3/7/2016

NancyReagan:HelpmatewithaspineofsteelPOLITICO

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Bernie'stopstrategist:

'Maybetheyregoingtoput

himontheticket'

HowNancymadeRonaldReaganbetter

NancyReaganwaseveryinchtheglamorousFirstLady,butshehelped
steeralandmarkpresidency.
ByTODDS.PURDUM|03/06/1603:02PMEST|Updated03/06/1607:09PMEST

FormerfirstladyNancyReagandiedSundayattheageof94.

FormerfirstladyNancyReagandiedSundayattheageof94.|APPhoto

Shewasalwaysmorethanthesumofheradoringgaze,thatdazzlinglookshefixed
onherhusbandlikeapairofhighbeamheadlights.Shewasthefirstandlastvoicein
theearoftheleaderofthefreeworld,thetrustedadviserwhodidtheworryingand
schemingforbothofthem.Itsjustpossiblethatwithouther,RonaldReaganwould
neverhavebecomethe40thpresidentoftheUnitedStates.

Andwhenshediedat94onSundayatherhomeinBel-Air,California,NancyReagan
wasamongthelastsurvivorsofabygoneerainbothHollywoodandWashington,a
timewhenglamorousmoviestarscoulddineoutinpublicunmolestedand
Republicanpoliticianscouldraisetaxeswithoutfearofreprisalsfromtheir
conservativebase.

Inthebookofherhusbandslovelettersthatshepublishedin2000,Reaganwrote
thattakingcareofRonnie(whosometimessignedhimselfyourroommate)had
alwaysbeenhermostimportantjob.Sheencouragedhisbuddingpoliticalcareerin
California.InthreenationalcampaignsandeightyearsintheWhiteHouse,shewas

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thenot-so-hiddenhandbehindsomecrucialstaffingdecisions,andshepressedhim
toacknowledgeandapologizefortheIran-Contraarms-for-hostagesdealthat
hadimperiledhispresidency.
DuringReaganstimeinoffice,sheneversoughtcreditforherroleassounding
board.Butinherpost-WhiteHousememoir,MyTurn,sheallowed:Imakeno
apologiesfortellingRonniewhatIthought.Justbecauseyouremarrieddoesnt

meanyouhavenorighttoexpressyouropinions.ForeightyearsIwassleepingwith
thepresident,andifthatdoesntgiveyouspecialaccess,Idontknowwhatdoes.
ShewasbornAnneFrancesRobbins,thedaughterofanitinerantactressnamed
EdithLuckettandKennethRobbins,acarsalesmanwhoeffectivelyabandonedthe
familywhenshewasyoung.ShelivedforatimewithanauntanduncleinBethesda,
Maryland,andattendedSidwellFriends,thefutureschoolofpresidentialchildren.
ButnothingaboutherearlylifecouldhaveforetoldherownjourneytotheWhite
Houseanymorethanherhusbandsearlycareerasaradioannouncerandmovie
actorcouldhavepredictedhispathtothepresidency.

NancyReagandiesat94

ByKRISTENEAST,LOUISNELSONandDAVIDCOHEN

HerlifechangeddramaticallywhenhermothermarriedLoyalDavis,aprominent

Chicagoneurosurgeon,whoselastnameshetook.SheattendedChicagoGirlsLatin
SchoolandSmithCollege,beforefollowinghermotherontothestage.Fromthe
beginning,shehadanunusuallegup.SpencerTracyandWalterHustonwerelike

unclestoher.ThemucholderMGMexecutiveBennyThauwasanearlymentor(who
pressedhertomarryhim)and,asayoungstarlet,shehadadateortwowithClark
Gablehimself.

Shemadeherfilmdebutasawide-eyedgirlwhoadmiresamysteriouspaintingin
thelastsceneofDavidO.SelznicksPortraitofJennie,butherbestrolemayhave

beenasapregnanthousewifewhosefamilysuddenlyhearsthevoiceofGodonthe
radioinTheNextVoiceYouHearin1950.

BythenshehadmetandfallenforReagan,whowasstillonthereboundfromhis

divorcefromJaneWymanandwasslowtocommit.Butshepersisted,andaftershe

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letitbeknownthatshemightseekaplayinNewYork,heproposed.Theywere

marriedin1952,withWilliamHoldenasbestmanandheandhiswife,Ardis,asthe
onlyguestsandwitnesses.Thecoupleformedasingularintimacythatwouldlast
unbrokenthroughReaganslongfadeoutintoAlzheimersandhisdeathin2004,
excludingallothers,eventheirownchildrenattimes.

AlthoughRonnielovespeople,Reaganwroteinhermemoir,heoftenseems

remote,andhedoesntletanybodygettooclose.Theresawallaroundhim.Helets

mecomecloserthananybodyelse,buttherearetimeswhenevenIfeelthatbarrier.

