Nation: How to Leave Them Cheering

With an actor's skill, he gave the performance of his life

The pleasant man might have been talking across the backyard fence or maybe chatting in the kitchen with the kids. He seemed relaxed and natural, but he was addressing millions of viewers and making the most important—and very likely the best—speech of his career. Ronald Reagan masterlily delivered his acceptance address, an event that may turn out to be pivotal to his campaign. He performed with a skill that surprised even his admirers and dismayed his foes, smoothly repackaging phrases and lines from...

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