Candidate Advertising: Saving Ronald Reagan from Sarah Palin

How televised we have become and should we really be surprised that Reagan got it right? The loveliest advertisement in all of the history of American presidential electoral politics and then came Clinton. Hugger in Chief. Cheater in Chief. Politics is entertainment and entertainment is politics. From JFKs suit to Clinton’s underwear—the influence Ronald Reagan will have on election year is meaningful and quantifiable.

The path to prominence has become a martyred piece of passionate play and perhaps mostly was used as a breeding ground for indestructible myths.

The American presidency is a personal institution and in the absence of an insane asylum or penitentiary, put him in the white house and let him run the government.

Ronald Reagan ushered in the new era of televised advertising: the more candidate advertisement, the less content and now the candidates have become sound bites crassly, cruelly converted to “reality”.

The paradox of the presidency has become so convoluted that what we want and what we get are two completely separate things.

Sure, some things change, but the presidency? There’s nothing new.

The Woman Who Came Before Nancy

To commemorate former president Ronald Reagan’s centennial, a lazy writer might note a number of ‘saves’ Reagan encountered as a lifeguard. The cynic might offer a graph of federal spending to spin in case of emergency. Instead, remember this one very human experience Reagan shared with the woman who came before Nancy.
In 1940, prolific screen actress and dancer, Jane Wyman, was newlywed to Hollywood’s B-list, Ronnie Reagan and the two started a family quickly. With one child at home and plans for another, over the next seven years, the Ronnie Reagan’s were headed full speed towards political leadership within the Hollywood in-crowd and beyond. Unannounced and lurking, the future soon held a dark challenge for the couple.
Still young in their marriage, the Reagan family was expecting a second child, baby Christine. Then everything changed when Wyman unexpectedly gave birth prematurely to baby Christine, whom expired within a day. Losing a child tested the Reagan’s partnership heavily. According to court documents, Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman were officially divorced less than two years later.
Love him or hate him, Ronald Reagan’s centennial celebration garners attention. Instead of squabbling over his decisions though, the white crows of the press should take this historic opportunity to commemorate and honor his lost baby Christine, because she never had the chance to be one of her daddy's favorite citizens.

Ronald Reagan Fact #26

The Reagan administration faced a scandal in 1984 with the disclosure that the CIA had produced a training manual for the contras titled Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare.

The strategy outlined in the text included recommendations for selective assassination of Nicaraguan government officials.




John Stauber, Toxic Sludge is Good for you! Lies, damn lies and the Public Relations Industry. 1995. p. 161

Ronald Reagan Fact # 24

Ronald Reagan's white horse was named El Alamein.

Ronald Reagan Fact #24

Commissioned in 2003, the USS Ronald Reagan can carry more than 6,000 sailors and 80 aircraft.

While it has a clear intellectual pedigree, Conservatism operates on a deep psychological level as well.

Ronald Reagan Fact #23

William Casey was the Director of Central Intelligence and Ronald Reagan's campaign manager for the 1980 presidential election.