--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ronald Reagan is the first modern…" description: "\"Ronald Reagan is the first modern President whose contempt for the facts is treated as a charming idiosyncrasy.\" — James David Barber" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdd/james-david-barber-66990_charming_ronald-reagan-is-the-first-modern-presid_2918915.png" --- # Ronald Reagan is the first modern President whose contempt… ![“Ronald Reagan is the first modern President whose contempt for the facts is treated as a charming idiosyncrasy.” quote by James David Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdd/james-david-barber-66990_charming_ronald-reagan-is-the-first-modern-presid_2918915.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdd/james-david-barber-66990_charming_ronald-reagan-is-the-first-modern-presid_2918915.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdd/james-david-barber-66990_charming_ronald-reagan-is-the-first-modern-presid_2918915.png) > “Ronald Reagan is the first modern President whose contempt for the facts is treated as a charming idiosyncrasy.” James David Barber ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reagan’s contempt for facts is treated as a charming quirk, reflecting modern political tolerance of falsehood. **In simple terms:** Political culture tolerates factual contempt. Key Takeaway Question political narratives. Themes politics leadership truth Mood critical analytical Type political satirical When to use this quote - elections - public discourse - media analysis Key Concepts political science media studies psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does charisma affect truth perception? - What are consequences of factual contempt? A Different Perspective Charm can mask harmful misinformation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contempt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contempt/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Idiosyncrasies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiosyncrasies/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) ## Related quotes > [Maybe the most interesting find in my research is that it is clear that Ronald Reagan, among all modern presidents, plainly rediscovered the founders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/maybe-the-most-interesting-find-in-my-research-is-that-it-is-clear/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [Ronald Reagan's biographer wrote of the former president's final days: "for all the intimate familiarity of that face and body, I did not feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-morris/ronald-reagan-s-biographer-wrote-of-the-former-president-s-final-days/) Edwin Morris > [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/) > [Ronald Reagan is the most ignorant president since Warren Harding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/ronald-reagan-is-the-most-ignorant-president-since-warren-harding/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [Ronald Reagan knew who he was. Barack Obama is still working through that equation politically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-scarborough/ronald-reagan-knew-who-he-was-barack-obama-is-still-working-through/) [Joe Scarborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-scarborough/) > [Anti-Tax fetishist Grover Norquist owns a bust of Ronald Reagan, who raised taxes 11 times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fugelsang/anti-tax-fetishist-grover-norquist-owns-a-bust-of-ronald-reagan-who/) [John Fugelsang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fugelsang/) > [Ronald Reagan had a kind of shallow movie-star charisma - a combination of makeup and the skill of a good actor - but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/ronald-reagan-had-a-kind-of-shallow-movie-star-charisma-a-combination/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [The legacy of Ronald Reagan will live on forever. I, of course, had the wonderful opportunity of working with him and getting to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-brady/the-legacy-of-ronald-reagan-will-live-on-forever-i-of-course-had-the/) [Sarah Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-brady/) > [I'm looking for a president that'll be like a Ronald Reagan to a Jimmy Carter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/i-m-looking-for-a-president-that-ll-be-like-a-ronald-reagan-to-a/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [ \[Ronald\] Reagan seems to be a man of some basic convictions and on the other hand willing to let others do the ground homework,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-schmidt/ronald-reagan-seems-to-be-a-man-of-some-basic-convictions-and-on-the/) [Helmut Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-schmidt/) > [Dwight Eisenhower presented a face of America that was heroic and resolute; Ronald Reagan represented a return to confidence and glamour after the weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-reid/dwight-eisenhower-presented-a-face-of-america-that-was-heroic-and/) [Joy Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-reid/) > [Half a century ago, Ronald Reagan, the man whose relentless optimism inspired me to enter politics, famously said that he didn't leave the Democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-crist/half-a-century-ago-ronald-reagan-the-man-whose-relentless-optimism/) [Charlie Crist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-crist/) > [ Everything \[Ronald Reagan\] got, the tax cuts, he had Democrats outnumbering him in the House and Senate everywhere. There were certain realities that he… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/everything-ronald-reagan-got-the-tax-cuts-he-had-democrats/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Ronald Reagan just signed the new tax law. But I think he was in Hollywood too long. He signed it, 'Best wishes, Ronald Reagan.