Words to Live By

Debate Season

You might have heard that the Reagan Presidential Foundation is hosting a Republican debate in their Air Force One Pavilion on Wednesday, September 27th. We’re proud to be able to participate in this important component of our democratic process and we hope you’ll tune into FOX news on debate evening. Since we are in debate season, we thought it would be fun to go back, 43 years ago, when Candidate Ronald Reagan was easing into the final stretch of his campaign.

Broadcasting Freedom

The title of this podcast is broadcasting freedom. So, just how does a country go about doing just that? When Ronald Reagan was running for the presidency in March 1980, before he ever sat in the Oval Office, he said, “we must use our neglected ability at communications – Radio Free Europe, the Voice of Liberty, The Voice of America to call attention to the power of freedom” and the true spirit of democracy. While America had been criticized for their efforts to broadcast the truth about communism, the Soviets maintained a broadcasting radio network in 84 languages, 2000 hours a week. Moments after his inauguration, President Reagan authorized our international communications agency to increase its efforts in every way, shape and form. By late 1981, right after the declaration of the martial law in Poland in December 1981, U.S.-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Europe expanded their radio broadcasts. These broadcasts continued during the martial law. In order to get radios to them, they were smuggled in ingenious ways, hidden in lard or other products. The imprisoned Solidarity workers in Poland listened regularly and said they could receive all stations despite the Soviets effort to jam the radio signal. And those who were imprisoned said these broadcasts sustained them, buoyed their spirits, and helped them remain strong.
Let’s go back and remind ourselves about Voice of America which began during WWII.

Massacre on Korean Airline Flight 007

On August 31st, 1983, mid-afternoon Washington time, a Korean Airlines 747, Flight 007, en route from New York to Seoul, disappeared from air traffic control radar screens in the Far East. It took air traffic controllers and American intelligence agencies several hours to piece together what had happened. By 10:30 pm Eastern time, the unthinkable had occurred; the Soviets had shot the civilian airplane out of the sky. 60 Americans, including an American Congressman, were among the 269 passengers. Over the next few weeks, the President had plenty to say.

Republican National Convention Acceptance Speech

Today, we’re looking at the historic re-nomination and acceptance speech of President Reagan and Vice President George HW Bush in August 1984, 41 years ago. In light of our current political season, we thought it might be valuable to hear a sitting president recount his promises, citing his accomplishments with honesty and candor. To set the scene, it was the first time a Republican National Convention was held in Texas! Reagan carried the endorsement of 2,233 of the 2,235 delegates to the Dallas convention. He was beyond a lock, having no serious competition in the primaries.

Israel and the Middle East

In August, the President always made an effort to spend time at Rancho del Cielo in Santa Barbara. Just because he was on vacation, did not mean his Presidential responsibilities were put on hold, because the work continued. He drafted and delivered many radio addresses from the Ranch and this one in particular stands out on the subject of the Middle East. Recall that in August 1983, the conflict in the Middle East, specifically in Lebanon had become so intense, a multi-national peacekeeping force had been sent to attempt to stabilize the conflict. And 5 years later, in 1988, here’s the President’s analysis of the Middle East.

Farewell at the RNC

You recognize the voice, of course, but do you recognize the passage? It’s from one of the most touching moments in the President’s political career, when he bid his fellow Republicans adieu at the Republican National Convention in New Orleans in 1988. 35 years ago.After eight years in Washington, it was time to say goodbye…but it wasn’t easy. Nancy Reagan tried to summarize the feeling by saying that…there were times to enter, times to stay and times to depart. And it was time…for the Reagans to step back and hand the baton to his Vice President George H.W. Bush, the new presidential candidate for the Republican Party. To find the right words for such an important moment, the President called on wordsmith and White House Speechwriter, Ken Khachigian, whom you may recall helped the president draft his first inaugural address along with several other keynote addresses throughout his presidency. Although President Reagan formally said farewell to the nation in the Oval Office the following January, he used his speech at the 1988 Republican National Conference to thank the nation and to encourage his former opponent and two-term vice president, George Bush, to “Win one for the Gipper.” Earlier in the day, a special tribute to Mrs. Reagan had taken place, and, without missing a beat, the President continued in his remarks to celebrate her significant role as First Lady. On an enormous stage in the New Orleans Superdome, the 40th President took a deep breath, gazed across the expanse of those loyal devoted souls who helped to put him in the Oval Office…and he began to speak. Let’s listen to a bit…

National Medal of Arts

Most people don’t know that President Reagan initiated the program for the highest award for artists and art patrons by the United States government. I guess it’s no surprise since both the President and Mrs. Reagan, as actors, held a deep and abiding love for the Arts. To take the concept one step further, artistic expression flourishes in a free society and with that idea in mind, it’s even more logical that our 40th president would be so strongly supportive. So, the President, along with the Presidents’ Committee on the Arts and Humanities recommended this recognition in 1984, called the National Medal of Arts, to be given to 12 deserving individuals. This is a separate award, not to be confused with the Kennedy Center Honors which originated in 1977.
Anyway, it’s really fun to hear the President and Mrs. Reagan participate in this ceremony – we’ll start with the first ceremony in 1985 – and celebrate again the achievements of these great individuals. President and Mrs. Reagan established a tradition of holding a luncheon for the recipients in the State Dining Room at the White House.

Oh, OPEC, Really?

So early this spring – you probably heard – that both OPEC and Russia announced a massive oil supply cut, totaling 1.6 million barrels per day. This, of course, raises fears of a resurgence of inflation—and to no one’s surprise, oil prices jumped $7 a barrel on the news—as well as continued deterioration of the dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency. If you’ve filled your car with gasoline lately, you’re still feeling the pain from these inflated gas prices and our government’s bad policies. So for today’s podcast, I found some radio addresses delivered in 1977 and 1979 – yes, by then Governor Reagan – with a perspective I think you’ll appreciate. If we are really serious about “words to live by,” it’s sad no one has paid enough attention to these commentaries. But, today we shall!

The Campaign for the Presidency

In light of the heated Republican presidential race, we’ll focus today on events taking place after Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States on November 13, 1979, in the ballroom of the New York Hilton. That was just the beginning. The path to the White House was not an easy one and well, shall we start in Iowa?

Entering the Presidential Race

While the 2024 election is still 15 months away, Republican candidates are entering the fray faster than Clayton Kershaw can throw strikes. Which begs the question: how did Reagan do it? What was his strategy? What was on his mind? In this podcast, we’ll listen to some of his strategic speeches related to his 1980 campaign. As you know, he was also a candidate in 1976 and marginally in 1968. But today, we’re going to focus on 1980 and well…do you remember why he ran?