Politics & Power Quote by Brian Mulroney

Power here comes from the quiet mechanics of persuasion, not soaring principle. Mulroney is describing statecraft as it usually happens: not with grand speeches, but with patience, relationship-building, and calibrated pressure applied at the right moment. The line opens with a mild understatement - “not enthusiastic” - that softens what was likely real resistance from Reagan. It’s diplomatic language doing diplomatic work: naming opposition without provoking it.

The subtext is transactional, but not crass. “I built up a relationship with him in other areas” signals the classic leader-to-leader bargain: bank goodwill on files where the other side feels confident, then spend that capital on the issue that actually matters to you. Mulroney frames persuasion as earned, not demanded. He’s also careful to make it personal - “important to us and to me” - which is a subtle tell. It’s not only national interest; it’s political identity. For Mulroney, U.S.-Canada economic integration and the architecture of modern Canadian conservatism were bound together, so getting Reagan to move wasn’t just a policy win, it was a legacy play.

Then comes the most revealing rhetorical hedge: “at least be in the process of looking at this seriously.” That’s how you sell a bold move in risk-averse terms. He isn’t claiming immediate agreement; he’s claiming momentum. In the context of the mid-1980s - when free trade was controversial at home and never automatic in Washington - “process” is the victory. It’s Mulroney presenting leadership as the art of making inevitability out of reluctance.