Who Can Really Say?

There's a long list of blog entries about Ronald Reagan over at Tim Blair's. That's where I found this entry from Farm Accident Digest.

As for Reagan, I spent his presidency loathing his policies and considering him a well meaning, but dangerous fool. I have, of course, grown up since then. Instead of considering any policy or actual action, at this point I prefer to consider his philosophy of optimism and love of the idea of liberty.

I do know that I will be avoiding most media coverage this week. It will be hard to watch many of those who so openly disdained the man and what he believed in be charged with setting his place in history. Add in that in reaction to that many will be attempting hagiography will make it extra annoying. It will be impossible, after yesterday's initial coverage, to avoid politicizing of this. Hell, Bill Bennett couldn't even get through 10 minutes yesterday without making what I'm sure he thought was a sly Clinton crack. Not that I really expect much more from Bennett.

I appreciate the point he makes, and it's a fair one, about those who openly disdained Reagan getting the first shot at setting his place in history. But I also remember the coverage of Richard Nixon's funeral, which as I recall (now anyway) was nearly uniformly positive, or at least didn't seriously dwell on Nixon's downside. I have to say there's something about the way the media covers funerals of ex-Presidents that includes a heavy dose of avoiding speaking poorly of the dead. In Reagan's case, they'll have a much easier job of it than they did with Nixon.

Or maybe I just don't remember it well.