Reagan found place in hearts of Oklahomans

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Oklahomans were quick to throw their support behind Ronald Reagan and, even if he didn't always make it known, he was frequently a visitor to the state. <br/><br/>Reagan, more

Sunday, June 6th 2004, 11:38 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Oklahomans were quick to throw their support behind Ronald Reagan and, even if he didn't always make it known, he was frequently a visitor to the state.

Reagan, more than any other president, would use Tinker Air Force Base as a secure place to rest while his plane refueled halfway between his home in California and Washington, D.C. He'd rest in a VIP lounge without making a public appearance, then resume his trip.

But Reagan, who was unanimously chosen by Oklahoma delegates as the Republican nominee for president over Gerald Ford in 1976, also made public visits to Oklahoma, which backed him in his successful presidential bids in 1980 and 1984.

He was known to appear at $6 bean suppers or at $1,000-per-couple private dinners. The former president also helped campaign and raise funds for Republicans including U.S. Senators Don Nickles and Jim Inhofe and would visit with former Gov. Henry Bellmon.

Nickles, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980, credited Reagan with winning the Cold War.

``People remember the speech where he said, 'Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,''' Nickles said. ``Well he did it, and we did it.''

The former president, known as ``The Great Communicator,'' was able to relate to people as a real person, not a politician, Nickles said.

``He maybe wasn't the most polished speaker, but he could communicate with people,'' Nickles said. ``He wouldn't know all the fine details, but he knew where he wanted to go, where he wanted the country to go.''

Inhofe said Reagan was committed to the conservative philosophy.

``He wasn't taking polls to see what conservatives want,'' Inhofe said. ``He knew what they wanted.''

Inhofe said his father formerly worked in the same building with Reagan. Inhofe said he used to visit Reagan at the White House frequently.

Former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts Jr., R-Okla., said Reagan changed his political standing.

``I was not a Republican when Ronald Reagan was president, but he sure got my attention,'' Watts said. ``I was in my 20s, and like many Democrats, I did a gut check in the 1980s when President Reagan put to words the convictions of my heart. In many ways, President Reagan inspired me to become a Republican.''

Reagan also had an impact on former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating, appointing him to three different posts. But Keating recalled Reagan's impact on America.

``We were in the depths of the Cold War,'' Keating said. ``We thought it would be difficult to win. The Iranians were holding our hostages. We were dealing with double-digit inflation rates and double-digit unemployment rates.

``Ronald Reagan restored our confidence and pointed in the direction of a new America. He was an extraordinary optimist, and he made us feel good about ourselves.''

After his second term ended in 1989, Reagan was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. The museum honored him in two categories _ as a great Westerner who had made contributions to America's Western heritage, and as a Western performer.

A bronze sculpture at the museum shows Reagan as a ranch hand. An identical casting of the statue, named ``After the Ride,'' is in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.