Remembering a First Lady

By Ed Hoffman

“What do you say about someone who gives your life meaning? What do you say about someone who’s always there with support and understanding, someone who makes sacrifices so that your life will be easier and more successful? Well, what you say is that you love that person and treasure her.”  

– Ronald Reagan, August 1988

I could say the very same words about my wonderful wife Dawn, but these are actually words that President Ronald Reagan said about his beloved Nancy. Mrs. Reagan departed this world on Sunday, but the legacy she left behind was a lasting one. As the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation said in its official statement, “As First Lady of the United States, Nancy Reagan served the people of this great nation with grace and humility.”

Many of us remember Mrs. Reagan as:

• A fierce, yet feminine and dignified protector of her husband both personally and professionally
• The architect of the “Just Say No” campaign against drugs, which has set the tone for anti-drug programs for the past three decades
• An advocate for stem cell research because of its role in discovering a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, which President Reagan suffered from over the last decade of his life

And yet if you look at the blogosphere and op-eds this week, you’ll see that liberal writers are jumping at the chance to chime in on her life in a negative way. One Salon writer wants us to be outraged that Mrs. Reagan was “a role model for the idea women are meant to be helpmeets for men instead of heroes of their own stories.” Wives helping their husbands who have important jobs? What a shocking, extreme concept!

There’s also quite a bit of talk about her Just Say No campaign, Mrs. Reagan’s primary initiative as First Lady. Over the past few days, Just Say No has been called ineffective at keeping kids off drugs, a punchline around the world, and even racist because of its role in incarcerating drug dealers. How disrespectful.

Can you imagine if any of these things were said about the efforts of a First Lady belonging to the Democrat party, especially if it was done within hours of her death?  The outcry from the left would be overwhelming. Week after week, pundits go on the air to wonder out loud why Donald Trump is so popular; well, this is one of many reasons why. Conservatives are tired of many things, and the media’s double standard is one of them.

On a positive note, many who knew Nancy Reagan are remembering her with the fondness she deserves. In his New York Times obituary this week, Reagan administration correspondent Lou Cannon wrote, “Mrs. Reagan did not wish to detract from her husband’s luster by appearing to be a power behind the presidential throne. In public, she gazed at him adoringly and portrayed herself as a contented wife who had willingly given up a Hollywood acting career of her own to devote herself to her husband’s career.” As far as I’m concerned, what she did for this country was far more significant than anything she could have accomplished as an actress. It would be great if people on both sides of the political spectrum would recognize that – if nothing else, out of respect for her position.

Ed Hoffman is host of The Main Event on AM590, which airs Saturday from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM and Sunday from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Follow him on Twitter @EdHoffman, and like him on Facebook by searching The Main Event 590.