The Great Communicator Vol 4: The Man
The Great Communicator Vol 4: The Man
Edited compilation of speeches made by Ronald Reagan during his Presidency. All contain some type of joke or funny story, showing his sense of humor.
The Great Communicator Vol 4: The Man
August 23, 1984. Ronald Reagan Remarks Accepting the Presidential Nomination at the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas. Ron joking with delegates at Republican National Convention; C/A CUs of delegates. "Little Leah Kline was asked by her teacher to describe my duties. She said: ``The President goes to meetings. He helps the animals. The President gets frustrated. He talks to other Presidents.'' How does wisdom begin at such an early age?"
The Great Communicator Vol 4: The Man
February 3, 1983. Ronald Reagan Remarks at the Annual National Prayer Breakfast. "And a very lovely teacher was talking to her class of young boys, and she asked, 'How many of you would like to go to heaven?' And all the hands instantly shot into the air at once, except one, and she was astounded. And she said, 'Charlie, you mean you don't want to go to heaven?' He said, 'Sure, I want to go to heaven, but not with that bunch.' [Laughter] "Maybe there's a little bit of Charlie in each of us."
The Great Communicator Vol 4: The Man
February 18, 1983. Ronald Reagan Remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference Dinner. Ron, wearing black tuxedo, thanks dinner gala organizers for the 3rd memorial service of the 1980 Democratic platform. "I'm grateful to the American Conservative Union, Young Americans for Freedom, National Review, and Human Events for organizing this third annual memorial service for the Democratic platform of 1980. Someone asked me why I wanted to make it three in a row. Well, you know how the Irish love wakes." [Laughter]
The Great Communicator Vol 4: The Man
May 18, 1983. Ronald Reagan Remarks at the Annual Awards Dinner of the White House News Photographers Association. Reagan taking cracks at Gary Hart & his fellow hopeful Democratic Presidential candidates. "I know this isn't a partisan political affair. But I also know that you have wide-angle lenses that are wide enough to get all the Democratic Presidential candidates in one shot. [Laughter] You just don't have a lens that's wide enough to get all their promises. [Laughter] But you could tell me if this one that I heard is true. Is it true that young Gary Hart is having the wrinkles airbrushed in? [Laughter] There are some things that you and I have in common in addition to being on the opposite ends of the camera. For you, the darkroom is a place to develop film. For me, it's a place where the Democrats use it as a think tank." [Laughter]
The Great Communicator Vol 4: The Man
October 26, 1988. Ronald Reagan Remarks Congratulating the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. White House ceremony honoring the World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers: MVP pitcher OREL HERSHISER presenting President Ronald Reagan with a baseball bat; Reagan takes the bat, waves it menacingly. First Lady NANCY REAGAN and Coach TOMMY LASORDA stand nearby. "You're absolutely right. And I know that this ends the ceremony and we may have to leave. But I just can't wait till the Congress gets back." [The President swung the bat.] [Laughter]
The Great Communicator Vol 4: The Man
March 8, 1983. Ronald Reagan Remarks at the Annual Convention of the National Association of Evangelicals in Orlando, Florida. "From the joy and the good feeling of this conference, I go to a political reception. [Laughter] Now, I don't know why, but that bit of scheduling reminds me of a story..." [laughter]
The Great Communicator Vol 4: The Man
February 18, 1983. Ronald Reagan Remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference Dinner. Black tie Reagan telling an anecdote about a farmer coercing a nervous lawyer to imbibe in alcohol. "There's an old story about a farmer and a lawyer that illustrates my point. It seems that these two got into a pretty bad collision, a traffic accident. They both got out of their cars. The farmer took one look at the lawyer, walked back to his car, got a package, brought it back. There was a bottle inside, and he said, 'Here, you look pretty shook up. I think you ought to take a nip of this, it'll steady your nerves.' Well, the lawyer did. And the farmer said, 'You still look a little bit pale. How about another?' [Laughter] And the lawyer took another swallow. And under the urging of the farmer, he took another and another and another. And then, finally, he said he was feeling pretty good and asked the farmer if he didn't think that he ought to have a little nip, too. And the farmer said, 'Not me, I'm waiting for the State trooper.'" [Laughter]
The Great Communicator Vol 4: The Man
May 10, 1982. Ronald Reagan Remarks at the Annual Foundation Luncheon of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago in Illinois. Reagan telling an anecdote about a wandering preacher, relating it to federal social spending. "Federal social spending increased over the last three decades eight times more than prices. Some of the programs established during that spending binge remind me of the preacher who had come to a small hamlet about a hundred miles from his own hometown to preach at a revival meeting. And driving into the village he noticed a man from his own community, a fellow that was rather known for his drinking, who was sitting on the front steps of the general store. And he stopped his car and he asked the drinker why he was so far from home and was told that beer was 5 cents a bottle cheaper there. Well, when the minister pointed out the cost of travel back and forth, the price for a hotel room, the beer drinker retorted, ``I'm not stupid, Reverend. I just sit here and drink till I show a profit.'' [Laughter] Well, some of the government programs of the last 20 years were ill-conceived, too costly, and turned out to be no better for the poor than that bargain beer."
The Great Communicator Vol 4: The Man
March 29, 1985. Ronald Reagan Remarks at the National Space Club Luncheon. "Personally, I like space. The higher you go, the smaller the Federal Government looks." [Laughter] edit " One fascinating aspect of space travel is, as Einstein pointed out: The faster you travel, the less you age. [Laughter] And now you know my real motive for supporting space exploration." edit "I've learned that space has some interesting characteristics. For example, sound doesn't travel in space. I'm not really going to believe that until I see Sam Donaldson [of ABC News] up there." [Laughter]
The Great Communicator Vol 4: The Man
May 18, 1983. Ronald Reagan Remarks at the Annual Awards Dinner of the White House News Photographers Association. "But on the level, though, I like photographers. You don't ask questions. [Laughter] Can you imagine Sam Donaldson [ABC News] with a camera? [Laughter] As most of you would say, ``The thought makes me shutter.'' [Laughter] Somebody asked me one day why we didn't put a stop to Sam's shouting out questions at us when we're out on the South Lawn. We can't. If we did, the starlings would come back." [Laughter]
The Great Communicator Vol 4: The Man
June 11, 1986. Ronald Reagan The President's News Conference. President: It's over already? Q. Do you want to stay? Q. You're welcome to stay, Mr. President. Q. Stay, stay. The President. Why don't you ask questions that can be answered yes or no?