That kind of GENUINE rhetorical mastery will never pass this way again. Ronald Reagan was our Churchill. His was a tenure as President, that will be remembered as much for its hope as its accomplishment. May God keep Ronald Reagan's blessed soul rested.
+Alexander George Tsakumis If this man Ronald Reagan ran for President again he would of decimated crushed our current president and Hillary in 2016. Question are you better off now than you were 8 years ago?
One of the best GOP Convention speeches ever! He was their as a former president to deliver the keynote, and kick things off. But from the way he spoke, you would've thought he was making his case for a third term! We miss you, Ron...
I will never forget this man. I loved his humor, his intellect, his common sense, his strength and his integrity. He was truly a very gifted and chosen man for a terrible time in history.
Berlin Wall was his famous speech but this one is the best speech he ever gave it was like a goodbye to everyone and he seemed and I truly believe he loved every single American no matter skin color, sexual orientation, Republican or Democrat he truly loved us and our country! I thank God for once blessing us with him and we can all learn some humility and humanity from this extraordinary gentlemen!!!! Just as anyone who has passed I don't know if I appreciated and admire him as much as I do now! And I regret that!!!!
What a great man... it's so sad to think he is no longer with us but my god how lucky we were that we were blessed with one of history's greatest leaders in our time!
There is no way Reagan was affected by Alzheimers while President, if nearly four years after leaving the White House, he could deliver this incredible address, well modulated, and without losing his train of thought after applause pauses.
That's absolutely true. I also read somewhere that in 1995, George Schultz paid him a visit and he took Nancy into the other room and asked her who the visitor was. In 1999, his son Michael in an interview said he recently asked his father if he'd like to go out and "throw the football around" but his dad didn't know what a football was. In 2001, Nancy said that "Ronnie's illness has taken him to a place where I can no longer reach him." Very sad...Alzheimer's is a terrible disease.
GOSH! I miss him. America really needs him now more than ever! I almost cried when I saw this and thought about how the US was viewed under President Reagans leadership and how the USA felt better about itself with him in office. I pray to God that the country will produce another of his caliber and class. Unfortunately, since his leaving office all we have had nothing but clown after clown.
Good Day to all:President Ronald Reagan was the Greatest U.S.President in U.S.History!We Love President Ronald Reagan!Very sincerlly,My Deep respect to our wonderful President Ronald Reagan!TG.
It just amazes me how good this speech is. No matter what you think of his policies as president, his rhetorical skill here is so much better than anything I've ever heard from Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, John McCain, or anyone in politics today. We need another Reagan who can appeal to our vision of tomorrow instead of yesterday, and especially who can deliver Republicans from the "old guys stuck in the past" image they've partly brought upon themselves.
I remember watching him on TV when I was a kid, when he gave the speech about the Challenger explosion, and then the reopening of the Statue of Liberty. We called him a warmonger, but we were dead wrong; he was extremely conflict averse, and he pulled the Marines out of Lebanon instead of getting more of them killed.
Oh, to have another President like him. I loved him and respected him very much! He blessed America as our President!! He loved our Country and tried to do his best to take care of her!!!! And for that, I really appreciated him! And he didn't mind sharing his faith, and that was the most important thing to me!!! I believe he is in Heaven with our Lord, and that makes me very happy!!! God bless you, my President!!!
***** No thanks. I have 15 years of real-world Econ, Gov't, and Intl Finance experience. I don't need your synopsis, but you're certainly entitled to your opinions.
GOSH! I miss him. America really needs him now more than ever! I almost cried when I saw this and thought about how the US was viewed under President Reagans leadership and how the USA felt better about itself with him in office.
I was a Democrat and voted for him both times. I became a Republican after and now an Constitutionalist. We need another Reagan type patriot or soon America will be history.
christopher tobin: I don't need to research anything. As a teenager witnessing the disaster of the Carter Administration and then as a young man seeing the country turn around in just a few years under Reagan, I and the rest of America saw no harm from either his domestic or foreign policies. There is no hype to believe when someone like me lived through those times and no amount of spin from people like you can change history to fit your mold of what you want Reagan to be. The main reason people like you hate him is because he successfully challenged Liberal/Progressive power, and you will never tolerate that from anyone.
At 15:40 mark is the funniest line in the speech..."Don't inhale"...lol.. How I miss Ronald Reagan..sigh. :( The best President in my lifetime and I am still grateful for all of his accomplishments.
