Reagan vs. Mondale

On the day Ronald Reagan was inaugurated in January 1981, the 53 American hostages in Iran were released. Such good fortune seemed to typify Reagan's first term in office. Despite presiding over a recession in 1981-1982, Reagan had pursued an economic agenda that had begun to win favor with voters by 1984. Rising employment, lower inflation, and lower taxes helped to offset any concerns about the growing federal deficit. Even when disaster struck, such as the death of more than 200 marines from a suicide bombing in Lebanon in 1983, Reagan didn't seem to suffer any serious public opinion backlash. Some members of the press dubbed Reagan the "Teflon President," because nothing seemed to stick to him.

To a significant degree, Reagan's popularity with the American people was attributable more to his leadership style than to his specific policies. Conveying an easygoing, grandfatherly image, Reagan displayed optimism and good humor on television and demonstrated a mastery of the broadcast medium. He also earned the title of "The Great Communicator," which is appropriate for someone who spent much of his career as a movie actor.

In the 1984 campaign, Reagan was opposed by Democrat Walter Mondale, who had served as vice president under Jimmy Carter. In the primary campaign, Mondale defeated rival Gary Hart for the Democratic nomination, as a result in part to his clever borrowing of a slogan from an enormously popular television commercial for a national fast-food chain. Asking "Where's the beef?" Mondale repeatedly criticized Hart's lack of a well-defined political agenda.

Mondale's campaign ads sought to portray Reagan's four years in office as harmful to national security and beneficial to the wealthy at the expense of the poor and middle class. His negative messages were no match, however, for Reagan's positive "Morning in America" theme, featuring footage of flags, churches, farms, mountains, and sunrises. Again, within "The Living Room Candidate" site, see "Prouder, Stronger, Better" for an example of Reagan's polished campaign advertising, which helped him to be reelected by one of the largest landslides in American history.