Excellent points Andrew. I worked on a White House task force early in his first term and from a couple of brief encounters it was relatively clear he was already growing senile (completely in his 2nd term). But he could read his lines like a champ (B Movie Actor). I recall a story by Tip O'Neil about when he first met Reagan. He had commented on his desk (which once belonged to President Cleveland) and he said "I played him a movie once", and Tip told him, "no Mr. President, you played Grover Cleveland Alexander, the baseball player".