Ronald Reagan is one of my few earthly heroes. As a kid, I was much more politically precocious than most kids, and Reagan got my attention. I was enthralled by him and what he had to say, and I wished to be able to vote for him. Fortunately, millions of Americans were equally enamored (or at least disgusted by Jimmy Carter) enough to sweep him into the presidency. And for eight years the country had the privilege of his leadership.

What is it about Ronald Reagan that was so appealing to so many people? I really do believe that part of it was the deep dissatisfaction with Carter and his policies and personality. Disastrous foreign policy and economic misery were the hallmarks of the Carter years, and Reagan presented an alternative. Reagan brought a can-do attitude to the table, while Carter’s attitude basically boiled down to, “Things are tough. Deal with it.” Reagan’s optimism and cheer stood in stark contrast to Carter’s dour seriousness.

But it wasn’t just what Reagan wasn’t that made him an attractive candidate. He stood for so much that Americans found to their liking. Reagan’s deep, honest faith in God and in America, his belief in the power of the market to create a strong economy, his confidence in his nation’s leadership on the world stage, and his innate trust in the unique potential of every individual came together to capture the American spirit and lead to the best presidency of my lifetime. And I believe his was among the best presidencies in our history.

So, in conjunction with the thirtieth anniversary of his inauguration (January 20, 1981) and the upcoming hundredth anniversary of his birth (February 6, 1911), I have compiled a list of ten of Ronald Reagan’s defining moments. These aren’t necessarily the top accomplishments or most momentous occasions of his presidency, but I believe they speak to why he was such a successful leader.

We’ll start with the literal first moments of the Reagan presidency…

Ronald Reagan is one of my few earthly heroes. As a kid, I was much more politically precocious than most kids, and Reagan got my attention. I was enthralled by him and what he had to say, and I wished to be able to vote for him. Fortunately, millions of Americans were equally enamored (or at least disgusted by Jimmy Carter) enough to sweep him into the presidency. And for eight years the country had the privilege of his leadership.

What is it about Ronald Reagan that was so appealing to so many people? I really do believe that part of it was the deep dissatisfaction with Carter and his policies and personality. Disastrous foreign policy and economic misery were the hallmarks of the Carter years, and Reagan presented an alternative. Reagan brought a can-do attitude to the table, while Carter’s attitude basically boiled down to, “Things are tough. Deal with it.” Reagan’s optimism and cheer stood in stark contrast to Carter’s dour seriousness.

But it wasn’t just what Reagan wasn’t that made him an attractive candidate. He stood for so much that Americans found to their liking. Reagan’s deep, honest faith in God and in America, his belief in the power of the market to create a strong economy, his confidence in his nation’s leadership on the world stage, and his innate trust in the unique potential of every individual came together to capture the American spirit and lead to the best presidency of my lifetime. And I believe his was among the best presidencies in our history.

So, in conjunction with the thirtieth anniversary of his inauguration (January 20, 1981) and the upcoming hundredth anniversary of his birth (February 6, 1911), I have compiled a list of ten of Ronald Reagan’s defining moments. These aren’t necessarily the top accomplishments or most momentous occasions of his presidency, but I believe they speak to why he was such a successful leader.

We’ll start with the literal first moments of the Reagan presidency…

HUGO CHAVEZ

By Karen Northon

In Hollywood, it all comes down to how well you can deliver a line, which is perhaps why so many in the land of make-believe adore the dictatorial drama queen Hugo Chavez. The whole world truly is a stage. The man is a compelling orator to those whose ideological cataracts prevent them from seeing through Chavez’s persuasive rhetoric to the underlying persecution complex that directs his every move.

Hollywood is flooded with such visually-impaired, self-proclaimed foreign policy experts who believe Chavez just wants to hold hands with everyone and sing We Are the World.  Socialist-dictator groupie Sean Penn spent some quality time with Chavez in 2007 and again in 2008, calling him “a fascinating guy.” In Penn’s defense, I will admit I find documentaries about serial killers fascinating – though I don’t think I’d care to spend time cozying up with one and waxing intellectual about the politics of their brutality.

Then we have everyone’s favorite conspiracy-theory movie director, Oliver Stone, who undoubtedly steps up the controversial aspect of his projects as he feels the limelight fading on him. (By the way, Oliver – Girl Scout cookie sales funding coup to oust Castro? Could be.)

Stone recently premiered his poor-misunderstood-dictator commumentary about Chavez, remarking of the Venezuelan dictator, “[he] is an extremely dynamic and charismatic figure. He’s open and warmhearted and big, and a fascinating character.”

Yes. Fascinating. Got that.

It gets better/worse. Rumor has it former rocker and former(?) drug addict Courtney Love has a crush on the big, cuddly socialist dictator. She thinks he’s a “sexy dawg.” Now THAT is your brain on drugs.

Beyond the bizarro adoration of the Hollywood subculture, Chavez made an appearance on Larry King Live while in New York City for last month’s meeting of the U.N. General Assembly – kicking off King’s dictator trifecta that included interviews with Chavez’s BSFs (Best Socialist Friends) Muammar Qadhafi and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Once again, Chavez performed his dictator Two-Step, answering every question with a jab at U.S. foreign policy. He accuses the United States of backing a coup d’état to oust him, apparently having forgotten that he had organized and attempted a military coup to overthrow the Venezuelan government in 1992.

