One who understood that politics essentially boils down to theatrics and branding. His astonishing success in the realm of political image-making (which notably has lasted well beyond his presidency) is one of the greatest marketing wonders in American history, especially given the Iran-Contra episode, the long list of broken promises which fly in the face of the pompous rhetoric (particularly to social conservatives/the Religious Right, groups he and his successors used as props), and the divisive rhetoric ("They act like Tarzan, look like Jane, and smell like Cheetah", etc.). Probably the one president who comes as close to the fabled 'Trump with a brain and actual political shrewdness' as you can realistically get. A masterful manipulator (especially in reading and playing his audience) and rhetorician, but the fact that he didn’t sink under the weight of his rhetoric is the real story of his presidency/legacy.
e: I highly recommend this gem, you’ll see why it’s really amusing (and illuminating):
Billing, William C. "Reagan in Youngstown."
The Ripon Forum, vol. 40, no. 5, Oct - Nov 2006.
https://riponsociety.org/article/reagan-in-youngstown/