Qualifications met to increase the chances of presidency:
Ronald Reagan was the epitome of a person with many interests and talents. Before becoming governor, Reagan was an actor and a radio personality.
As Governor he had many interests including: welfare adjustment, anti-war and anti-establishment, freezing governmental hiring, and approving the raising of taxes to help balance California's budget.
Reagan was formerly married to Jane Wyman and had two children: Maureen and Michael (adopted). They divorced in 1948 and he then married Nancy Reagan in 1952 and had two more children: Patti and Ronald Jr.
Regarding his character, many thought very highly of Reagan. One source even directly said, "(Reagan) had the vision. Did he have the courage without which it would be nothing but a poignant dream? Yes. At the core of Reagan's character was courage, a courage that was, simply, natural to him, a courage that was ultimately contagious. When people say President Reagan brought back our spirit and our sense of optimism, I think what they are saying in part is, the whole country caught his courage."
Reagan also met the qualifications even further by being of English ancestry and by being a practicing Christian Presbyterian. And he was, indeed, a male.
Results of the Presidential Primaries 1980:
Reagan: Number of votes= 7,709,793. Reagan won 59.79% of the vote and carried 44 of the 50 states
George H. W. Bush: Number of votes=3,070,033. Bush won 23.81% of the vote and carried only 6 states
Reagan's Primary Process:
Six other Republicans sought the nomination in 1980: Senate minority leader Howard Baker of Tennessee, former Texas governor John Connally, Senator Robert Dole of Kansas, Representative Phillip Crane of Illinois, former CIA director George H.W. Bush, and Representative John Anderson of Illinois.
None of these men had Reagan's combination of political stature and communication skills, although Bush, who had represented the United States at the United Nations and in China, and had served in the House and as Republican national chairman, had broader experience.
Members of Reagan's old California political team, encouraged by Nancy Reagan, knew that their candidate was at his best when voters saw him in person, where they could hear his often inspiring oratory and sense his personal warmth. Reagan campaigned nearly uninterrupted for twenty-one days in New Hampshire, a display of stamina that quieted concerns about his age.
In an incident that has become legendary in American political history, the moderator of the second debate ordered Reagan's microphone turned off as the candidates and their advisers argued about the debate's format. Reagan, paraphrasing a line from an old Spencer Tracy movie, defiantly responded, "I paid for this microphone." He soared in the polls and routed all his opponents in the primary.
Republican National Convention 1980
"I am very proud of our party tonight. This convention has shown to all America a party united, with positive programs for solving the nation's problems; a party ready to build a new consensus with all those across the land who share a community of values embodied in these words: family, work, neighborhood, peace and freedom."
"More than anything else, I want my candidacy to unify our country; to renew the American spirit and sense of purpose. I want to carry our message to every American, regardless of party affiliation, who is a member of this community of shared values."
"Never before in our history have Americans been called upon to face three grave threats to our very existence, any one of which could destroy us. We face a disintegrating economy, a weakened defense and an energy policy based on the sharing of scarcity."
Reagan led in 1st with 97.44%
John B. Anderson followed in 2nd with 1.86%
George H. W. Bush trailed in 3rd with only 0.65%
"As your nominee, I pledge to restore to the federal government the capacity to do the people's work without dominating their lives. I pledge to you a government that will not only work well, but wisely; its ability to act tempered by prudence and its willingness to do good balanced by the knowledge that government is never more dangerous than when our desire to have it help us blinds us to its great power to harm us."
Vice President: George H. W. Bush
Campaign Slogan: Are you better off than you were four years ago?
Key points in Election: Debate on October 28th & No "October Surprise" (A news event deliberately created to influence the outcome of an election)
Inaugural Address
Reagan urges Americans to recall the achievements of the American founder, specifically the confidence of self-government and individual freedom
Reagan insisted that government is the problem and that ordinary Americans should be recognized as heroes
Reagan exudes a confidence in the people in exercising their freedoms to revive America
Reagan makes sure to include emphasis on the achievements and responsibilities of the American people, assuring them that they can take power out of Washington and return it to the states and themselves
Reagan presents himself as a follower of the Constitution and claims that it is time to check the growth of the government
Reagan vowed at the end of his address to transform the federal government no matter how formidable that task may be
Credits:
Created with images by robert.claypool - "United States Flag" • Howard O. Young - "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" • DonnaW - "the white house landmark united states"