Ronald Reagan was a good and decent man, a wonderful orator who wrote most of his own speeches, and a staunch defender of liberty. I think I can safely say he was the last great Republican President. If he had one fault, it was an overwhelming belief in the goodness of people, many of whom betrayed his trust and took advantage of deregulation; consumed with greed, they had no qualms about fleecing the nation to enrich themselves to an unprecedented level. They lacked what Reagan had...honor!
Ronald Wilson Reagan-GODSPEED! LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC for which HE stood. Thanks for posting this video of him and his MOST GRACIOUS First Lady, Nancy. I believe he stands beside the very Founders themselves in greatness. May God grant us another of his stature and soon.
I miss Ronald Reagan... Someone please bring him back. We misses you so much President Reagan. I live up to you everyday and wishes to see you one day once again. I miss hearing you voice, that voice that still inspires every America today in this nation. And that voice that brings hope and optimism throughout this country. I wish we have more people like you, Ron. God bless you. Always remember, we love you and we love your beloved Nancy. She's one great First Lady, and still is as of today!
@kingofthepeons No, he did not start showing symptoms of Alzheimer's until a year later, according to his doctor. I don't think that "goodbye" was meant as a sure farewell, but rather as an "in case I'm not alive for the next convention". He was after all, 81 at the time, and when you're that age and older, the odds of you living four more years become more uncertain.
While I loved Ronald Reagan, and regard him as our greatest president, what America needs is for all of *US* to embrace the American dream, and deny any vestige of socialism in any of its forms.
@finny6 I did too. I am not a republican anymore, and I have grown to dislike the party, but Ronald Reagan will always be special to me. People who do not like him, are usually young people who are going off of revisionist history. I did not like all of his policies, but I liked the man immensely.
I'll admit I did cry. A President who truly loved America and it's values. Maybe he wasn't perfect, but he's the best we've had in a long time. Long live the Constitution!!!
When I listen to this Great American, and then think of the present occupant of the White House, I weep for the shining City upon the hill. All that it takes for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
This was a President that Told the Truth and never wavered about our Enemies! VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- While President Barack Obama won't call terrorists "radical Muslims," President Ronald Reagan was known for taking the opposite approach with America's enemies. During his presidency, he called communism a failed experiment, saying the Soviet Union was an "evil empire." At the annual Reagan Symposium at Regent University this year, experts discussed how the U.S. worked to spread democracy while Reagan was president compared to U.S. policies today. "Around the world today, a democratic revolution is gathering new strength," Reagan said in his famous 1982 Westminster speech to the British Parliament. "How we conduct ourselves here in the Western democracies will determine whether this trend continues. No, democracy is not a fragile flower, still it needs cultivating," he continued. Republican National Convention: President Reagan's Address at the 1992 RNC, 1992 He challenged the West to help spread democracy around the world, and his Westminster speech stands as one of the greatest of his presidency. At a time when the Soviet Union's presence in the world seemed to be permanent, Reagan predicted the growth of freedom and democracy. "It was very important, both in mobilizing everybody on the free side of the Iron Curtain, but even more important, I was in several countries, Poland and Hungary and East Germany, where I met people who said, 'We wouldn't be doing what we're doing now and the wall wouldn't be coming down if a leader like Reagan hadn't spoken up, And we knew there was someone who understood and who was behind us on the other side of the wall,'" Aram Bakshian Jr., Reagan's former director of speechwriting, said. "The march of freedom and democracy will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history as it has left other tyrannies which stifle the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of the people," Reagan said in that same Westminster speech. Those are words Bakshian said Reagan penned himself. British Parliament: President Reagan's Address to Members of the British Parliament, 1982 The speakers at the Reagan Symposium commented on the stark contrast between Reagan's speeches about communism and President Obama's refusal to use the words "radical Islam" when talking about terrorism. "The difference between Ronald Reagan and President Obama is that President Obama is politically correct and Reagan was correct," Bakshian said. Craig Shirley, bestselling author of several books about Reagan and the first Reagan Scholar at Eureka College, said one major difference is consistency. "There was consistency to Reagan's eight years as president and consistency in his attitude toward the Soviets. Obama seems to be kind of a hodge-podge. He's pro-Israel and then he's questionable on Israel, he's going to re-set with Putin and now he's pulled back from Putin," Shirley explained. At