By Randy DeSoto (Scribe)
Two speeches that Ronald Reagan gave, one when announcing his Presidential candidacy in November of 1979 and another during his re-election campaign in 1984, seem particularly poignant for the times of economic turbulence that we’re passing through right now.
In the late 70’s President Jimmy Carter stated in the obvious from the Oval Office in July of 1979, when he gave his famous "Crisis of Confidence," aka “Malaise Speech.”
If you've never seen it, watch even just the first couple of minutes of this dreary mess:
Carter posited, “For the first time in the history of our country, a majority of our people believe that the next five years will be worse than the past five years.”
At that time, the country was going through a period of stagflation: high unemployment, no growth, yet rising interest rates. Unemployment reached 10% and interest rates stood at twice that. There was a pervading sense that poverty would continue to surge and wealth would continue to be destroyed. It was feared that we were going to keep doing what we did in the past: grow the government, increase entitlements, create even more red tape for businesses trying to compete in a global economy.
Enter Ronald Reagan, stage right. The one-time actor, and former two-term governor of California announced his intentions to seek the Presidency. The words he spoke to the nation about President Carter and the Democrats policies then, could just as easily be spoken today. Taking on Carter’s predictions of gloom and doom and a diminishing country, Reagan said,
“They tell us…that the America of the coming years will be a place where -- because of our past excesses -- it will be impossible to dream and make those dreams come true. I don't believe that. And I don't believe you do either. That is why I am seeking the presidency. I cannot and will not stand by and see this great country destroy itself. Our leaders attempt to blame their failures on circumstances beyond their control, on false estimates by unknown, unidentifiable experts who rewrite modern history in an attempt to convince us our high standard of living, the result of thrift and hard work, is somehow selfish extravagance which we must renounce as we join in sharing scarcity. I don't agree that our nation must resign itself to inevitable decline, yielding its proud position to other hands. I am totally unwilling to see this country fail in its obligation to itself and to the other free peoples of the world.”
Here's that entire speech:
Reagan won the election of 1980 in a landslide, 44 states to 6, and for the first time since the 1950’s the Republicans controlled the Senate. They were able to build a coalition in the Democratically controlled House to pass measures that lowered tax rates drastically from a top marginal rate of 70% down to 28%. They also cut regulations, and privatized vast swaths of jobs once performed by the federal government. The result was that the economy boomed, and experienced the largest peacetime economic growth in American history. The funny thing was that despite the lower tax rates, revenues to the federal treasury doubled, because so many people were working and getting paid more. Unemployment fell in half from 10% to 5%, and as one would expect, the poverty rate shrank too.
When Reagan was up for re-election in 1984, he decided to remind people what the Democratic agenda was all about, just in case in the good times there was a temptation to forget. During his re-nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Dallas, he said:
“Is there really any doubt at all about what will happen if we let them win this November?
[Audience: No!]
Is there any doubt that they will raise our taxes?
[Audience: No!]
That they will send inflation into orbit again?
[Audience: No!]
That they will make government bigger then ever?
[Audience: No!]
And deficits even worse?
[Audience: No!]
Raise unemployment?
[Audience: No!]
Cut back our defense preparedness?
[Audience: No!]
Raise interest rates?
[Audience: No!]
…And they'll do all that in the name of compassion.
[Audience: Boo-o-o!]
It's what they've done to America in the past. But if we do our job right, they won't be able to do it again.”
[Audience: Reagan! Reagan! Reagan!]
Eerie, isn't it?
By-the-way, Reagan won that re-election campaign: 49 states to 1.
Again, I include that speech here for your enjoyment:
Is there really any doubt, what will happen, if Obama is allowed to stay in office and the Democrats maintain control of the Senate?
Reagan closed his re-nomination acceptance speech talking about the lamp beside the golden door that the Statue of Liberty has represented to millions who’ve come to our shores.
“The glistening hope of that lamp is still ours. Every promise, every opportunity is still golden in this land. And through that golden door our children can walk into tomorrow with the knowledge that no one can be denied the promise that is America. Her heart is full; her door is still golden, her future bright. She has arms big enough to comfort and strong enough to support, for the strength in her arms is the strength of her people…In this springtime of hope, some lights seem eternal; America's is.”“Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America.”
The challenges we faced after 3 years of Jimmy Carter are remarkably similar to the ones we face after just 3 short years of Barack Obama.
It’s time to start promising America a landslide in next year's elections. It's time to nominate a candidate worthy of Reagan's legacy, one who truly understands-- deeply, philosophically, as Reagan did-- how our great nation has steered so violently off course, and how to set it straight once again.
In 2012, it's time to fight for the very survival of America -- by winning one more for the Gipper!
No comments:
Post a Comment