Why can’t we be friends? Why can’t we be friends?

There is no doubt – Chavez is a shrewd strategist. He understands that more power and influence are gained by appealing to the poor, restless masses and celebrities. And he knows just how to manipulate them into unquestioning devotion to him. As for world leaders, Chavez has extended his unwavering loyalty and support to every dictator and despot who presents any sort of threat to the United States.

And to the rest of the world, the peace-loving Chavez slings insults, openly calling George W. Bush a “donkey” and “the devil,” Condoleezza Rice an “illiterate,” former Mexican President Vicente Fox a “lapdog of imperialism,” Peruvian President Alan Garcia a “rotten thief” and a “crybaby.” More recently, he called President Obama an “ignoramus” and said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is “just lost.” My six-year-old could explain to him why he’s not making many friends.

Of his frequent verbal attacks against the United States, Jerrold M. Post, Director of the Political Psychology Program at George Washington University, says “his [Chavez’s] outrageous and confrontational rhetoric” increases in frequency and rancor “during times of internal instability” in his home country, and when he feels he’s put on the defensive.

Post wrote of Chavez in a 2007 analytical report for the U.S. Air Force Counterproliferation Center:

“Chavez is an authoritarian narcissistic leader who has dreams of glory, and can be overly sensitive to criticism. The arrogant certainty conveyed in his public pronouncements is very appealing to his followers. But under this grandiose facade, as is typical with narcissistic personalities, is extreme insecurity. When under stress, his defiance becomes more pronounced, as does his tendency to blame others for his own shortcomings.”

Chavez is like the boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse you just couldn’t confront, because as soon as you questioned or expressed negative feelings about something they did or said, they turned it back on you – questioning, in that defensive, incredulous tone, something you did x number of years ago that they didn’t like.

Despite his appeal to the impoverished of Venezuela, his fiscal policy has had a devastating effect on his country’s economy – though he finds ways to blame the United States for that as well, citing the North American Free Trade Agreement or some other policy of which he was not key in devising.

If failing economic policy doesn’t bring about his fall from power, his attempts to squash dissent may. Chavez recently ordered the permanent closing of 29 more radio stations that have been critical of his administration. And in response to a student protest/hunger strike, Chavez ordered the imprisonment of a 22-year-old college student for “attempting to incite civil war.”

In an editorial last month for The Huffington Post, Robert Amsterdam (an international Lawyer on emerging markets, politics of business, and rule of law) wrote:

“…the existence of more than 50 hunger striking students on the steps of the OAS [Organization of American States] headquarters [in Caracas] blows the smoke off the myth that Chávez is still some sort of social democrat who cares about his people.”

The question is, how long will it take for his base supporters to see Hugo Chavez for what he is – a malignant narcissist clinging to power?

On December 21, 1988, Libyan intelligence agent Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi, acting on instructions from Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qadaffi, placed a bomb on board Pan Am Flight 103, destroying the plane in flight. The blast killed 270 people, including all 243 passengers (189 of whom were American), 16 crew members, and 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie, Scotland.

After being sheltered for years by the Libyans, al-Megrahi was finally convicted of the crime in 2001 and sentenced to life imprisonment. After serving the equivalent of 11 days in prison for each victim, this mass murderer, now suffering from prostate cancer, was released by Scotland on “humanitarian” grounds. He arrived back in Libya, Amy Goodman reported on Democracy Now!, maintaining his innocence. In fact, Goodman’s report was a most sympathetic one, culminating in this self-serving statement from al-Megrahi, read by his attorney:

“I had most to gain and nothing to lose about the whole truth coming out, until my diagnosis of cancer. To those victims’ relatives who can bear to hear me say this, they continue to have my sincere sympathy for their unimaginable loss that they have suffered. To those who bear me ill will, the only thing I can say is that I do not return that to you.”

Al-Megrahi’s release, done quietly and resulting in his immediate house arrest upon his arrival back in Libya, would have been insulting enough to the families of the victims. What followed, however, was a disgrace of truly unimaginable proportions.

Libya, with the world watching, welcomed al-Megrahi home as a conquering hero. People danced in the streets. Some threw flower petals as he stepped from the plane. Al-Megrahi’s release, occurring as it did during the Islamic “holy month” of Ramadan, has been perceived almost as a miracle by his well-wishers. “It’s a great day for us,” said a jubilant 24-year-old Abdel-Aal Mansour, one of the revelers. “He belongs here, at home.”

As a further slap to the international community, al-Megrahi will even be feted at next month’s celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of the military coup that swept the Libyan dictator Quaddafi to power.

The Libyans, of course, in the midst of their jubilation, have given no thought to the relatives of the victims who died as a result of al-Megrahi’s state-sponsored terrorist act back in 1988. Those people are now forced to witness a state-sponsored celebratory spectacle. “You get that lump in your throat and you feel like you’re going to throw up,” said Norma Maslowski, a New Jersey native, whose 30-year-old daughter, Diane, died in the attack.

You do indeed.