People often ask, "What are the best temperament combinations for a good marriage?" After many decades of study, Dr. David Keirsey has found that any two temperaments can get along if they work hard enough, but there are several patterns in mating choices that seem to be naturally successful. One of those pairings is the Artisan-Guardian relationship. Not only is this the most common pairing, it has also proven to be very often a stable and productive match. Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis Reagan are a well-known example of this kind of match. The United States, and the world in general, benefited greatly from this kind of match, for without the help of Nancy, Ronald Reagan would have never attained the Presidency of the United States, or contributed to the reduction of nuclear weapons between the two superpowers and pushing the Soviet Union to the brink of collapse.

What makes the Artisan-Guardian match successful? One clear answer is teamwork. Each person uses their talents to add to the relationship, not subtract. The strengths of one partner covers the weaknesses of the other. Ronald, a Performer Artisan was always trying to please people and had a hard time saying no to requests. Nancy, a Protector Guardian fiercely guarded Ronald's time and who was able to get close to him. She knew that his natural tendency to be nice to everyone would eventually wear him out if she didn't run interference. This shows how the Artisan and Guardian temperaments can be complementary, even in the rough and tumble of life.

When Michael Deaver, Reagan's special assistant and the keeper of his schedule, was asked what contribution Nancy Reagan had on the career of Reagan, he said "it was enormous." Nancy didn't have any influence or interest in political issues, but she fiercely guarded her Ronny from people who she felt didn't have Reagan's best interest in mind. Reagan, like all Performer Artisans, tended to "Always look on the bright side" [Please Understand Me II, p.70]. Reagan did not confront those who worked for him who failed him. Nancy watched out for her husband when it came to trusting people in doing what he intended them to do. It was this cautious optimism between the two that forged a powerful pairing.

"He would have been run ragged," said his son, Ron Reagan, when asked what would have happened to his father if he had continued to be "in charge" of his own schedule before he became the governor of the State of California. Ron Reagan said his father had difficulty using the word "No" to people who wanted some of his time. Ronald Reagan would naturally try to satisfy all comers, no matter the cost and time needed. This difficulty with saying "no" is typical of Performer Artisans, because all they want to do is perform and make people happy. They are the most generous people of the all temperaments, second only to the Composer Artisans in kindness.

Michael Deaver said that when he came on board, Nancy left the schedule book to him. She knew her husband well, and knew he needed someone around him to make sure that he used his talents well in the political realm. She knew she wasn't the right person to do that, but Deaver was and she had a sense that Deaver had Reagan's best interests in mind.

Normally she stood behind the scenes, as the ever watchful hen, but if Nancy thought that a person was not serving her Ronny well, she would try to use her influence to get rid of that person. Donald Regan's resignation was the most visible example of Nancy's rare call to action in this regard. Regan did a brilliant job as Secretary of Treasury in Reagan's first term, and had taken over as Chief of Staff in the beginning of Reagan's second term.

Regan, probably a Mastermind Rational, was well-suited for a cabinet position, but was not suited to serve as Ronald Reagan's Chief of Staff because he acted as more of an executive for himself and could not be a good personal secretary for someone else. He also lacked diplomatic intelligence, subtlety, and discretion, and didn't know how to smooth the edges of conflict. Nancy realized this and started waging an inside campaign against him. Eventually Regan found out that Nancy was against him, and felt that she was too meddlesome, so he resigned his position - he knew he couldn't win against Nancy's protection of Ronald. Nancy Reagan seemed content when Howard Baker took over as Chief of Staff.

It's important to note that the some of the same attributes that could get Ronald Reagan in trouble were some of the same qualities that people loved about him. His final contribution, his open letter to the American people to make people aware of Alzheimer's Disease, was a joint decision of his and Nancy's to make public aware of the debilitating affliction. He wrote the following letter to share his circumstance with Alzheimer's: