Reagan's Reelection Campaign Advertisement: President Reagan / Leadership That's Working

Excerpt from "The Reader's Companion to the American Presidency" Brinkley, Ronald Reagan page 502 : Reagan upholds the American Dream

"Characteristically, the man who defined America as “a sunrise everyday – fresh opportunities, dreams to build” took credit for the boom the boom, the cold war victory, the renewed optimism, while blaming Congress and ‘those liberal elites for his failures’”.

Reagan not only during his Presidency, but also in his final remarks before leaving office upholds himself as a catalyst for the economic expansion and decrease in inflation between 1981-1989. In his reelection campaign in 1984, Reagan tells Americans to “stay the course” because the last four years under his leadership had led to low inflation rates, decreasing gas prices, and a climbing stock market. During his reelection campaign he aired a ad known as “Morning in America” that not only boasted his four years in office as they related to the economic recovery, but this ad also reveals much about Reagan’s belief in the American Dream. The clip below shows happy images of families, the elderly, and newly married couples as a way of exemplifying that anyone could rise to prosperity in America, especially in an expansive economy under Reagan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMJ90T2rwXU&NR=1

“The great ‘Reagan expansion’ justified his ‘Morning in America’ happy-talk campaign. With the stock market skyrocketing, voters found it easy to believe America was ‘back’”. (page 497)

I’m sure many votes found this ad to be extremely persuasive because the economy did expand under Reagan’s first four years in office and the ad contains many optimistic images of American life. Although the facts in the ad may be true, I would caution viewers to not only consider the economic “boom” created by Reagan, but also the $2.7 trillion in debt he created during his presidency. Now, twenty years after this ad was aired, viewers should also consider what else is revealed from the affluent and blissful individuals in this ad. In foresight it has become evident that Reagan’s policies heavily contributed to the growing gap between the rich and the poor in America. Reagan’s belief in the American Dream came from his own experience and he felt anyone could rise up through the ranks in society with hardwork and motivation. Although there may be truth in this belief, by widening the gap between the rich and the poor, it does not seem that Reagan made the American Dream any easier to attain for the poorest individuals in society.