by Henry Olsen
nomination acceptance speech (1980), 174–76, 297n96
nomination acceptance speech (1984), 209–10
Normandy, France, anniversary of D-day, speech, 207–8
Panama Canal Debate, 90, 286n52
Phoenix Chamber of Commerce (1961), 163
pledges to “restore hope” and to “make America great again,” 175
quip on liberals, xviii, 120
radio addresses (late-1970s), and “stump speech insert,” 144, 158–60
radio interview (1958) on Proposition 18 opposition, 43
“Raise a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors,” 130, 132, 157
Reason interview (1975), xv, 87, 130, 134–41, 291n9
“the soup kitchen of the welfare state,” 55
Soviet Union as the “evil empire,” 160, 202, 219, 304n104
speaking style, 37
State of the Union address (1982), 208
State of the Union address (1983), 208
State of the Union address (1985), 214–15
State of the Union address (1986), 216
taxes and, 162–63
televised address (1985), 215–16
themes of, after 1956, 36, 40, 73
themes of gubernatorial campaign speeches, 73
“There is no such thing as a left or right, there’s only an up or down,” 56, 92, 94, 188, 210, 223, 230
“There you go again,” xvi, 178
“A Time for Choosing” (Oct. 27, 1964), “the speech,” xiv, 22, 49, 51–54, 111, 120, 133, 164, 174, 218, 224
TV appearance with Robert Kennedy, 114–15
“The very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism,” 130, 134–35
writing of his own speeches prior to presidency, 55, 159
“Year of Decision” (record), 96
Reagan, Ronald, Jr. (son), 28
Reagan Democrats, xx, 18, 180–82, 230, 231, 234, 254
Reagan Era, 70
Reagan Presidential Library, 37
Reagan Revolution, 191–92, 217
Reason (libertarian journal), 134
formation of, 70
Reagan 1975 interview, xv, 87, 130, 134–41, 291n9
religious liberty, 165
school prayer, 166
“Republican inflation,” 17, 33
Republican Party (GOP)
America as a center-right nation, ix, 153
American South and, 24, 25
anti-communism of, 24
bad year of 1974 for, 126
base as “Staunch Conservatives,” 243
base issues, 247
“block grants” and, 293n27
civil rights policies and, 46, 78, 79, 109–12
“clothes and cosmetics conservatism” and, 249, 252
“compassionate conservatism,” 234–35
Congressional gains, 1966, xiv
Congressional gains, 1980, xix, 180
Congressional gains, 1992, 231–32
Congressional gains, 1994, 240
Congressional gains, 1996, 233
Congressional gains, 2010, 240–41
Congressional gains, 2014, 251
Congressional gains, post-Reagan, 228
Congressional losses, 1961, 51
Congressional losses (1975–76), x, 132, 152
Congressional losses, 2000, 234
Congressional losses, 2006, ix, 237
Congressional losses, 2008, ix, 239
conservatism and, ix, x, 72, 153 (see also conservatives, conservatism)
creation of (1854), 227
Democrats outnumber among Americans, 228
Disaffected voters and, 244
economic interventionism and, 4
Eisenhower and, xiii, 23
Eleventh Commandment of, 149
empathy gap of, 229, 233, 246
Ford’s Republicanism, 149
“a full dinner pail” slogan (1900), xi, 4
God and guns focus of, 230
Goldwater and (see Goldwater, Barry)
governorships lost (1975–76), x, 132, 152
governorships won (1994), 232
governorships won (2010), 240
Great Depression and, xii, 5, 6
“Growth and Opportunity Project” (the autopsy), 246–47, 248, 249
immigrants voting for, xi–xii
in Lee County, IL, 4, 29, 274n12, 276n40
“louder and clearer conservatism,” 249, 252
as a minority party, 150, 257, 267
“Modern Republicanism,” 23, 40, 45, 51, 72
National Convention, 1964 (Goldwater and), 51
National Convention, 1980 (Reagan acceptance speech), 174–76