the 1992 Republican National Convention, Reagan talked about winning the Cold War and the victory over communism, showing that he wasn't afraid to call his enemies exactly what they were. "It was a world where our leaders told us that standing up to aggressors was dangerous -- that American might and determination were somehow obstacles to peace," Reagan said during that speech. "But we knew then what the liberal Democrat leaders just couldn't figure out: the sky would not fall if America restored her strength and resolve. The sky would not fall if an American president spoke the truth. The only thing that would fall was the Berlin Wall," he continued. The panelists at the Reagan Symposium acknowledged that we are now facing deadly enemies, just as Reagan did in the 1980s, in a world hungry for leadership. So what should the United States do now to again promote freedom and democracy? Perhaps the best advice for our current and future administrations came from Reagan himself in that 1982 Westminster speech. "Let us be shy no longer, let us go to our strength, let us offer hope," he said. "Let us tell the world that a new age is not only possible, but probable." This was a President that Told the Truth and never wavered about our Enemies! VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- While President Barack Obama won't call terrorists "radical Muslims," President Ronald Reagan was known for taking the opposite approach with America's enemies. During his presidency, he called communism a failed experiment, saying the Soviet Union was an "evil empire." At the annual Reagan Symposium at Regent University this year, experts discussed how the U.S. worked to spread democracy while Reagan was president compared to U.S. policies today. "Around the world today, a democratic revolution is gathering new strength," Reagan said in his famous 1982 Westminster speech to the British Parliament. "How we conduct ourselves here in the Western democracies will determine whether this trend continues. No, democracy is not a fragile flower, still it needs cultivating," he continued. Republican National Convention: President Reagan's Address at the 1992 RNC, 1992 He challenged the West to help spread democracy around the world, and his Westminster speech stands as one of the greatest of his presidency. At a time when the Soviet Union's presence in the world seemed to be permanent, Reagan predicted the growth of freedom and democracy. "It was very important, both in mobilizing everybody on the free side of the Iron Curtain, but even more important, I was in several countries, Poland and Hungary and East Germany, where I met people who said, 'We wouldn't be doing what we're doing now and the wall wouldn't be coming down if a leader like Reagan hadn't spoken up, And we knew there was someone who understood and who was behind us on the other side of the wall,'" Aram Bakshian Jr., Reagan's former director of speechwriting, said. "The march of freedom and democracy will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history as it has left other tyrannies which stifle the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of the people," Reagan said in that same Westminster speech. Those are words Bakshian said Reagan penned himself. British Parliament: President Reagan's Address to Members of the British Parliament, 1982 The speakers at the Reagan Symposium commented on the stark contrast between Reagan's speeches about communism and President Obama's refusal to use the words "radical Islam" when talking about terrorism. "The difference between Ronald Reagan and President Obama is that President Obama is politically correct and Reagan was correct," Bakshian said. Craig Shirley, bestselling author of several books about Reagan and the first Reagan Scholar at Eureka College, said one major difference is consistency. "There was consistency to Reagan's eight years as president and consistency in his attitude toward the Soviets. Obama seems to be kind of a hodge-podge. He's pro-Israel and then he's questionable on Israel, he's going to re-set with Putin and now he's pulled back from Putin," Shirley explained. At the 1992 Republican National Convention, Reagan talked about winning the Cold War and the victory over communism, showing that he wasn't afraid to call his enemies exactly what they were. "It was a world where our leaders told us that standing up to aggressors was dangerous -- that American might and determination were somehow obstacles to peace," Reagan said during that speech. "But we knew then what the liberal Democrat leaders just couldn't figure out: the sky would not fall if America restored her strength and resolve. The sky would not fall if an American president spoke the truth. The only thing that would fall was the Berlin Wall," he continued. The panelists at the Reagan Symposium acknowledged that we are now facing deadly enemies, just as Reagan did in the 1980s, in a world hungry for leadership. So what should the United States do now to again promote freedom and democracy? Perhaps the best advice for our current and future administrations came from Reagan himself in that 1982 Westminster speech. "Let us be shy no longer, let us go to our strength, let us offer hope," he said. "Let us tell the world that a new age is not only possible, but probable." This was a President that Told the Truth and never wavered about our Enemies! VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- While President Barack Obama won't call terrorists "radical Muslims," President Ronald Reagan was known for taking the opposite approach with America's enemies. During his presidency, he called communism a failed experiment, saying the Soviet Union was an "evil empire." At the annual Reagan Symposium at Regent University this year, experts discussed how the U.S. worked to spread democracy while Reagan was president compared to U.S. policies today. "Around the world today, a democratic revolution is gathering new strength," Reagan said in his famous 1982 Westminster speech to the British Parliament. "How we conduct ourselves here in the Western democracies will determine whether this trend continues. No, democracy is not a fragile flower, still it needs cultivating," he continued. Republican National Convention: President Reagan's Address at the 1992 RNC, 1992 He challenged the West to help spread democracy around the world, and his Westminster speech stands as one of the greatest of his presidency. At a time when the Soviet Union's presence in the world seemed to be permanent, Reagan predicted the growth of freedom and democracy. "It was very important, both in mobilizing everybody on the free side of the Iron Curtain, but even more important, I was in several countries, Poland and Hungary and East Germany, where I met people who said, 'We wouldn't be doing what we're doing now and the wall wouldn't be coming down if a leader like Reagan hadn't spoken up, And we knew there was someone who understood and who was behind us on the other side of the wall,'" Aram Bakshian Jr., Reagan's former director of speechwriting, said. "The march of freedom and democracy will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history as it has left other tyrannies which stifle the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of the people," Reagan said in that same Westminster speech. Those are words Bakshian said Reagan penned himself. British Parliament: President Reagan's Address to Members of the British Parliament, 1982 The speakers at the Reagan Symposium commented on the stark contrast between Reagan's speeches about communism and President Obama's refusal to use the words "radical Islam" when talking about terrorism. "The difference between Ronald Reagan and President Obama is that President Obama is politically correct and Reagan was correct," Bakshian said. Craig Shirley, bestselling author of several books about Reagan and the first Reagan Scholar at Eureka College, said one major difference is consistency. "There was consistency to Reagan's eight years as president and consistency in his attitude toward the Soviets. Obama seems to be kind of a hodge-podge. He's pro-Israel and then he's questionable on Israel, he's going to re-set with Putin and now he's pulled back from Putin," Shirley explained. At the 1992 Republican National Convention, Reagan talked about winning the Cold War and the victory over communism, showing that he wasn't afraid to call his enemies exactly what they were. "It was a world where our leaders told us that standing up to aggressors was dangerous -- that American might and determination were somehow obstacles to peace," Reagan said during that speech. "But we knew then what the liberal Democrat leaders just couldn't figure out: the sky would not fall if America restored her strength and resolve. The sky would not fall if an American president spoke the truth. The only thing that would fall was the Berlin Wall," he continued. The panelists at the Reagan Symposium acknowledged that we are now facing deadly enemies, just as Reagan did in the 1980s, in a world hungry for leadership. So what should the United States do now to again promote freedom and democracy? Perhaps the best advice for our current and future administrations came from Reagan himself in that 1982 Westminster speech. "Let us be shy no longer, let us go to our strength, let us offer hope," he said. "Let us tell the world that a new age is not only possible, but probable."
+Ryan Studios You evidently were not alive when Reagan was President. He has become a mythical figure that never existed. The last two years of his second term were a disaster and many people, including Republicans were speculating on whether or not he would even finish his term.
+Michael Powell "I've met men that walked on the Moon"; lied right out of the gate. "America is the force that defeated communism" Another lie, America is falling to communism.
@freeqwerqwer Quayle was not a deciding factor, it was his broken tax pledge. Bush stabbed Reagan in the back and weakened his 1986 Tax Code Reform and removed the Flat Tax option Reagan fought so hard for. This sent his administration into the mini recession of the early 90s and that is why he lost. Broken Promise + Recession = Fail. We haven't heard of true tax code reform or flat rates on a serious level in Washington since.
The contrast between the current Republican’s nominee’s dark and dour convention speech, and this uplifting speech - whether you think Reagan was great, terrible, or in between, he appealed to our best selves and not to fear and hate.
He was 81 right here. Was still a great speaker.
I turned 18 in 1984 and I'm proud to say that the first vote I ever cast was for Ronald Reagan.
REAGAN. Now THERE was a President.
That kind of GENUINE rhetorical mastery will never pass this way again. Ronald Reagan was our Churchill. His was a tenure as President, that will be remembered as much for its hope as its accomplishment. May God keep Ronald Reagan's blessed soul rested.
