By Cindi Andrews
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A crowd protests President Reagan's economic policies at the Westin Hotel in 1981. Enquirer file photo

The highway that runs from Colerain Township to Montgomery is the most visible sign of Greater Cincinnatians' fondness for the late President Reagan, but his political legacy may be just as lasting.

Construction on the new east-west connector wasn't even finished and Reagan had been out of office only six years when Hamilton County communities banded together to name the Ronald Reagan Highway in 1994. It's believed to be the first highway in the nation named after the 40th president, and it happened with bipartisan support, said County Commissioner John Dowlin, who led the effort.

"He was my hero because he really stood for what he believed in," Dowlin said.

Reagan was a role model for a generation of politicians in Southwest Ohio, a GOP-dominated region that has produced its share of ardent anti-tax conservatives.

"I remember first meeting him in 1981 just before he was sworn in as president and being impressed with his optimism and his clear vision about what America could be," Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Portman said Saturday. "In his eight years as president, so much of that vision was accomplished. He was an inspiring figure and will be remembered as one of the great world leaders of the 20th century.

"President Reagan had an influence on anybody who's a Republican."

Portman's sentiment was echoed by Hamilton County Commissioner Phil Heimlich , who has hammered at the need to reduce taxes since he took office 11/2 years ago.

"He was the icon of American conservatism," Heimlich said.

He was one of about 50 people at an informal out-of-town event in 1982 that featured Reagan. Heimlich, then 29, shot his hand in the air when Reagan opened the floor to questions.

"Despite all the very positive things he did, he did run deficits," Heimlich said, so he asked about that. "I don't remember the exact answer, but he answered - as he always did - very effectively and very convincingly."

"I would consider him to be one of the greatest presidents of the 20th century," said U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Westwood. "He is the person most responsible for the collapse of Communism."

Chabot met him with several times over the years, including during his run for Congress, when the president campaigned for him and filmed a television commercial for Chabot.

"I don't know that it did much good," Chabot said Saturday. "I lost the race. It was really nice, he cut a 30-second ad basically saying nice things. I thought that might pull it out in the end, wasn't to be."

Chabot recalled helping greet Reagan at the airport on Aug. 8, 1988 - the day his nephew was born. He cut out an Enquirer editorial welcoming Reagan and got the president to sign it.

"My sister has it hanging up on his wall. It's kind of a nice family connection with President Reagan. One of the things my nephew knows its that the president knew he was born that day," Chabot said.

Warren County Right to Life leader Lori Viars never got to see Reagan, but many of his causes are now her causes.

"He was the original compassionate conservative before that became a buzzword," she said. "He was beloved by everyone - he was beloved even by Democrats. He is remembered as a pro-life, pro-conservative president."

Reagan is the main reason U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester Twp., got into politics, he said Saturday.

"Without President Reagan, we would not have learned the lesson we are currently learning all over again: cutting taxes and giving Americans more of their own money is the single best way to jump-start an economy and create new jobs."

Reagan's optimistic outlook also made a lasting impression on present-day politicians.

"President Reagan will be remembered for reviving the American spirit and restoring America's leadership in the world," Gov. Bob Taft said in a statement Saturday. "... Personally, I have been influenced by his continuously upbeat manner and by his confidence in the strength and abilities of the American people."

Taft, a Cincinnati native, was chairman of Reagan's Ohio re-election campaign in 1984.

As Viars noted, the president had a way of winning over Democrats, too.

"I thought he was a wonderful president," Democratic County Auditor Dusty Rhodes said. "I admired his good humor and the fact that he stood for something. The '70s were so horrible in so many ways. Everyone was going around with long faces, and then suddenly there was this happy guy.

"I loved his style."

The Ohio Department of Transportation tried to change the name of Ronald Reagan Highway back to a route number when it formally became a state highway. The name was just too long, a spokeswoman said.

Hamilton County residents would have none of that, however. A flurry of telephone calls and letters to Columbus helped the transportation bureaucrats find a way to fit Ronald Reagan on their signs.

Reporters Dan Klepal and Justin Fenton contributed. E-mail candrews@enquirer.com