Sterling Hayden's Reagan - Brainstorm - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Sterling Hayden's Reagan - The Chronicle of Higher Education

An account of Ronald Reagan's powers of persuasion. Reagan and William Holden crashed a 1946 meeting of Screen Actors Guild members hosted by Communist sympathizers, and Reagan proceeded to rebut the arguments of the pro-Red faction, keeping his cool amidst catcalls. "...whether you love Reagan's ideas or hate them, you have to admit that Reagan was a political force...." Sterling Hayden, who was on the other side of the argument that night, wrote, "Reagan showed up and took over and ground you into a pulp; they all kept looking to you to hold him down but he dominated the whole thing and when it was over they told you right to your face you were pretty weak and the gathering did more harm than good." Blogger Mark Bauerlein, no fan of Reagan, writes, "The more you underestimate the qualities of a winner, the more likely it is that you will continue to lose."