Complete agreement.
+Alexander George Tsakumis If this man Ronald Reagan ran for President again he would of decimated crushed our current president and Hillary in 2016. Question are you better off now than you were 8 years ago?
One of the best GOP Convention speeches ever! He was their as a former president to deliver the keynote, and kick things off. But from the way he spoke, you would've thought he was making his case for a third term! We miss you, Ron...
I think he could have easily done another 4 more years as president, the Alzheimer's disease seems to be under control at that point in time.
I will never forget this man. I loved his humor, his intellect, his common sense, his strength and his integrity. He was truly a very gifted and chosen man for a terrible time in history.
Berlin Wall was his famous speech but this one is the best speech he ever gave it was like a goodbye to everyone and he seemed and I truly believe he loved every single American no matter skin color, sexual orientation, Republican or Democrat he truly loved us and our country! I thank God for once blessing us with him and we can all learn some humility and humanity from this extraordinary gentlemen!!!! Just as anyone who has passed I don't know if I appreciated and admire him as much as I do now! And I regret that!!!!
Mr. Reagan, you are still my President!
What a great man... it's so sad to think he is no longer with us but my god how lucky we were that we were blessed with one of history's greatest leaders in our time!
There is no way Reagan was affected by Alzheimers while President, if nearly four years after leaving the White House, he could deliver this incredible address, well modulated, and without losing his train of thought after applause pauses.
That's absolutely true. I also read somewhere that in 1995, George Schultz paid him a visit and he took Nancy into the other room and asked her who the visitor was. In 1999, his son Michael in an interview said he recently asked his father if he'd like to go out and "throw the football around" but his dad didn't know what a football was. In 2001, Nancy said that "Ronnie's illness has taken him to a place where I can no longer reach him."
Very sad...Alzheimer's is a terrible disease.
this is what a REAL president sounds like!
He truly loved America and a true patriot!
There will never,,,,,,,,,never be another Reagan!!!
Where are leaders like this today?
one of the greates speeches I have ever heard... I have been waiting for the Reagan Libray to release this
one of the greatest presidents of all time
He sounds like a man who's tired of applause. The people see him as a living god but he knows he's just a man.
God! I'm a Canadian Liberal, but how can you not LOVE THIS MAN!
FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS!
I'll admit I did cry. A President who truly loved America and it's values. Maybe he wasn't perfect, but he's the best we've had in a long time.
The best POTUS in my life time.
Man, I miss this man. True president... If only we had more like him...
Mr president. Still remember you and always will. Our true president.
Ok bud.
Gbg
Go boil an egg housewife,
An American hero and legend...God bless you Mr. President for your service
We need Ronald Reagan now more than ever!!!!!!!!
One of our best 5 Presidents. Best modern era President...no one even close.
I liked Jfk but that was over 50 years ago now
Ronald Reagan. The best president ... ever............
I gotta give President Reagan credit here lol, he was funny and smart and did a great job lol
GOSH! I miss him. America really needs him now more than ever! I almost cried when I saw this and thought about how the US was viewed under President Reagans leadership and how the USA felt better about itself with him in office. I pray to God that the country will produce another of his caliber and class. Unfortunately, since his leaving office all we have had nothing but clown after clown.
Probably the greatest President of the last century
In 1984, the United States shouted a unanimous "4 MORE YEARS".
What they should have shouted is a unanimous, "4 MORE TERMS".
REAGAN was the best.
Good Day to all:President Ronald Reagan was the Greatest U.S.President in U.S.History!We Love President Ronald Reagan!Very sincerlly,My Deep respect to our wonderful President Ronald Reagan!TG.
God bless Ronald Reagan. I can't even imagine how he would turn around in his grave seeing America today. Boy do we need him now!
+Chris Snowdog no we need JFK
we all miss you and love you REAGAN!!
God bless you
It just amazes me how good this speech is. No matter what you think of his policies as president, his rhetorical skill here is so much better than anything I've ever heard from Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, John McCain, or anyone in politics today. We need another Reagan who can appeal to our vision of tomorrow instead of yesterday, and especially who can deliver Republicans from the "old guys stuck in the past" image they've partly brought upon themselves.
I voted twice for him...twice....greatest preident in my lifetime
Reagan 2016!
you do know he passed away about ten years ago, right?
