When President Reagan ran for re-election in 1984, the phrase, “It’s Morning Again in America” from his campaign became an anthem that represented all that Reagan did for our country during the first four years of his term: the lowest interest rates in 40 years, lower inflation, more jobs, the end of the Cold War becoming increasingly closer. It was a phrase of optimism, of positivity and hope, signaling America was moving toward better and brighter days ahead. It was exactly what Americans needed to hear -- Reagan won his second term in 1984 with little resistance, even from Democratic voters! (Did you know Reagan had his own subset of Democratic followers? While Reagan was Republican, these politicians agreed fully with Reagan’s leadership across party lines and were called “Reagan Democrats.”)
Here’s the exact verbiage from Reagan’s one-minute campaign ad that brought this phrase to life:
“It’s morning again in America. Today, more men and women will go to work than ever before in our country’s history, with interest rates at about half the record highs of 1980. Nearly 2,000 families today will buy new homes, more than at any time than the past four years. This afternoon, 6,500 young men and women will be married, and with inflation at less than half of what it was just four years ago, they can look forward with confidence to the future. It’s morning again in America, and under the leadership of President Reagan, our country is prouder, and stronger, and better. Why would we ever want to return to where we were, less than four short years ago?”
It was SO good in 1984, and actually called one of the most impactful campaign ads ever, that Marco Rubio used much of the same verbiage and similar footage in his own one-minute campaign ad, only casting a negative light on what the Democratic party has brought to America over the last eight years. Unfortunately Marco Rubio's team did not vet the scenes used in his ad well enough, as they inadvertently included one of Canada's Vancouver harbor. Regardless, Morning in America remains a powerful theme in the American psyche.
“Morning in America” – it’s simple, patriotic, and inspirational. Who wouldn’t want to support it?
Try our new Morning in America coffee! Part of our Americana Series.
(Information Sources: http://www.ushistory.org/us/59a.asp, http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1842516_1842514_1842575,00.html)