National Convention, 1984 (Reagan acceptance speech), 209–10, 297n96
New Deal and, xiii, xx, 51, 257
New Republican Party, 130, 132–34, 152–58, 166, 225, 228, 234, 264, 268
Nixon gubernatorial race, California voters and, 93–94
Nixon’s “Compact of Fifth Avenue” and, 46
nonunion support for, 42
Obama as cause of post-2008 resurgence, 230
Olsen’s direction for, 267–68
partisan shift of Democrats to, 228
as “party of the rich” (country club–big business party), xix, 6, 157, 158, 228–29, 232, 237
party platform (1976), 156–57
Path to Prosperity plan, 241–42
Pew Research Center’s “Beyond Red versus Blue” 2011 findings and, 243–44, 245, 252
pre-1932 Hoover Republicanism, 134
presidential election, 1912, 4
presidential election, 1932, 1, 8
presidential election, 1936, 8–9
presidential election, 1940, 10
presidential election, 1960, 45, 78
presidential election, 1964, 19, 55, 118, 125, 207, 238
presidential election, 1968, 78, 117–18
presidential election, 1972, 78
presidential election, 1976, 151–52
presidential election, 1980, xvii, 174–76, 180, 298n112
presidential election, 1984, 209–10, 212, 250
presidential election, 1992, 231
presidential election, 1996, 233
presidential election, 2000, 233–34
presidential election, 2004, 235
presidential election, 2008, 237, 238–39
presidential election, 2012, 245–46
presidential election, 2016, 252–56
presidential popular vote losses, post-Reagan era, 227, 233
pro-industrial development, 4
Reagan and party unity, 72, 74, 113, 118, 119, 259–60
Reagan coalition, xvii, 188, 231, 245, 253–54, 255–56
Reagan Democrats, 18, 180–82, 212, 230, 231, 234, 254
Reagan misunderstood by, 228, 229, 232, 259
Reagan registers as a Republican, 47, 274n13
Reagan’s base, 93
Reagan’s Chicago proposal (1975), 141–44
Reagan’s friends in, 18
Reagan’s legacy, 227
Reagan’s partisan shift to, xii, xiii, 3, 4, 15, 18, 19–52, 209–10
Reagan’s platform, xvi
Reagan’s presidential bid (1968), 117–18
Reagan’s presidential bid (1976), 141–42, 147–52
Reagan’s presidential candidacy (1980), 169–80
Reagan’s presidential candidacy (1984), 206–10, 212
Reagan’s vision for, 257
RINOs, 109
rise under Reagan, x
as ruling party until 1896, 4, 274n15
social conservatives and, 139, 155, 201, 252, 253, 254
trade and, xi, 4
traditional American values and, xiii–xiv
trickle-down theory and, 193
Trump and, 225, 252–56
as trust-busting party, xii
use of “safety net,” 262
working-class ignored by, 230
working-class
support for, xiii, xiv, 4, 155–56, 180–82, 212, 251
See also conservatism
right-to-work laws, 42–43, 83, 164, 294–95n57
Rising American Electorate, 246, 247
Road to Serfdom, The (Hayek), 91
Roberts, Bill, 75
Roberts, Paul Craig, 202
Robertson, Phillip, 206
Robinson, Jackie, 78
Rockefeller, Nelson, 46, 77, 143
Reagan and, 113
Rocky (film), 71
Romney, Mitt, 242, 245, 246, 249, 255
Cruz’s theory on loss of, 250
Hispanic voters and, 248
Republican voter support for, 250
“truckers and cashiers test,” 245
Trump compared to, 254, 255, 256
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano (FDR), 182, 267, 299n8
American individualism and ideals and, 9, 11
Americans “have a rendezvous with destiny,” 61, 150, 175, 224
black voters and, 24
core principle of, 8, 11
death of, 15
devotion to “the common people,” 12
the dole encouraging dependency, 122, 216
economic theory of, 196
election of, 1932, 1, 4, 5, 8
election of, 1936, 8–9, 212
election of, 1940, 10
election of, 1944, 10
the “forgotten American” and, xii, 6, 12, 68–69, 276n42
government expansion and, 5–6, 7, 9, 15
