--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think Reagan is primarily funny…" description: "\"I don't think Reagan is primarily funny, and I don't think he's primarily marvelous; he's complicated.\" — Eugene Jarecki" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/eugene-jarecki-16452_complicated_i-don-t-think-reagan-is-primarily-funny_2226771.jpg" --- # I don't think Reagan is primarily funny, and I don't think… ![“I don't think Reagan is primarily funny, and I don't think he's primarily marvelous; he's complicated.” quote by Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/eugene-jarecki-16452_complicated_i-don-t-think-reagan-is-primarily-funny_2226771.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/eugene-jarecki-16452_complicated_i-don-t-think-reagan-is-primarily-funny_2226771.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/eugene-jarecki-16452_complicated_i-don-t-think-reagan-is-primarily-funny_2226771.jpg) > “I don't think Reagan is primarily funny, and I don't think he's primarily marvelous; he's complicated.” [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reagan is not simply funny or marvelous; he is a complex figure with many layers. **In simple terms:** Reagan is complicated. Key Takeaway Recognize nuance in public figures. Themes politics complexity character Mood analytical thoughtful Type critical historical When to use this quote - political analysis - historical study - media critique Key Concepts leadership public perception Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of Reagan intrigue you? - How do you assess a leader’s full impact? A Different Perspective Simplifying can miss important details. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) ## Related quotes > [ I do not think he \[Reagan\] put names and faces together but for a small group of people. There were a few, perhaps half… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-hoffman/i-do-not-think-he-reagan-put-names-and-faces-together-but-for-a-small/) [David E. Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-hoffman/) > [I think if someone else other than Reagan, someone less of a hardliner, had been in power then the breakthrough in ending the Cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduard-shevardnadze/i-think-if-someone-else-other-than-reagan-someone-less-of-a-hardliner/) [Eduard Shevardnadze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduard-shevardnadze/) > [I wonder if these people today would think Reagan was a Reagan conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-reagan/i-wonder-if-these-people-today-would-think-reagan-was-a-reagan/) [Michael Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-reagan/) > [ I think his \[Reagan's\] policy toward the Soviet Union was more risky than most people realize, and it was risky because of the paranoia… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-hoffman/i-think-his-reagan-s-policy-toward-the-soviet-union-was-more-risky/) [David E. Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-hoffman/) > [Strategic thinkers were naturally rattled to find this outsider fooling around with their work. They had been thinking strategically when Reagan was just another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/strategic-thinkers-were-naturally-rattled-to-find-this-outsider/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [I think the Reagan people are superb marketers. Their whole approach to polling, to television, to the symbolism and the rest approaches genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-f-mondale/i-think-the-reagan-people-are-superb-marketers-their-whole-approach/) [Walter F. Mondale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-f-mondale/) > [Humor is a marvelous communications tool, as Reagan has demonstrated so well. He has weathered many a storm that others might not have. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/humor-is-a-marvelous-communications-tool-as-reagan-has-demonstrated/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [There are people who are trying to advance themselves by wrapping themselves in Reagan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/there-are-people-who-are-trying-to-advance-themselves-by-wrapping/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [Reaganism as a political movement has enormous resources behind it and it seeks - through stagecraft and through a tremendous level of effort toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/reaganism-as-a-political-movement-has-enormous-resources-behind-it/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [Reagan himself, for much of his life, was devoted against the elites. His antagonism to the Soviet Union is antagonism against oppression by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/reagan-himself-for-much-of-his-life-was-devoted-against-the-elites/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [Ron Reagan amazingly qualifies as an honest broker. I asked him if he was a mama's boy and he said no, more of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/ron-reagan-amazingly-qualifies-as-an-honest-broker-i-asked-him-if-he/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [His track record of pragmatism, depth and candor all speak to a person who would find the Tea Party simplistic, opportunistic and misguided. Reagan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/his-track-record-of-pragmatism-depth-and-candor-all-speak-to-a-person/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [Reagan is held up to us as an example of never raising taxes. Correction: Reagan raised taxes six of his eight years as president.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/reagan-is-held-up-to-us-as-an-example-of-never-raising-taxes/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [You can't have a discussion about politics without mentioning Ronald Reagan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/you-can-t-have-a-discussion-about-politics-without-mentioning-ronald/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [I have criticisms of Ronald Reagan, but he lives in another universe from the kind of political theater that is represented by people, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/i-have-criticisms-of-ronald-reagan-but-he-lives-in-another-universe/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) ## More by Eugene Jarecki > [If we went back to the imprisonment rate we had in the early '70s, something like four out of five people employed in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/if-we-went-back-to-the-imprisonment-rate-we-had-in-the-early-70s/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [The whole idea of a democracy is that we ourselves, the people, are supposed to make a path of our politics, and it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/the-whole-idea-of-a-democracy-is-that-we-ourselves-the-people-are/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [War is party-blind. It doesn't care who is in the Oval Office. The forces that drive us to war don't care whether it's Republican,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/war-is-party-blind-it-doesn-t-care-who-is-in-the-oval-office-the/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [The prison industrial complex, to put it in its crassest term, is a system of industrial mass incarceration. So there's what you call bureaucratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/the-prison-industrial-complex-to-put-it-in-its-crassest-term-is-a/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [As I was growing up, you know, I'm a white Jewish American born to Holocaust parents. My father fled Nazi Germany in 1939 