What presidential candidates can learn from Ronald Reagan

By Ryan, September 9, 2015

By Anne Davey, Opinion Editor//

Ronald Reagan is an icon in American politics. His face adorns fratty t-shirts, high school civics posters and history museums. The running joke of the first presidential debate could easily have been about how often all of the candidates invoked his name. The final count was six, if you’re curious.

While their self-comparisons and name-dropping may have had some eyes rolling, the many invocations speak to an important point; the American political landscape today is quite possibly as divided as it’s ever been. Experts speak to the partisan nature of American politics, the contentiousness of electoral races, as an indicator of the increasingly hostile political environment of our time. While politics and hostility have long gone hand in hand, what this says about the American people, and the period in our history to which it draws repeated parallels, is telling.

As governor, Reagan raised taxes, turned a state budget deficit to a surplus, challenged the protesters at the University of California, and ordered National Guard troops in during a period of protest movements in 1969. During his Presidency, Reagan pursued policies that reflected his personal belief in individual freedom, brought changes domestically, both to the U.S. economy and to the expanded military, and contributed to the end of the Cold War. Termed the “Reagan Revolution”, his presidency reinvigorated American morale, revitalized the American economy and reduced American reliance upon government. Leaving office in 1989, Reagan held an approval rating of 68 percent, matching those of FDR and Bill Clinton, as the highest ratings for departing presidents in the modern era.

Ideologies aside, this era of American politics is in dire need of similar reinvigoration. The last time our nation stood at such a precipice, Reagan was the fix. Though his policies and politics may not have been universally loved, his spirit, faith and vision for America have been the basis for a lasting legend.

The Internet abounds with questions and articles drawing the same parallels. “Which Presidential Candidate is Most Like Reagan?”; “Age was an Issue for Reagan, it will be for Hillary too.”; and “Would Ronald Reagan Win the 2016 GOP Nomination?” Though most of this is impossible to gauge, the fact that the nation sees the similarities and draws the same link is an important thing for candidates to keep in mind. What it means most broadly is that the American people are looking for someone with similar attributes, someone in whom they can place their faith to restore America to greatness, and fix some of the woes of the past 20 years of politics gone awry.

At a time when Americans feel disenfranchised by the government, racial tensions have returned to civil rights movement highs, and corruption is rampant, we need a visionary leader. America needs someone not just with clear policy objectives and attainable goals, but also with the passion and the personality to bring the American spirit back.

Ronald Reagan is the president credited with reviving the American spirit. Reagan re-ignited the fire of the American dream in the souls of millions of Americans. He re-instilled a faith in government and a trust in public office for a nation that had lost faith in its political system.

Fittingly enough, the next presidential debate is slated to be held at the Reagan Memorial Library in Simi Valley California, where undoubtedly the invocation count will be higher. Hopefully the parallels will be more substantial, and candidates touring the library will be meaningfully influenced by his legacy–the country needs it.

Because, after all, as President Regan once said, “America is too great for small dreams.”