on government’s purpose, 44
Great Depression and voter shift to, xii, 8–9
Hoover’s views versus, 137
Jefferson Memorial construction under, 10
love of America, 14
national policy of, 12, 276n41
oligarchy as barrier to a self-chosen life, 13
Reagan as heir to, 150, 178
Reagan echoing sentiments of, 13–14, 40, 74, 91, 137, 150, 174–76, 179–80, 196, 216, 297n96
Reagan’s admiration for, x, xi, xvi, 3, 11, 20, 167, 185, 211, 275n29
reducing waste and fat in government and, 15
socialism and, xii (see also Wallace, Henry)
“trickle down” economics and, 193, 299n12
vice presidential bid loss, 129
vision of, 13, 137–38
on what threatens freedom, 6, 13
working-class support for, xi, 8–9, 10, 18
World War II and, 10
See also New Deal
—speeches
Commonwealth Club speech and government for the people, 7–8
Fireside Chat 5, 40, 179, 275n29
fireside chats, 14, 123, 159, 275n29, 275n31, 299n12
nomination acceptance speech (1932), quoted by Reagan, 175–76, 297n96, 297n97, 299n12
nomination acceptance speech (1940), 12
Northwest Ordinance anniversary speech (1938), 9
quoting Lincoln, 44
State of the Union address (1944): Economic Bill of Rights speech, 10, 16, 275n31
Third Inaugural Address, 14
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, Jr., 15
Roosevelt, James, 31
Roosevelt, Theodore, xi, 4, 8, 96, 129
Rosenlieb, Jay, 161
Rousselot, John, 47
Rubio, Marco, 252–53
Ryan, Paul, xviii
budget deficit and, 243
“Roadmap for America’s Future,” 241–43
“Ryan 2.0” and embracing caring, 248
“truckers and cashiers test,” 245, 249
use of “safety net,” 262
as vice presidential hopeful, 245
Sadat, Anwar, 198
same-sex marriage, 247
Sanders, Bernie, 254
Schlesinger, Arthur, 50
Schlesinger, James, 150
Schmitz, John, 103, 104, 110, 156
school prayer, 73, 166, 167
Schweiker, Richard, 151
Screen Actors Guild (SAG), 11
CSU strike and, 31–32
Reagan as president of, 21, 32, 104
Reagan’s views on labor unions and, 43
Sears, John, 172
Securities Act, 9
Securities Exchange Act, 9
self-government (citizenship)
elections and, 137–38
FDR and, 13
Goldwater and, 86
libertarians and, 138, 139
obligations of, 13, 85–86, 128, 253, 262
Reagan and, 41, 56, 84, 85–86, 90, 199, 224, 253, 257, 262, 268
Reagan’s Creative Society and, 90
Reagan’s letter to Brezhnev on, 199
Reagan’s social safety net and, 262
Reagan’s vision for the GOP and, 257
Roosevelt and, 13, 137–38
Trump and, 253
what it is, 253
sexism/role of the sexes, 165, 201–2
anti-discrimination laws, 166
Shell, John, 46, 47
Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, 33
sin laws, 140, 177
Skutnik, Lenny, 208
Snowe, Olympia, 310n73
social conservatives, 139, 155, 201, 252, 253, 254
socialism, 56
American rejection of, 224
conservative opposition to, 26
Czechoslovakia and, 117
Democratic Party and, xii, 15
FDR and, xii
government as the solution to social problems, 47, 87, 134, 211
government bureaucracy and, 21
a government-planned society, 56
health care and, 49, 111
introducing regimented socialism through mandatory government assistance, 48
Kennedy’s “a not undemocratic socialism,” 50–51
Labor-governed London and, 29–30
liberals and, 86
Progressives, Wallace, and, 16, 21, 75
Reagan’s opposition to, 48, 55, 56, 133, 293n29
state power and, 26
“womb-to-tomb utopian benevolence” and, 30
Social Security, 5
Bush plan for, 236, 241, 242
Disability Insurance program, 16, 23, 191, 266–67
Libertarian Party platform to repeal, 176
means testing for, 267
Reagan and, xiii, 83, 88, 150, 163, 164, 174, 190–91, 192, 205–6, 218, 266, 301n49
