And Reagan was prepared to cut taxes, by making deals with Congress. Unlike many of his followers, the president was more interested in putting points on the board than in toeing some ideological line. “He knew when to hold ’em; he knew when to fold ’em,” says Baker. “He was a great negotiator. Reagan always said, ‘I’ll take eighty percent of what I want, and come back later for more.’ He never understood the diehards who would go off the cliff with their flags flying.”
