By Thom Little, Ph.D.
Last week, in preparation for our upcoming Fall Leadership Summit (September 11-13), I began reading Ronald Reagan: His Life and Legend, by Max Boot, one of the presenters at our program. As soon as I started reading, I was transported back more than forty years to the 1980s and my first vivid political memories: the return of the US Hostages from Iran in 1980 and the assassination attempt in 1981. In 1984, when President Reagan was swept back into office, winning 49 of 50 states, I interned on a losing congressional campaign (I suspect you can guess which party the candidate affiliated with from that result!) which really sparked an interest in politics that still burns brightly today.
Those memories took me back to a time and a US President that were very different than those of recent decades. Maybe it is just an old man reminiscing about a past that never really was, but the 1980s political world seems like a gentler, more optimistic time. Don’t get me wrong– there were bitter political differences. The 1980 GOP presidential primary was a heated contest between a more traditional (at the time) “moderate” Republican in George H. W. Bush and a socially and fiscally conservative former Governor of California in Reagan. Democrats disagreed fiercely with Reagan’s domestic agenda (trimming the safety net and trickle-down economics) and foreign agenda (expanding the US military presence and fighting communism everywhere). But the differences seemed less personal. Reagan biographers famously (and perhaps with a bit of misremembering of their own) wrote that Reagan and Democratic US House Speaker Thomas “Tip” O’Neal could fight all day and then share a drink and stories in the evening.
So what was different about the 1980s? Was it the times? Was it Reagan? I would say yes to both. Following the challenges of the 1970s (Watergate, Vietnam, the Iran Hostage Crisis, stagflation), America needed a breath of fresh air. They needed optimism. They needed to feel good about themselves and America. And, as if on cue in one of his B movies, Ronald W. Reagan arrived on the scene from central casting. Reagan possessed three qualities that were sorely needed following the 1970s “Malaise Era” -pride, optimism and connection.
The American Patriot. As the 1980s dawned with 52 Americans held hostage, inflation and unemployment high, and America still licking its wounds from the conflict in Vietnam, many people felt like America’s best days were behind her. Americans were feeling quite skittish about her future and her place in the world. Ronald Regan changed all that, arguing that the country’s best days were ahead and that, “It’s the American vision of creating a new nation of free people, a country that would be a light unto the nations, and a shining city upon a hill,” best exemplified by his 1984 campaign theme “It’s morning again in America.”
The Eternal Optimist. Despite a challenging childhood, Ronald Regan was the eternal optimist. No matter the challenges he faced, or the nation faced, he always believed things would work out for the best. He was guided by a faith in himself, his God and the American people as evidenced by the following quote: “I’ve always thought New Year’s Day was an especially American tradition, full of the optimism and hope we are famous for in our daily lives – an energy and confidence we call the American spirit. Perhaps because we know we control our own destiny, we believe deep down inside that working together we can make each new year better than the old.” After the 1970s Americans were looking for the silver lining and Reagan always seemed to find it.
The Great Communicator. Finally, after a decade of Richard Nixon (Watergate), Gerald Ford (the unelected president) and Jimmy Carter (the malaise), Americans longed for a president they could identify with and who could move their hearts even more than their minds. Since the election of Franklin Roosevelt, the Democratic party had been the party of the working class while Republicans tended to appeal to American elites. Ronald Regan changed all that – Middle America, the lunch pail “working class” could identify with this midwestern man from Dixon, Illinois. He spoke in plain terms, using stories and anecdotes that both informed and entertained (and were not always constrained by the facts).
Even if they didn’t always agree with his positions, middle class Americans liked Reagan and, perhaps more importantly, they trusted him. He seemed to be speaking to our hearts, as exemplified by his remarks following the Challenger disaster that shook us all in 1986, “The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and “slipped the surly bonds of earth” to “touch the face of God.” Somehow Reagan, while honoring the pain we felt, also made us feel hopeful. He knew the words we needed to hear, and he gave them to us.
So, is my memory of the 1980s and Reagan likely colored by time and nostalgia? Probably. I know that Reagan was far from perfect as was the 1980s “me” decade. If you would like to learn more about Ronald W. Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, as well as learn some strategies for improving your communications skills go to this link and register for our 2025 Fall Leadership Summit. See you in Simi Valley!
