Was Reagan a malicious guy, or just very dim, naive, and easily handled?

[synesthesia]

I'm reading his biography on wikipedia right now, and it's hard to tell.

Wikipedia tends to be edited by leftists, so I trust they wouldn't put up with TOO MUCH revionist history.

Based on his pre-political life, I get the sense he was just kind of an small town rube who had a simplistic idea that 'communism was bad' from his SAG days, and extended this thinking into a loose political affiliation he wasn't even too aware of. Then he was just used as a prop by his handlers once in office. I try to judge people by what they do before they're in politics, since it's not as much theatre.

Is there any evidence this narrative is a sham, and he was truly a nefarious individual who realizes the suffering he created?

Please, no simplistic answers and catch phrases; I'm looking for concrete data about the man.

I know they paint George Bush as a well meaning country boy too, but there's specific incidents one can point to that show he's kind of a sociopath. For example, torturing animals as a youth and laughing/enjoying executing people as governor (then mocking their death).

I'm in my early 20s, so I don't actually remember the times.

edit: I just read he called Nancy, "Mommy": my psychoanalysis instincts are making me evaluate the pathology of such a pattern, hrmm....