The Great Communicator - Ronald Reagan

The 1980 presidential election of the United States featured three primary candidates, Republican Ronald Reagan, Democrat Jimmy Carter and liberal Republican John Anderson. Ronald Reagan was the governor of California before he decided to run for the presidency. John Anderson was a representative in Illinois and Carter was the incumbent. The lengthy Iran hostage crisis sharpened public opinions by the beginning of the election season. In the 1970s, the United States were experiencing a straining episode of low economic growth, high price increases and interest rates and an irregular energy crisis. The sense of discomfort in both domestic and foreign affairs in the nation were heading downward, this added to the downward spiral that was already going on. Between Carter, Anderson and Reagan, the general election campaign of the 1980s seemed more concerned with shadowboxing around political issues rather than a serious discussion of the issues that concerned voters.

Reagan stated that not only is America advancing rapidly, but also the best is yet to come. He noted a wide variety of accomplishments that America has experienced throughout the past several years. Reagan stressed that the rest of the world looks to America as the one nation for leadership. America was not the first force that defeated communism, and it has not always been a road of success. At one time, America was a country with mortgage rates that had doubled, but now we are sending individuals to the moon. He also noted that the ultimate direction is in the eyes of God. He used the phrases "America's best days are yet to come" and "the country of tomorrow" to not only grab the attention of the audience but also to gain support for Bush as "he lives for the future." Reagan satirized Democratic candidates Bill Clinton and Al Gore. The audience's reaction was overwhelming in response to those satirical remarks. Reagan strongly encouraged the audience to choose the Republican candidates, for they do not "inhale," and America would only fall under a president that speaks no truth.

The 1980 election of Ronald Reagan was not only significant because it was the start of a new decade, but it signified a return to conservatism. Reagan had made a bid for office in 1976 trying to bypass the incumbent Ford for the Republican nomination. Although unsuccessful in his attempt, Reagan definitely had merit in pursuing his endeavors.

Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 to Jack and Nelle Reagan in Tampico, Illinois. The Reagan family moved to Dixon in 1920, where Ronald excelled in high school, earning an athletic scholarship to Eureka College. Ronald majored in economics and sociology without knowing how useful this decision would be in 1981. After graduating from Eureka in 1932 he got

Ronald Reagan was elected the forty-fourth president of the United States and served terms from nine-teen eighty-one through nine-teen eighty-nine, this presidency created many foreign and domestic problems that shocked the whole U.S. Ronald Reagan was also a family man, knows the value of work and is self-reliance.

Through these techniques, he won the presidential race of 1980 in a landslide, beating former president Jimmy Carter 489 to 49. This was the first time in 28 years that the Republican party was in charge of the Senate. This would mark the beginning of a legacy, known as the Reagan Era. President Reagan wasn’t just focused on establishing a better American life, but also, benefitting those around the world.

The United States during the mid to late 70’s was in a constant state of alert; millions of citizens waiting for the piercing sounds of the air raid sirens to slice through the night air. America was in need of a leader, someone who could unify a divided country and save it from crushing economic failure. One man saw his need and stood up to the task, his name is President Ronald Reagan. Reagan rose to power as President during one of the most critical periods in not only American history, but also, World history: The arms standoff of the cold war. His actions as a unifier in the homeland and as a diplomat in foreign halls changed the way Americans and citizens of the world lived their lives.

Although many of us would like to believe it was simple for Reagan to gain presidency, it actually took multiple tries. The third time proved to be the charm in his case because he finally dominated the election over Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Reagan brought new techniques of leading and communicating with the American people that no one has ever seen before. Through these techniques, he won the presidential race of 1980 in a landslide, beating former president Jimmy Carter 489 to 49. This was the first time in 28 years that the Republican party was in charge of the Senate. This would mark the beginning of a legacy, known as the Reagan Era. President Reagan wasn’t just focused on establishing a better American life, but also, benefitting those around the world.

Twenty-seven years later in 1964, he gave a speech on behalf of Barry Goldwater and Reagan decided to try his hand in politics. Two years later Reagan ran for governor of California and

After barely winning a second term of governorship in California, Reagan set his sights on the presidency. When he decided to fully go for it in 1976 he ran into an obstacle: Gerald Ford. Reagan did not want to wait so he gave a harsh critique of Gerald’s policies from a conservative viewpoint. After losing that election the preparation for the election of 1980 began immediately. Many factors helped him become a appealing candidate and he became the 40th president. His hope filled speeches and his willingness to change his views to represent the people were large factors that helped him win. Hours

Ronald Reagan was more than a president. He was a phenomenon. Since he left office in 1989, many authors have tried to effectively identify who this man really was. He was an icon to some, and an enigma to others. He stood up to the worst economic, domestic, and international threats of the time and yet, took naps in the middle of cabinet meetings. At the height of his popularity in 1986, he had, as Time magazine put it, "found America's sweet spot. " Reagan had ideals of what he felt America should be like, and made it his number one goal to share his unrelenting optimism with every person in the country. He pledged to

Raised in a poor family in small towns of northern Illinois, Ronald Reagan graduated from Eureka College in 1932 and worked as a sports announcer on several regional radio stations. After moving to Hollywood in 1937, he became an actor and starred in a few major productions. Reagan was twice elected President of the Screen Actors Guild, the labor union for actors, where he worked to root out Communist influence. In the 1950s,

Imagine that anxious feeling you get when you are about to give a speech. You are shaking, sweating, nervous, and despite the countless hours of preparation, you still are getting worked up over presenting to your class. Now, imagine finding out at the last moment that you prepared your speech for the wrong topic and are forced to present a new speech, with little to no preparation at all. This is a situation Ronald Reagan faced (to a much extremer extent) in his famous “White House Address to the Nation,” speech on January 28th, 1986, following the tragic results of the Challenger disaster.

     Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy in November 1979, after making political friends at party fund-raising dinners around the country. He easily defeated the other nominees for the Republican nomination. He chose Gerald Ford as his vice-president. But when Ford's negotiators proposed that the vice-president should share presidential powers, Reagan chose George Bush instead.