Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd
Governor of California (1967–1975).[1]
Born in Tampico, Illinois, raised in Dixon, Illinois, and educated at Eureka College with a
bachelor of arts degree in economics-sociology, Reagan first moved to Iowa as a radio
broadcaster and then to Los Angeles, California in 1937. He began a career as an actor, first in
films and later television, appearing in over 50 movie productions and gaining enough success to
become a famous, publicly recognized figure. Some of his most notable roles are in Knute
Rockne, All American and Kings Row..
As president, Reagan implemented sweeping new political and economic initiatives. His supply-
side economic policies, dubbed "Reaganomics," advocated reducing tax rates to spur economic
growth, controlling the money supply to reduce inflation, deregulation of the economy, and
reducing government spending. In his first term he survived an assassination attempt, took a hard
line against labor unions, and ordered military actions in Grenada. He was reelected in a
landslide in 1984, proclaiming it was "Morning in America." His second term was primarily
marked by foreign matters, such as the ending of the Cold War, the bombing of Libya, and the
revelation of the Iran-Contra affair. Publicly describing the Soviet Union as an "evil empire,"[2]
he supported anti-Communist movements worldwide and spent his first term forgoing the
strategy of détente by ordering a massive military buildup in an arms race with the USSR.
Reagan negotiated with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, culminating in the INF
Treaty and the decrease of both countries' nuclear arsenals.
Reagan left office in 1989. In 1994, the former president disclosed that he had been diagnosed
with Alzheimer's disease earlier in the year; he died ten years later at the age of 93. He ranks
highly in public opinion polls of U.S. Presidents, and is a conservative icon
Continuing the American political oratory tradition, Ronald Reagan joins Abraham
Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt as one of American history's greatest orators. Earning
the nickname "The Great Communicator," Ronald Reagan's rhetorical skills propelled
his political career, contributing to his gubernatorial and presidential election
successes. As the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan benefited from his
great oratory talent to guide the nation and advance his own popularity. By creating a
'rhetorical presidency,' Reagan used his speeches to symbolize the actions that would
lead the nation to prosperity through the acceptance of his administration's
conservative ideologies.
Ronald Reagan's speaking skill traces its origins to his freshman year at Eureka
College, where he delivered a speech concerning budget cuts and a proposed student
strike. Later, as a board member of the Screen Actors Guild and co-chair of the
Motion Picture Industry Council, Reagan delivered speeches focusing on an alleged
Communist threat in the motion picture industry. Reagan spoke to audiences such as
Kiwanians, Rotarians, and American Legionaries, developing a talent and love for
evoking audience reactions. As a representative of the General Electric Corporation,
Reagan had the opportunity to travel the country, delivering speeches and refining his
skills. Before entering politics, Reagan delivered thousands of speeches, preparing
himself for a political career dependent upon effective communication skills.
Reagan's political speeches assessed Americaís unrealized potential. Praising the
nation and people, Reagan's hopeful messages prophesied the realization of America's
God-given destiny through repentance and reformation. Describing the speeches he
made as President, Reagan himself argued that "I wasn't just making speeches--I was
preaching a sermon." These "sermons" consistently contained underlying references to
God, freedom, individualism, progress, and examples of real-life heroes embodying
moralistic values. Reagan's speeches presented simple stories as the rationales for his
beliefs and as the summations of all the world's knowledge. By delivering narratives
climaxing in social, political and economic morals, Reagan added elements of
example, creditability and entertainment into his speeches.
Ronald Reagan's acting skills certainly benefited his oratorical successes, permitting
him to rely upon his television experience and understanding of the virtues of
rehearsal. Television allowed Reagan to rely upon his expressive voice and emotional
facial features. Reagan carefully planned and rehearsed his speeches to create the
greatest impact upon his audience. Television viewers watched the emotional reaction
of Reaganís live audience, assessed the importance of the physical backdrop, such as
the Brandenburg Gate and Moscow University, and felt the attentiveness of Ronald
Reagan himself to the varying emotional responses he evoked from them. Reagan
understood that rational appeals could not sway an audience, but that emotions served
as a common denominator to all types and classes of people, emotions that Reagan
could skillfully elicit.
Reagan himself believed that the contents of his speeches explained his success. "I
wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didn't spring
full bloom from my brow, they came from the heart of a great nation--from our
experience, our wisdom, and...the principles that have guided us for two centuries."
Indeed, Reagan's greatest oratory achievements correlate with the moments when he
conveyed his reverence and pride of American convictions and patriotism. Reagan's
effectiveness and creditability diminished when he could not choose the themes of his
speeches, forced instead to address controversial and distressing topics, epitomized in
his speech concerning the Iran-Contra affair.
