I do not think Jim is right. How old are you? No one seemed to know what a deep thinker Reagan was until long after his presidency.
I loved Ronald Reagan, but he wasn’t perfect either.
Reagan was a lifelong student of foreign policy. It seems to me to be the height of either cluelessness or cynicism for Romney to try to diminish Reagan’s foreign policy bona fides in order to try to pump up his own. From a two-minute Google:
Ronald Reagan was speaking out about the evils of communism in the 40s: “In 1945, he and his family, which now consisted of his wife, Jane Wyman, and his daughter, Maurren, adopted a baby boy named Michael. And as a board member of Green Actors Guild (SAG) since 1941, Reagan took more interest in political activities. National politics also held Reagan’s interest. Many times Reagan spoke of the evils of communism, and he worked hard to keep communist influences out of Hollywood. Because the SAG members were impressed by Reagan’s stand, they elected Reagan as their president in March of 1947, a position which he kept for six years.”
http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b4reaganronald.htm
From 1968: Reagan Criticizes U.S. Foreign Policy
The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973) - Washington, D.C.
Author: By Richard Corrigan Washington Post Staff Writer
Date: May 22, 1968
MIAMI BEACH, May 21 —California Gov. Ronald Reagan today accused the Democratic administration of backing away from Communist aggression around the world whenever hard decisions have had to be made.
From 1972: Reagan Hits McGovern Foreign Policy Stands
Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File) - Los Angeles, Calif.
Date: Jul 15, 1972
Start Page: A18
Pages: 1
Section: Part I
Text Word Count: 264
Troop reductions and foreign policy changes advocated by Democratic presidential candidate George S. McGovern “would be catastrophic for the world,” Gov. Reagan said...