible for any human and he even had this terrible sickness for 15 years.

My thoughts and prayers are with the family right now. Even if it was something that had to come soon, it is always hard to loose a husband, father and a grandfather. But as long as I know that they belive in an life after death I don't think they are feeling to bad, they know that he now is out of pain, and that some day they will see him again. Then he will be as before the pain.

[DDMAN26]

Don't forget he also helped host the opening day festivities at Disneyland

[Ludwig Von Drake]

It was definitly a sad day though I don't think I would put him up there with JFK, and even JFK was not a great president since he realy didn't implement most of what he was going to do.

[STASHONE]

Reagan is one of those that will be mentioned along with JFK as the greatest presidents in US history.

Some things were left out of his biography in the above post...

Like how he aquired private funding behind the legislature and traded hostages for arms to Iran to topple another country's government. How he pumped drugs under the CIA's watch into the ghetto's and influenced Bush sr. to change his views on abortions if he wanted to be on his presidential bill. Reaganomics tax cuts for the rich and eff the poor created enormous debt. He lowered social spending and set the path for other asshole presidents like Bush and son. When Discovery exploded due to NASA's descision to neglect safety standards, little to nothing was done by the goverment. The invasion of Grenada. Involvment in nuclear arms race, music censorship, etc.


rappin' ronnie reagan died...


He did some good... took responsibility for the US's actions when they took place on his watch (Beirut, Iran-Contra) and used words instead of action to invoke social change in the Soviet Union. These are traits that we'll probably never see again in a president. Times have changed in my opinion.

"...even Richard Nixon has got soul".

oh well.

R.I.P.

[Chernabog]

This is maybe not the right place but I do it anyhow!
Why are the former presidents still titled Presidents after they are not in that position anymore?
Rather I think it´s silly - they are all persons which had the strenght and trust to arrive to that position through elections.
When they are not there anymore they turn to their old position again, so why continue to call them president even after that?
That is something I have never understood!
Like they where born into it (like a king or something) and can never go back again, when they have arrived to that position!

[Ludwig Von Drake]

It is a sign of respect since once they leave office they aren't normal people anymore. They have certian powers, people will listen to them and it is left on as a sign of respect.

[Son of the Morning]

Reagan is one of those that will be mentioned along with JFK as the greatest presidents in US history.

Some things were left out of his biography in the above post...

Like how he aquired private funding behind the legislature and traded hostages for arms to Iran to topple another country's government. How he pumped drugs under the CIA's watch into the ghetto's and influenced Bush sr. to change his views on abortions if he wanted to be on his presidential bill. Reaganomics tax cuts for the rich and eff the poor created enormous debt. He lowered social spending and set the path for other asshole presidents like Bush and son. When Discovery exploded due to NASA's descision to neglect safety standards, little to nothing was done by the goverment. The invasion of Grenada. Involvment in nuclear arms race, music censorship, etc.

Thank you. It's good to see some realism has not been washed away in all the sentimentality...

[AwallaceUNC]

Regardless of your opinion of his politics, this is not the appropriate forum for bashing or political bickering. We're remembering the man and his legacy as the nation grieves over his death. There is a time and a place for those views, but this isn't it. I hate to use this: If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say it. I'll be back with my personal comments later.

-Aaron

[karlsen]

I agree with Aaron.

A man just died, and this man did a lot of good in his lifetime. There is a time for everything but when others try to remember the good that a person did just after they are dead then maybee those that can not find anything nice to say should get out of the threed and keep their mouth shout.

Sorry to be so hard with the words here, but I was realy chocked that anybody could take their politic views into this threed and write such terrible posts. I am sorry, but you to just droped a lot in my oppinion.

[Son of the Morning]

As I said before:

Let me put it this way: I feel bad for his family.

I guess I could always pull the common Democratic-politician comment as of late and say that "The man was optimistic." Simply put, though, the only element of his presidency that I could possibly find admirable is the fact that he adopted the correct strategy to finish off the Soviet Union, but even then, the risks he took were in many cases irresponsible and downright dangerous. His arch-conservatism threw the country down the economic road to aristocracy and threatened a cultural and social Neoconservative dark age, his stance on AIDS (what stance?) led, presumably, to the death of thousands...

I would never celebrate the death of someone, especially a feeble, diseased, old man, but I would never say that I respect someone that I find so thoroughly abhorrent because it is polite or socially acceptable to do so. I feel that towards the end of his life, he was in one of the worst physical and mental states imaginable, and one that frankly terrifies me: I would not wish it on my greatest enemy, and I would give my condolences to his family.

[Jack]

In Honor of Ronald Reagan, I present his favorite scene from BTTF

Doc Brown: "So tell me, future boy, who's president of the United States in 1985?"
Marty: "Ronald Reagan."

R.I.P.

[Luke]

In Honor of Ronald Reagan, I present his favorite scene from BTTF

Doc Brown: "So tell me, future boy, who's president of the United States in 1985?"
Marty: "Ronald Reagan."

R.I.P.

Doc: "Ronald Reagan? The actor?! Then who's Vice President? Jerry Lewis?"
Marty: "What?"
Doc: "I suppose Jane Wyman is the First Lady! And Jack Benny is secretary of the treasury!"


Must agree that it's not in the best taste to rag on anyone who's died. But then I'm doing "Back to the Future" quotes, so what do I know?

I'm saddened by Reagan's death, but it was pretty bad what he'd been going through the last decade. Kind of weird for such a recent president to die. Certain one of the most prominent figures of the '80s!

[buffalobill]

It's a shame that he died but he lived a long life & 80 of the 93 years were good & healthy ones. I voted for him in 1980, the biggest mistake of my life & the only time I've ever voted Republican before or since for anything higher than County Commissioner. I won't repeat what STASHONE said about all of his "accompishments" except to say that I agree wholeheartedly. You can bet when President Clinton passes away Limbaugh, Hannity etc... will not show the respect & restraint in honoring the man that the so called "Liberal Media" has with Reagan.