At least if Reagan was just a corpse, he couldn't quadruple our deficit like he did when he was in office.
wish we could find one ^_^
We wish!!!
TheSapidChef That's why we have Obama to spend more than every other president in our history combined. :)
Reagan was a leader who inspired others. He tried hard to weaken tyranny's grip on America, with limited success. GBU, Mr. President!
Masterful. Simply masterful
Ron was a GREAT man !! Wish all our presidents were like him.
32:00 is my favorite line
Ronald reagan was the last real president
It is amazing how, when he talks about the other party, it sounds as if he is on the stage this very day.
I remember watching him on TV when I was a kid, when he gave the speech about the Challenger explosion, and then the reopening of the Statue of Liberty. We called him a warmonger, but we were dead wrong; he was extremely conflict averse, and he pulled the Marines out of Lebanon instead of getting more of them killed.
Haha, that Jefferson joke at 16:15 cracks me up.
God Bless America & Ronald Reagan
Oh, to have another President like him. I loved him and respected him very much! He blessed America as our President!! He loved our Country and tried to do his best to take care of her!!!! And for that, I really appreciated him! And he didn't mind sharing his faith, and that was the most important thing to me!!! I believe he is in Heaven with our Lord, and that makes me very happy!!! God bless you, my President!!!
what a man ! what a wonderful family man ! a real state man and great presedent... rest in peace... all best from Turkey
Terrific speech! Nice touch at the end there for his farewell.
I'm not American but I do remember with affection your great past president in power when I was a child.
How do we get another Reagan because we could sure use one.
***** No thanks. I have 15 years of real-world Econ, Gov't, and Intl Finance experience. I don't need your synopsis, but you're certainly entitled to your opinions.
A very powerful, moving speech. God Bless the great communicator and God Bless America.
GOSH! I miss him. America really needs him now more than ever! I almost cried when I saw this and thought about how the US was viewed under President Reagans leadership and how the USA felt better about itself with him in office.
MISS YOU MISTER PRESIDENT!
GOD BLESS YOU
Love watching Reagan.. always did. Notice George W. Bush sitting next to his mother.
Very eloquent as ever
I was a Democrat and voted for him both times. I became a Republican after and now an Constitutionalist. We need another Reagan type patriot or soon America will be history.
Hmm.. this guy comes across as very different from how the Republicans of today make him out to be. He seems somewhat likable and practically human.
I love you Ron.
Am I the only one who wishes that the crowd would just shut up and let him speak?
such a smooth speech especially as old and as close to his alzheimer's diagnosis as he was.
The Last Great American President.
They cut out about 10-15 minutes of cheering before they let him speak! I remember watching this as a kid.
Arguably his best speech. Miss this man!
christopher tobin: I don't need to research anything. As a teenager witnessing the disaster of the Carter Administration and then as a young man seeing the country turn around in just a few years under Reagan, I and the rest of America saw no harm from either his domestic or foreign policies. There is no hype to believe when someone like me lived through those times and no amount of spin from people like you can change history to fit your mold of what you want Reagan to be. The main reason people like you hate him is because he successfully challenged Liberal/Progressive power, and you will never tolerate that from anyone.
At 15:40 mark is the funniest line in the speech..."Don't inhale"...lol.. How I miss Ronald Reagan..sigh. :( The best President in my lifetime and I am still grateful for all of his accomplishments.
"Well done, good and faithful servant." "We shall not see his likes again."
Ronald Reagan was a good and decent man, a wonderful
orator who wrote most of his own speeches, and a staunch
defender of liberty. I think I can safely say he was the last
great Republican President. If he had one fault, it was an
overwhelming belief in the goodness of people, many of
whom betrayed his trust and took advantage of deregulation;
consumed with greed, they had no qualms about fleecing
the nation to enrich themselves to an unprecedented level.
They lacked what Reagan had...honor!
God bless Ronald Reagan
I am going to become the next Ronald Reagan, May God bless our opportunities.
The days when everyone was proud to be American. God Bless Ronald Reagan
Great and strong leader in better times of America - I miss Ronald Reagan and his powerful voice.
great speech
Greatest President of our time.
Hail to Reagan.
Ronald Wilson Reagan-GODSPEED!
LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC for which HE stood.
Thanks for posting this video of him and his MOST GRACIOUS First Lady, Nancy.
