A Whole Lot of Shaking Going On

Reagan's crowd-pleasing skills were developed over time through his experience in drama. Outside of that, he also had experience touring, motivational speaking, and public relations when he worked for General Electric. After signing a contract with GE in 1954 to host the General Electric Theater TV program, Ronald Reagan began touring GE plants around the country. Matching the breakneck pace of a campaign, Reagan visited 135 plants in about forty states, met 250,000 people and stood before a microphone for an estimated 250,000 minutes in just a few years. On some days during his touring for GE, he delivered as many as fourteen speeches, and on one occasion, reportedly shook 2,000 hands in a receiving line.

Ronald Reagan and the American Presidency, p.72.

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