Best quote to sum up the week for Reagan

We suspect there's something far sturdier at work, in particular the desire for Americans to regain their sense of national pride and direction. Even Mr. Reagan's critics have praised his "optimism" this week but as if to reduce it to a smile. The Gipper's optimism was much deeper, connected as it was both to specific policies (which we discussed on Monday in this space) and to a faith in America's fundamental goodness and moral purpose. Mr. Reagan genuinely believed, and said regularly, that democracy and freedom are universal aspirations and that America has an obligation to promote them to the rest of the world.


From the WSJ.com Review & Outlook section in Friday's paper.