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67 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, September 16, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 6, 2004 President Reagan was greeted by Huggy Bear (played by Barbara Grey), the Greater Medford Chamber of Commerce mascot, during a campaign visit to Medford on Oct. 22, 1984. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell ‘Great communicator’ came, saw and conquered Medford during 1984 visit By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune As Air Force One was about to touch down on the tarmac at the Medford airport on Oct. 22, 1984, President Ronald Reagan turned to then 2nd District Congressman Bob Smith. "The president asked me, ‘Bob, how many people live in Medford?’ " Smith recalled Saturday after learning of Reagan’s death at age 93. "I said, ‘About 30,000, Mr. President.’ "Then he asked me how many were here to greet him and I said, ‘About 30,000, Mr. President.’ " Smith, a Republican who lives in Medford, may have been exaggerating a political smidgen or two but not much. Nearly 20,000 people, including some holding signs reading "Democrats Love President Reagan Too," were on hand at the airport to meet Reagan, who was running for re-election against Democrat Walter Mondale that year. A handful of protesters also came. Reagan praised the Rogue Valley, chided Mondale and promised peace through strength if re-elected. Advertisement Smith and former Oregon Gov. Vic Atiyeh had flown with Reagan from San Diego to Medford for the campaign stop. "I had great respect for him," said Smith, who was elected in 1982 and served for a dozen years. "This man defeated the Soviet Union without a shot being fired." Smith, who supported most of Reagan’s programs, had met with the president on several occasions. "He was a great man and good friend," he said. "We will miss him. "I think history will treat him kindly, especially as we get away from this partisanship we’re in now," he added. Atiyeh agreed, noting that Reagan stood out among politicians for taking a stance. "You always knew where he was — he was consistent," Atiyeh said. "That’s one thing that really impressed me." Like Smith, Atiyeh also found the 40th president extremely likable. "He was very easy to get along with," Atiyeh said. "He had a great sense of humor. He made you feel at ease around him." More importantly, he made others feel good about themselves, he added. "For a long period of time, Americans really felt good about themselves because of him," he said. Across the political aisle, Bill Layton, chairman of the Jackson County Democratic Central Committee, agreed. "The outstanding characteristic about Ronald Reagan was that he was able to make people feel good about this country," Layton said. "We certainly need that now." Jeff Golden, a political activist and local talk show host with Jefferson Public Radio, said the current Bush administration has caused him to reassess his views of Reagan. "I didn’t like his actions then and I don’t now," he said of Reagan, citing the Iran Contra affair in the early 1980s which Reagan later acknowledged had "deteriorated" into an arms-for-hostages deal. Golden also felt Reagan advanced the nation’s focus on materialism and consumption domestically. "Having said that, he did it with a different spirit than the current guys are doing it," Golden said. "He was animated with a real vision of a country that would serve all Americans. I thought Reagan was genuine." Reagan was genuine, observed former Republican state senator Lenn Hannon of Ashland. "He was very dedicated — a politician with a lot of principles and high moral integrity," said the former Democrat who switched to the GOP in 1980. "Reagan was one of the people responsible for it," he said. Reagan was also a former Democrat. "I found myself philosophically in tune with Reagan. I thought the world of him." Hannon met Reagan both in Washington, D.C., and in Medford, when he was campaigning for re-election in 1984. "He was a great communicator," Hannon said. "He was very articulate. He could communicate his beliefs very well. "History will probably determine he was one of our greater presidents," he added. "If he had anything that was a glitch, that would have been the Iran Contra affair. But I think it was a mistake of the heart and not of the mind." Yet Reagan’s successes far overshadow his failures, said John Watt, a former GOP state legislator from Jackson County who now works as a political analyst. "He was a strong leader," Watt said. "Leaders like that are very hard to come by. He was the last of his kind." Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities