I'm sure you're right, but with the ease of spreading information via the Internet, we get to hear about everything all day. I'm sure this is what it was like for those closest to those presidents enough to be up to date all of the time.

Even people who hated him admitted that Reagan was a smooth politician.

Gorbachev told a story about how he and Reagan were meeting in Helsinki for arms talks.

The protocol was that the americans would arrive first, talk to the press outside, then wait in the building. Then the soviets would show up.

Reagan broke protocol and came out to greet Gorbachev. Gorbachev is in a hat and coat, looking like a commuter, and Reagan is wearing a beautiful suit and looking like The Leader Of The Free World.