I believe he stands beside the very Founders themselves in greatness.
May God grant us another of his stature and soon.
That's a leader right there. AWESOME!
Clinton v. Reagan I would love to see that debate
"We are and Empire of Ideals".
I miss Ronald Reagan... Someone please bring him back. We misses you so much President Reagan. I live up to you everyday and wishes to see you one day once again. I miss hearing you voice, that voice that still inspires every America today in this nation. And that voice that brings hope and optimism throughout this country. I wish we have more people like you, Ron. God bless you. Always remember, we love you and we love your beloved Nancy. She's one great First Lady, and still is as of today!
Alzheimer's in office supposedly but delivering this speech? Conspiracy theorists keep dreaming.
such an well spoken man
@kingofthepeons No, he did not start showing symptoms of Alzheimer's until a year later, according to his doctor. I don't think that "goodbye" was meant as a sure farewell, but rather as an "in case I'm not alive for the next convention". He was after all, 81 at the time, and when you're that age and older, the odds of you living four more years become more uncertain.
As much as a Democrat as I am, I’ll admit Reagan was quite the good leader
While I loved Ronald Reagan, and regard him as our greatest president, what America needs is for all of *US* to embrace the American dream, and deny any vestige of socialism in any of its forms.
@finny6 I did too. I am not a republican anymore, and I have grown to dislike the party, but Ronald Reagan will always be special to me. People who do not like him, are usually young people who are going off of revisionist history. I did not like all of his policies, but I liked the man immensely.
why is this guy not on mount rushmore , ronald reagan was amazing ! ! !
You're not Thomas Jefferson... Parody of Lloyd Bentsen...
I'll admit I did cry. A President who truly loved America and it's values. Maybe he wasn't perfect, but he's the best we've had in a long time. Long live the Constitution!!!
When I listen to this Great American, and then think of the present occupant of the White House, I weep for the shining City upon the hill.
All that it takes for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
The Gipper.
Accept no substitute.
8:48 "- and they call me an actor..." LMAO
A GREAT MAN!
I did vote for Reagan.
I was there.
Remember when America had a REAL President?
This was a President that Told the Truth and never wavered about our Enemies!
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- While President Barack Obama won't call terrorists "radical Muslims," President Ronald Reagan was known for taking the opposite approach with America's enemies.
During his presidency, he called communism a failed experiment, saying the Soviet Union was an "evil empire."
At the annual Reagan Symposium at Regent University this year, experts discussed how the U.S. worked to spread democracy while Reagan was president compared to U.S. policies today.
"Around the world today, a democratic revolution is gathering new strength," Reagan said in his famous 1982 Westminster speech to the British Parliament.
"How we conduct ourselves here in the Western democracies will determine whether this trend continues. No, democracy is not a fragile flower, still it needs cultivating," he continued.
Republican National Convention: President Reagan's Address at the 1992 RNC, 1992
He challenged the West to help spread democracy around the world, and his Westminster speech stands as one of the greatest of his presidency. At a time when the Soviet Union's presence in the world seemed to be permanent, Reagan predicted the growth of freedom and democracy.
"It was very important, both in mobilizing everybody on the free side of the Iron Curtain, but even more important, I was in several countries, Poland and Hungary and East Germany, where I met people who said, 'We wouldn't be doing what we're doing now and the wall wouldn't be coming down if a leader like Reagan hadn't spoken up, And we knew there was someone who understood and who was behind us on the other side of the wall,'" Aram Bakshian Jr., Reagan's former director of speechwriting, said.
"The march of freedom and democracy will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history as it has left other tyrannies which stifle the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of the people," Reagan said in that same Westminster speech.
Those are words Bakshian said Reagan penned himself.
British Parliament: President Reagan's Address to Members of the British Parliament, 1982
The speakers at the Reagan Symposium commented on the stark contrast between Reagan's speeches about communism and President Obama's refusal to use the words "radical Islam" when talking about terrorism.
"The difference between Ronald Reagan and President Obama is that President Obama is politically correct and Reagan was correct," Bakshian said.
Craig Shirley, bestselling author of several books about Reagan and the first Reagan Scholar at Eureka College, said one major difference is consistency.
"There was consistency to Reagan's eight years as president and consistency in his attitude toward the Soviets. Obama seems to be kind of a hodge-podge. He's pro-Israel and then he's questionable on Israel, he's going to re-set with Putin and now he's pulled back from Putin," Shirley explained.
