thanks for the great column about the Gipper.  For some reason I found myself cracking up when I read your column- great title!   Very refreshing to read something about WR Reagan with a little depth to it.  Way back when in high school I remember being scared to death that this guy might accidentally start a full-scale nuclear war (he was too easily confused by movie imagery).  But the really sad thing is that he was actually a much less threatening and dangerous person than our current president.  Ronald Reagan may have been mean-spirited at times, but he was generally not Machiavellian .  Unfortunately, Bush/Cheney/Rove seem to have memorized "The Prince" as their guide to success in politics.