--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everyone on the Left has a favorite story…" description: "\"Everyone on the Left has a favorite story that allows them to kind of excuse Reagan, explain away Reagan, say he was dumb, but unless we reckon with th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0de/rick-perlstein-3637_ability_everyone-on-the-left-has-a-favorite-stor_1468387.png" --- # Everyone on the Left has a favorite story that allows them… ![“Everyone on the Left has a favorite story that allows them to kind of excuse Reagan, explain away Reagan, say he was dumb, but unless we reckon with that kind of emotional intelligence and his ability to kind of speak to the aspirations of the American people, the less liberals are going to be…” quote by Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0de/rick-perlstein-3637_ability_everyone-on-the-left-has-a-favorite-stor_1468387.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0de/rick-perlstein-3637_ability_everyone-on-the-left-has-a-favorite-stor_1468387.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0de/rick-perlstein-3637_ability_everyone-on-the-left-has-a-favorite-stor_1468387.png) > “Everyone on the Left has a favorite story that allows them to kind of excuse Reagan, explain away Reagan, say he was dumb, but unless we reckon with that kind of emotional intelligence and his ability to kind of speak to the aspirations of the American people, the less liberals are going to be able to understand the soul of his appeal.” [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding Reagan's appeal requires emotional intelligence and recognizing his resonance with American aspirations. **In simple terms:** Know the emotional roots of political appeal. Key Takeaway Study the emotional underpinnings of leaders. Themes political analysis emotional intelligence historical narrative Mood critical reflective Type historical political When to use this quote - campaign strategy - media analysis - public speaking - policy debate Key Concepts psychology of leadership public sentiment Questions to Reflect On - What emotions drive political support? - How can leaders connect authentically? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on rational critique may miss emotional impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Aspirations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspirations/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [Emotional intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional-intelligence/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Liberals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberals/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reckon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reckon/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) ## Related quotes > [The status quo helps liberals. 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You people are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/you-liberals-are-going-to-have-to-understand-something-i-m-not-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I think the liberals are going to try to blame - and they already are - this entire mess on the right and on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-tantaros/i-think-the-liberals-are-going-to-try-to-blame-and-they-already-are/) [Andrea Tantaros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-tantaros/) > [Wal-Mart has done more for poor people then any ten liberals, at least nine of whom are almost guaranteed to hate Wal-Mart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/wal-mart-has-done-more-for-poor-people-then-any-ten-liberals-at-least/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“Liberals tend to view traditions, policies, and morals of past generations as arbitrary designs put in place by less enlightened people. 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They're yuk, they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/here-s-a-group-of-people-this-is-how-the-liberals-think-a-group-of/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ I'm wary of government. Part of \[the Tea Party\] impulse is to dislike and be worried about the rich. I'm that way too. So… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-m-wary-of-government-part-of-the-tea-party-impulse-is-to-dislike/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [Reagan's emotional intelligence, his ability to suss out people's longings and to channel them for political purposes, was better than just about any human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/reagan-s-emotional-intelligence-his-ability-to-suss-out-people-s/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [Whatever you think about his intelligence, what's unquestionable is that Reagan had extraordinary emotional intelligence. 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So I reckon I'm about sixty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesb/you-are-as-old-as-you-feel-so-i-reckon-i-m-about-sixty/) [Jo Nesbø](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesb/) ## More by Rick Perlstein > [I love trade magazines - any trade's magazine: by entering into what is taken for granted in a world not your own, you better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/i-love-trade-magazines-any-trade-s-magazine-by-entering-into-what-is/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [When the 2008 victory of Barack Obama and the defeat of grumpy old John McCain began looking, um, inevitable, I started fielding inquiries about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/when-the-2008-victory-of-barack-obama-and-the-defeat-of-grumpy-old/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [Watergate got us to think of leaders as mere mortals. 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So does right-wing historical memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/computers-have-cut-and-paste-functions-so-does-right-wing-historical/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [Empirical debunking cannot reach the deepest fear of the reactionary mind, which is that the state - that devouring leviathan - will soon swallow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/empirical-debunking-cannot-reach-the-deepest-fear-of-the-reactionary/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [I think that all politicians who aspire to the presidency are a little nuts, but for different reasons. What kind of person aspires to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/i-think-that-all-politicians-who-aspire-to-the-presidency-are-a/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [Chicago's privatization mania began during Mayor Richard M. Daley's administration, which ran from 1989 to 2011. Under his successor, Rahm Emanuel, the trend has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/chicago-s-privatization-mania-began-during-mayor-richard-m-daley-s/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [One thing Republicans understand: In American elections, you have to choose from among only two people - not between the perfect and the good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/one-thing-republicans-understand-in-american-elections-you-have-to/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [Social conservatism, business conservatism: the one side constitutes the other, like some infernal Mobius strip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/social-conservatism-business-conservatism-the-one-side-constitutes/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [Sometimes I like to think that the responsibility of every new generation of Democrats is to devise a program that mints new Democrats for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/sometimes-i-like-to-think-that-the-responsibility-of-every-new/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) [Explore all 125 Rick Perlstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. 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