President Reagan Announcing Candidacy for Reelection (Jan 29, 1984)

In January 1984, President Ronald Reagan spoke to the American public announcing his candidacy for reelection. He outlines some of the accomplishments of his first four years, especially in the economic realm, but notes that his work is not done.

The University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs is a leading public policy institution that serves as a national meeting place where engaged citizens, scholars, students, media representatives, and government officials gather in a spirit of nonpartisan consensus to research, reflect, and report on issues of national importance to the governance of the United States, with special attention to the central role and history of the presidency.

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• ronald
• reagan
• announce
• candidacy
• second
• term
• reelection
• 1980s
• 1984
• election

[Yobbie72]

@christo930 This is the man who replaced double digit inflation and interest rates with the fastest and most sustained economic boom in peace time history. This is the man who rebuilt America's defenses, and negotiated with the Soviet Union the first nuclear arms reduction treaty in history, the INF Treaty. This is the man who spoke of a world without nuclear weapons, and who, with Gorbachev, ended the Cold War.

[Yobbie72]

@ultraback29 Presidents used to address the nation on election eve from the White House. Its not an abuse of office: he is informing the people that he is intending to stay on the job as President.

[Yobbie72]

@EdwardP88 So what if he used to be an actor? He was also the Union leader of the Screen Actors Guild for 6 years, the Governor of California for two terms, and a two term president. What have you accomplished in life, asshole?

[EdwardP88]

The point? Like why do you need an oval office address to announce you're running for President? Why not just announce at a campaign stop or something! He was an actor! AN ACTOR!

[ty2]

Best president of all time.

[ultraback29]

I didn't know Reagan made this address.

I believe this kind of address is a misuse of the office, but I do acknowledge that was a different time.

There's a great deal of cynicism over how we act these days. However, we are more alert and that has a good side to it where such an address would be met with strong criticism and rightfully so.

[mr19932001]

His economic policies contributed to what we're dealing with today.

[christo930]

@wrestlingbrian123 The 1 thing I give Reagan credit for is standing by Paul Volker, a Carter appointee, after he raised the interest rate to get inflation under control. That rise in interest rates and the subsequent glut of savings and years of falling interest rates had far more to do with the recovery of the economy than anything Ronald Reagan did. He was simply the sitting president when the economy recovered. Any president who defended Volker would have had the same effect.

[wrestlingbrian123]

@christo930 Ok i will never say Ronald Reagan was perfect but come on give him some credit and respect the man did bad and great thing for america so just targeting his bad makes you a hypocrite .

[christo930]

This is the man that doubled the size of the gov and exploded gov spending, some of the most wasteful spending in our history, exceeded only by Bush Jr. This is a man who almost started world war 3 and a nuclear holocaust. I can only hope that we never get another Ronald Reagan.