If you could have dinner with one U.S. President (living or not), who would it be and why? by Kevin

If you could have dinner with one U.S. President (living or not), who would it be and why? by Kevin - October 2017 Scholarship Essay

Throughout U.S. history there have been many strong presidents, however, my favorite by far is Ronald Reagan. If I could have dinner with one U.S. President, it would definitely be him. When I learned about Reagan in my U.S. History course, it seemed as if he could accomplish anything. The U.S. seemed to prosper under his leadership and his charismatic ways made him a success all around. Despite the fact that he had little to no political experience, he left behind a presidentship that few can compete with.
Perhaps one of Reagan’s greatest achievements is being credited with ending the Cold War. When Reagan took office, communism was at it’s height of prosperity and a major threat to the United States. He stood firm against the Soviet Union when others backed down. He had a fearless approach by verbally attacking the Soviets, which led to him calling them an “evil empire”. This relentless strategy proved that Reagan and the U.S. were the most powerful force in the world and ultimately led to the demise of the Cold War. If given an opportunity, I would have so many questions to ask Mr. Reagan. I would definitely want to know, if fear ever played a part for him in this situation and if so, when? I would also want to know how he got the strength to demand from Gorbachev that he needed to “tear down the wall”. I would enjoy having a conversation on his feelings when the Soviet Union finally collapsed and the U.S. had won the Cold War.
Another great achievement by Reagan came to be known as “Reaganomics”. I could not have had dinner with this great man and not bring up one of the greatest tax reforms ever. The United States had a wonderful period of prosperity when unemployment dropped, tax-cuts prevailed and the economic boom lasted for decades. I would love to inquire how he was able to conceive all of these ideas and implement them without failure. There would definitely be conversation about how other presidents could have learned a thing or two from his experience.
Reagan had a wonderful sense of humor and this would be another topic of conversation at our dinner. When Reagan was shot, March 30th, 1981 by John W. Hinckley Jr. it was not humorous at all, however, the President wanted to show the nation he would survive by being funny. Reagan cracked all types of jokes during his ordeal. He actually stated to his surgeons, “Please tell me you’re Republicans”. He said to the First Lady, “ Honey, I forgot to duck”. I am curious about whether Reagan was ever scared for his life after he was shot. I would also like to know if the jokes helped him to cope with the situation at hand and if he ever thought of President John F. Kennedy during this time. I would ask if this incident ever had any impact on his future decisions.
Ronald Reagan was not only mentally strong but he proved that he was physically strong as well when he survived the shooting. Without a doubt, Ronald Reagan would be a terrific dinner companion and our discussions would be a great influence on me and my future. His strong character, quick wit and determination to make this nation great are just a few of the many admirable characteristics that Reagan had. In my opinion, these qualities made Reagan one of the best presidents of all time.