When former President Ronald Reagan walked into rooms, people stood up and when he would laugh, others would laugh.
"He would ask, 'Don't you people have minds of your own?'" said political science Prof. Raymond Tanter, who served as one of Reagan's security advisers. "That's the problem with power."
Tanter shared many of his experiences and political views with the campus chapter of the College Republicans last night.
"This is perhaps the best speech we've had this year," said campus College Republicans President Nick Kirk.
Some of Tanter's memorable experiences come from his work in the Reagan administration. He said advisers were of great importance to Reagan, but they did not make decisions for him.
"Some people called us his handlers, but no one could handle Ronald Reagan," Tanter said.
Although he was excited to work in Washington, D.C., Tanter said he soon found the world of politics was much more political and cutthroat than he had expected.
"That was not the type of ballgame I thought Washington was about," Tanter said.
One person Tanter lost the political ballgame to was Oliver North, who replaced him in the Reagan administration.
Tanter said his personality and views were quite different from North, and he had warned North about problems that came later in North's political career.
"I said, 'Ollie, one day you're going to get in trouble,'" Tanter said. "(North is) just not my kind of guy."
Reagan subsequently sent Tanter to Vienna to be the representative of the Secretary of Defense.
Although he has spent his life in politics, Tanter only placed one bid for public office in an unsuccessful run for Michigan's 13th District House of Representatives seat.
Tanter said his pro-choice stance hindered him from receiving Republican support.
"There aren't any pro-choice Republicans, I learned," said Tanter, who was upset by his accumulation of a $10,000 campaign debt. "I vowed never to run again.
Tanter also shared many of his views on state, national and world politics with the group. He has many theories as to why President Clinton won re-election in November.
"One of the reasons why Bill Clinton is president is the success of the Republican and Democratic presidents in ending the Cold War and George Bush for ending the hot war in the Gulf," Tanter said. "Peace and prosperity are the two key themes on which people vote."
Tanter said he is concerned with recent campaign funding allegations against the Clintons, but that such scandals will not sway the national vote.
AJA DEKLEVA COHEN/Daily
Political science Prof. Raymond Tanter, a security adviser to former President Ronald Reagan, speaks with LSA senior Pete Rinato after his lecture at the campus College Republicans meeting in the Michigan League last night.