There was no surprise in the Washington Times’s pull-out section devoted to Ronald Reagan’s centenary in February, nor in the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page tributes to Reagan’s greatness from Robert McFarlane and Peggy Noonan as well as its regular editorialists. But the Washington Post? Inside the front page on the same day as the crosstown Times’s tribute—Had they thought it worth their while to run a “spoiler”?—the paper advertised a web special to mark the auspicious anniversary: “Former president Ronald Reagan would turn 100 Saturday if he were alive today,” it read. “We take a look back at the man whose legacy still shapes U.S. politics.” Actually, the birthday was on Sunday, February 6, and he turned 100 even though he isn’t alive today. But these are quibbles with what must be—mustn’t it?—a handsome gesture of apology and contrition on the part of the Post, which was once very far from recognizing any greatness in our fortieth President, or any legacy of his worth celebrating.
If you went as directed to web page wapo.st/reagan-100 you would find, among other things, “audio slideshows and photo galleries, videos of memorable Reagan moments, a Reagan trivia quiz, Q & A sessions with Reagan experts, famous quotes from the former president, a twitter feed displaying tweets from Reagan100 and much more.” Among the “much more” was a feature asking, “What’s named after Reagan where you live?” at which readers were invited to find “a building, street