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/ronald-reagan-just-signed-the-new-tax-law-but-i-think-he-was-in/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [Ronald Reagan has a story for every occasion. Bill Clinton has an excuse for every occasion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-barnes/ronald-reagan-has-a-story-for-every-occasion-bill-clinton-has-an/) [Fred Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-barnes/) ## More by James David Barber > [Trying to make the presidency work these days is like trying to sew buttons on a custard pie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-david-barber/trying-to-make-the-presidency-work-these-days-is-like-trying-to-sew/) James David Barber > [ \[The American public demands\] a sense of legitimacy from and in the presidency. There is more to this than dignity, more than propriety. The… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-david-barber/the-american-public-demands-a-sense-of-legitimacy-from-and-in-the/) James David Barber > [The Kennedy home was a place of much action and laughter, a lively, brawling mob of children overseen by a mother who knew when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-david-barber/the-kennedy-home-was-a-place-of-much-action-and-laughter-a-lively/) James David Barber Explore all 4 James David Barber quotes ## More Charming quotes > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [Anybody can be Prince Charming one day a year, with the dinner and the flowers and all that. But you know what impresses me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howard/anybody-can-be-prince-charming-one-day-a-year-with-the-dinner-and-the/) [Ryan Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-howard/) > [Ninety-eight percent of the things that come out of my mouth are intended to be harmless or even charming. They're not ever intended to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/ninety-eight-percent-of-the-things-that-come-out-of-my-mouth-are/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Falling out of love is chiefly a matter of forgetting how charming someone is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/falling-out-of-love-is-chiefly-a-matter-of-forgetting-how-charming/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [You have to be nicer to me," I said. Again he laughed. "What? I'm the King of nice. What are you talking about?" "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-myracle/you-have-to-be-nicer-to-me-i-said-again-he-laughed-what-i-m-the-king/) [Lauren Myracle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-myracle/) > [Everything was so designed by Hannibal to break down Will in the first season, until Will's sanity became questionable. It's so much easier to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-fuller/everything-was-so-designed-by-hannibal-to-break-down-will-in-the/) [Bryan Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-fuller/) > [Old Etonians are the most charming people in the world. It's not just the analytic ability and the great education; there is a really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-wade/old-etonians-are-the-most-charming-people-in-the-world-it-s-not-just/) [Laura Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-wade/) > [My beloved friend - one of the most unique and charming personalities of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/my-beloved-friend-one-of-the-most-unique-and-charming-personalities/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [Wouldn’t that make a charming epitaph? Here lies Cat. Killed not by fang, but Ferragamos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/wouldn-t-that-make-a-charming-epitaph-here-lies-cat-killed-not-by/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [Sir, money, money, the most charming of all things; money, which will say more in one moment than the most elegant lover can in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/sir-money-money-the-most-charming-of-all-things-money-which-will-say/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [Charming Alnaschar visions! it is the happy privilege of youth to construct you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/charming-alnaschar-visions-it-is-the-happy-privilege-of-youth-to/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [I wasn‘t—" I began. I didn‘t—" He began. How charming," V‘lane cut us off. His voice arrived before he did. "The very portrait of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/i-wasn-t-i-began-i-didn-t-he-began-how-charming-v-lane-cut-us-off-his/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Lillian Gish may be a charming person, but she is not Ophelia. She comes on stage as if she had been sent for to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrs-patrick-campbell/lillian-gish-may-be-a-charming-person-but-she-is-not-ophelia-she/) [Mrs. Patrick Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mrs-patrick-campbell/) > [There are likable characters in prison. Sometimes the worst criminals are also some of the most charming people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taryn-manning/there-are-likable-characters-in-prison-sometimes-the-worst-criminals/) [Taryn Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taryn-manning/) > [The secular mind and heart, however gifted and personally charming, has no place in the leadership of the church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-oswald-sanders/the-secular-mind-and-heart-however-gifted-and-personally-charming-has/) [J. Oswald Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-oswald-sanders/) Browse all 808 Charming quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ronald Reagan is the first modern President whose contempt for the facts is treated as a charming idiosyncrasy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James David Barber" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-david-barber/ronald-reagan-is-the-first-modern-president-whose-contempt-for-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Charming" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-david-barber/ronald-reagan-is-the-first-modern-president-whose-contempt-for-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdd/james-david-barber-66990_charming_ronald-reagan-is-the-first-modern-presid_2918915.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdd/james-david-barber-66990_charming_ronald-reagan-is-the-first-modern-presid_2918915.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdd/james-david-barber-66990_charming_ronald-reagan-is-the-first-modern-presid_2918915.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ronald Reagan is the first modern President whose contempt for the facts is treated as a charming…” — James David Barber", "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": "James David Barber", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-david-barber/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Ronald Reagan is the first modern...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-david-barber/ronald-reagan-is-the-first-modern-president-whose-contempt-for-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-david-barber/ronald-reagan-is-the-first-modern-president-whose-contempt-for-the/#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 } } ] } ```