and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/as-i-was-growing-up-you-know-i-m-a-white-jewish-american-born-to/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [You can't have a discussion about politics without mentioning Ronald Reagan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/you-can-t-have-a-discussion-about-politics-without-mentioning-ronald/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [There are people who are trying to advance themselves by wrapping themselves in Reagan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/there-are-people-who-are-trying-to-advance-themselves-by-wrapping/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [I have criticisms of Ronald Reagan, but he lives in another universe from the kind of political theater that is represented by people, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/i-have-criticisms-of-ronald-reagan-but-he-lives-in-another-universe/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [If you watch the evening news, Dr. Kissinger is very often brought on to sort of be the statesman of his age and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/if-you-watch-the-evening-news-dr-kissinger-is-very-often-brought-on/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [The thing that happens is that politicians run on tough-on-crime rhetoric. You appeal to the public and say, 'Let's put more money into taller…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/the-thing-that-happens-is-that-politicians-run-on-tough-on-crime/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [It is only education and understanding of the past that teaches us not to repeat history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/it-is-only-education-and-understanding-of-the-past-that-teaches-us/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [The prison industrial complex is perhaps, at least domestically, the most striking example of us putting profit before people. It all stems from one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/the-prison-industrial-complex-is-perhaps-at-least-domestically-the/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [You can call me an Eisenhower Republican. There is a gigantic gulf between an Eisenhower Republican and the kind of fringe brand of Republicanism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/you-can-call-me-an-eisenhower-republican-there-is-a-gigantic-gulf/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [Ron Reagan amazingly qualifies as an honest broker. I asked him if he was a mama's boy and he said no, more of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/ron-reagan-amazingly-qualifies-as-an-honest-broker-i-asked-him-if-he/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [Reaganism as a political movement has enormous resources behind it and it seeks - through stagecraft and through a tremendous level of effort toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/reaganism-as-a-political-movement-has-enormous-resources-behind-it/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) [Explore all 39 Eugene Jarecki quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) ## More Complicated quotes > [Of course I like you. It's because I like you I don't wanna be with you. It's a complicated emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlin/of-course-i-like-you-it-s-because-i-like-you-i-don-t-wanna-be-with/) Marlin > [“Why the hell did he have to be so complicated? One minute he was charming, the next he withdrew behind his internal walls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lia-davis/why-the-hell-did-he-have-to-be-so-complicated-one-minute-he-was/) [Lia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lia-davis/) > [Life is more complicated than we think, yet far simpler than anyone dares to imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/life-is-more-complicated-than-we-think-yet-far-simpler-than-anyone/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Programmers are always surrounded by complexity; we cannot avoid it… If our basic tool, the language in which we design and code our programs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/programmers-are-always-surrounded-by-complexity-we-cannot-avoid-it-if/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [“Just because it's complicated, just because you think you can't ever know everything about another person, it doesn't mean you can't try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/just-because-it-s-complicated-just-because-you-think-you-can-t-ever/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [The one thing I absolutely hate about social media are the people who abuse it. Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [Your Starbucks order is directly proportional to how complicated your personality is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin/your-starbucks-order-is-directly-proportional-to-how-complicated-your/) [Kevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin/) > [Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. If it happens that the question which we wish to examine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/geometry-which-should-only-obey-physics-when-united-with-it-sometimes/) [Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/) > [I have learned so much from my dad. Perhaps the biggest thing I've learned from my dad is how to be prepared at all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-sekulow/i-have-learned-so-much-from-my-dad-perhaps-the-biggest-thing-i-ve/) [Jay Sekulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-sekulow/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ The parts of the \[Civil Right\] Movement we recognize so well now were not born from a single decision, but were a complicated and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-aydin/the-parts-of-the-civil-right-movement-we-recognize-so-well-now-were/) [Andrew Aydin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-aydin/) > [Two people could build an outhouse in four hours. They're not complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-maxwell/two-people-could-build-an-outhouse-in-four-hours-they-re-not/) [Robert Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-maxwell/) Browse all 3,190 Complicated quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't think Reagan is primarily funny, and I don't think he's primarily marvelous; he's complicated.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eugene Jarecki" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/i-don-t-think-reagan-is-primarily-funny-and-i-don-t-think-he-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Complicated" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/i-don-t-think-reagan-is-primarily-funny-and-i-don-t-think-he-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/eugene-jarecki-16452_complicated_i-don-t-think-reagan-is-primarily-funny_2226771.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/eugene-jarecki-16452_complicated_i-don-t-think-reagan-is-primarily-funny_2226771.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/eugene-jarecki-16452_complicated_i-don-t-think-reagan-is-primarily-funny_2226771.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't think Reagan is primarily funny, and I don't think he's primarily marvelous; he's complicated.” — Eugene Jarecki", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eugene Jarecki", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't think Reagan is primarily...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/i-don-t-think-reagan-is-primarily-funny-and-i-don-t-think-he-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/i-don-t-think-reagan-is-primarily-funny-and-i-don-t-think-he-s/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```