Ryan’s Roadmap agenda and, 241
Stockman’s position on, 218, 261
Truman’s extension of, 16
Trump and, 252
Social Security Act, 9
social welfare programs
Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), 9, 87, 95, 122
“Chicago welfare queen” case, 144
conservatism and, xviii, 40, 41, 86, 104, 111, 124, 127
conservative use of “safety net,” 262
Disability Insurance program, 266–67
disincentive to work and, 29, 30, 73, 122
Eisenhower and, 23, 27
FDR on Depression programs as emergency, stopgap measures only, 15
FDR’s help for truly needy and, 14
government expansion and, 5–6, 7, 15, 18, 23, 45, 50
government “relief” and the Great Depression, 6
the Great Society and, xiv, 73–74, 95, 102, 106–7, 134, 211–12
Hoover’s opposition to, 6, 69, 86
House Republicans’ 2016 “A Better Way” antipoverty plan, 262
individual obligations and, 85–86
introducing regimented socialism and, 48
libertarianism and, 86, 176–77, 210
permanent government aid, xv, xvi
pre-FDR, 5
private-sector role in, xv, 13–14, 83, 127
Reagan and post-New Deal, liberal-enacted programs, 37, 104, 113
Reagan and the danger of “statism,” 210–11
Reagan on dignity and, 84, 88–89, 123
Reagan on “forward
thinking” programs, 40, 44, 261
Reagan on reducing size and cost of programs, 56, 69, 83, 91, 122, 123, 141–42, 215–16
Reagan on “the Republican approach,” 76, 284n13
Reagan’s California reforms, xv, 95, 107, 122–24, 128, 133, 150, 284n13, 293n27
Reagan’s criticism of waste and inefficiency in, xix, xx, 21, 41, 76, 100, 102, 104–5, 109, 118, 141–42, 144–45, 170
Reagan’s economic floor and, 40, 41, 55, 62, 64, 67, 74, 214, 261
Reagan’s principle of “need” and, xv, xvi, x, xviii, 14, 40, 41, 44–45, 48–50, 54, 83, 84, 86–88, 104, 106–7, 111, 122, 123, 124, 127, 144, 165, 168–69, 170, 190–91, 192, 215–16, 218, 261, 263–64, 284n13
Reagan’s reforms as president, 216
Reagan’s retelling of the fable of the little red hen and, 165, 295n62
Reagan’s “social safety net,” 262
Reagan’s “the soup kitchen of the welfare state,” 55
Republican “block grant” approach, 293n27
state versus federal administration of, 145–46, 157, 167, 293n27
volunteerism versus, 20, 157
See also Medicare; Medicaid; Social Security; specific programs
Soviet Union
Afghanistan War, 160, 222
American liberals or Progressives accommodation of, 16–17, 36, 47
Carter administration and, 160
Chernobyl disaster, 220–21
Cold War, 88–89, 160, 198, 223
collapse of, 186, 204, 223
Czech uprising and, 117
economy in trouble (1980s), 220, 304n95
as the “evil empire,” 160, 202, 219, 304n104
expansionism of, 219, 220, 222
Ford administration and, 148, 150
“liberation movements” sponsored by, 159
Nicaragua and, 197–98
Reagan-Gorbachev partnership, 213–14, 219–23, 304n95
Reagan’s British Parliament speech (June, 1982) and, 203–4, 214, 221
Reagan’s opposition to, 32, 36, 47, 88–89, 140–41, 148, 159–60, 186, 191, 198, 202–4, 205
Sputnik launched, 27
Truman administration and, 161
Spencer, Stu, 75
Stabenow, Debbie, 310n73
stagflation, 170
Stallone, Sylvester, 71
states’ rights
conservatism and, 44
control of social objectives and, 145, 157, 167, 293n27
Kerr-Mills Act and, 168
Reagan’s presidential bid (1976) and, 146
States’ Rights Party, 24
Steffgen, Kent, 110–13, 156, 177, 202
Stein, Jill, 254
Stevenson, Adlai, 22–23, 25, 36
Stockman, David, xvii, 187–88, 192–93, 200, 216–19, 241, 261, 301n47, 303n79
The Triumph of Politics, 217
supply-side economics
Cruz and, xviii, 260–61
entrepreneurs and, 196, 217
Kemp and, 200, 201
libertarians and, 187, 217, 303n79