Photos:NancyReagan(1921-2016)

ByKRISTENEAST

Inworshipfulletterswrittenduringtheircomparativelyrareseparations,Reagan

addressedhervariouslyasNancyPants,NancyPooandMommie,andhisdrift
intoconservatisminthe1950shasoftenbeenattributedtoDavisandherstepfather
anassertionthatbothReaganssteadfastlydenied.Whatisbeyonddisputeisthat

ashismoviecareerfaded,shesupportedhisembraceofapoliticalcareerthatseemed
improbabletosomanyothers.

IntwotermsasgovernorinSacramento,inhislosingprimarychallengetoPresident
GeraldFordin1976andthroughouthispresidency,itwasNancyReagan

sometimesinconsultationwithastrologerswhoadvisedhimonkeypersonnel
choices,usuallyinalliancewiththeirtrustedimage-maker,MichaelDeaver.Shehad
ahandinthefiringofherhusbands1980campaignmanager,JohnSears,andhis
secondWhiteHousechiefofstaff,DonaldRegan,andencouragedthepresidents
rapprochementwithMikhailGorbachev.
Asfirstlady,Reaganbroughtold-styleHollywoodglamourandstyletoa

WashingtonwearyofJimmyCartersteetotaling,sweater-wearing,abstemiousways.
HerfriendFrankSinatraserenadedherattheinauguralgalaasNancy,withthe
Reaganface.

ButshebroughtcontroversyandanimperiousreputationasQueenNancy,too,
withherborrowingofcoutureclothesandprivatelyfinancedpurchasesofnew
WhiteHousechinaandfurnishings.

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2016

CruzspoilsTrumpsSuperSaturday

ByKATIEGLUECK

Shetooktherapandbeatitwithaboffoperformanceatthe1982springdinner
roastoftheGridironClub,wearingafloweredhat,tattyfeatherboaandbrightyellow
rainbootstosingaparodyofSecondHandRose,withcustomnewlyricsabout
secondhandclothes.WhileherJustSayNopublicservicecampaignagainstdrug
usewaswidelymocked,sheconsistentlymadethelistsofthenationsmostadmired
womenthroughoutherhusbandspresidency.

ItisaparadoxthatRonaldReagan,stilltheonlydivorcedmanevertowinthe
presidency,wasseenasapublicparagonoffamilyvalues,whilehisandNancys
privaterelationswiththeirchildrenthetwotheyhadtogetherandthetwofrom

hisfirstmarriagetoWymanrangedovertheyearsfromtroubledtoestrangedto
waryandbackagain.Theiroldfriend,theSearsRoebuckheirArmandDeutsch,once
toldmeitwasasiftheReagansloveforeachotherwassointenseandall-consuming
astoleavenoroomforanyoneelse.

WhatIwantedmostinalltheworldwastobeagoodwifeandmother,Reagan

wroteinMyTurn.Asthingsturnedout,IguessIvebeenmoresuccessfulatthe
firstthanatthesecond.
Butinlateryears,Reaganformedawarmfriendshipwithherhusbandseldest
daughter,Maureen,andreconciledwithherowndaughter,Patti.And,when

PresidentReagandiedandGeorgeW.Bushgavehertheuseofthepresidential
aircrafttotakehisbodytoWashingtonforthefuneral,sheaskedthatthetelevisions
ontheplanebeswitchedfromtheusualFoxNewstoMSNBC,wherehersonRonwas
acontributor.

InretirementandespeciallyaftertheformerpresidentsAlzheimersdiagnosisin
1994theReaganslivedquietly,seeingonlythesmallesthandfulofclose,old
friendslikeBetsyBloomingdale.Butwellintoher80s,NancyReaganwould
occasionallyduckoutforlunchatthenearbyBel-AirHotelwithchumslikethe

writersDominickDunneandBobColacello,forthelatestgossipontheO.J.Simpson
trialoryoungerHollywoodstars.

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Andshemadestrategicsubstantiveforaysintopoliticsandpolicy,aswell,most
notablybycampaigningforherpetcause,stem-cellresearch,overtheobjectionsof
Christianconservatives.Republicanaspirantsforthepresidencymaderitual
pilgrimagestoherattheReaganLibraryinSimiValley,California,andBarackand
MichelleObamatelephonedmorethanoncetopaytheirrespects.

Herdeathcametwodaysafterwhatwouldhavebeenher64thweddinganniversary.
SheoncetoldColacellothatshehadaskedtheRev.BillyGrahamwhethershewould
bereunitedwithherhusbandafterdeath.JusttellmethatandIllbeOK,shetold
Graham.Hesaid,Youare.AndIsaid,OK.

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