At the 1992 Republican National Convention, Reagan talked about winning the Cold War and the victory over communism, showing that he wasn't afraid to call his enemies exactly what they were.
"It was a world where our leaders told us that standing up to aggressors was dangerous -- that American might and determination were somehow obstacles to peace," Reagan said during that speech.
"But we knew then what the liberal Democrat leaders just couldn't figure out: the sky would not fall if America restored her strength and resolve. The sky would not fall if an American president spoke the truth. The only thing that would fall was the Berlin Wall," he continued.
The panelists at the Reagan Symposium acknowledged that we are now facing deadly enemies, just as Reagan did in the 1980s, in a world hungry for leadership. So what should the United States do now to again promote freedom and democracy?
Perhaps the best advice for our current and future administrations came from Reagan himself in that 1982 Westminster speech.
"Let us be shy no longer, let us go to our strength, let us offer hope," he said. "Let us tell the world that a new age is not only possible, but probable."
This was a President that Told the Truth and never wavered about our Enemies!
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- While President Barack Obama won't call terrorists "radical Muslims," President Ronald Reagan was known for taking the opposite approach with America's enemies.
During his presidency, he called communism a failed experiment, saying the Soviet Union was an "evil empire."
At the annual Reagan Symposium at Regent University this year, experts discussed how the U.S. worked to spread democracy while Reagan was president compared to U.S. policies today.
"Around the world today, a democratic revolution is gathering new strength," Reagan said in his famous 1982 Westminster speech to the British Parliament.
"How we conduct ourselves here in the Western democracies will determine whether this trend continues. No, democracy is not a fragile flower, still it needs cultivating," he continued.
Republican National Convention: President Reagan's Address at the 1992 RNC, 1992
He challenged the West to help spread democracy around the world, and his Westminster speech stands as one of the greatest of his presidency. At a time when the Soviet Union's presence in the world seemed to be permanent, Reagan predicted the growth of freedom and democracy.
"It was very important, both in mobilizing everybody on the free side of the Iron Curtain, but even more important, I was in several countries, Poland and Hungary and East Germany, where I met people who said, 'We wouldn't be doing what we're doing now and the wall wouldn't be coming down if a leader like Reagan hadn't spoken up, And we knew there was someone who understood and who was behind us on the other side of the wall,'" Aram Bakshian Jr., Reagan's former director of speechwriting, said.
"The march of freedom and democracy will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history as it has left other tyrannies which stifle the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of the people," Reagan said in that same Westminster speech.
Those are words Bakshian said Reagan penned himself.
British Parliament: President Reagan's Address to Members of the British Parliament, 1982
The speakers at the Reagan Symposium commented on the stark contrast between Reagan's speeches about communism and President Obama's refusal to use the words "radical Islam" when talking about terrorism.
"The difference between Ronald Reagan and President Obama is that President Obama is politically correct and Reagan was correct," Bakshian said.
Craig Shirley, bestselling author of several books about Reagan and the first Reagan Scholar at Eureka College, said one major difference is consistency.
"There was consistency to Reagan's eight years as president and consistency in his attitude toward the Soviets. Obama seems to be kind of a hodge-podge. He's pro-Israel and then he's questionable on Israel, he's going to re-set with Putin and now he's pulled back from Putin," Shirley explained.
At the 1992 Republican National Convention, Reagan talked about winning the Cold War and the victory over communism, showing that he wasn't afraid to call his enemies exactly what they were.
"It was a world where our leaders told us that standing up to aggressors was dangerous -- that American might and determination were somehow obstacles to peace," Reagan said during that speech.
"But we knew then what the liberal Democrat leaders just couldn't figure out: the sky would not fall if America restored her strength and resolve. The sky would not fall if an American president spoke the truth. The only thing that would fall was the Berlin Wall," he continued.
The panelists at the Reagan Symposium acknowledged that we are now facing deadly enemies, just as Reagan did in the 1980s, in a world hungry for leadership. So what should the United States do now to again promote freedom and democracy?
Perhaps the best advice for our current and future administrations came from Reagan himself in that 1982 Westminster speech.
"Let us be shy no longer, let us go to our strength, let us offer hope," he said. "Let us tell the world that a new age is not only possible, but probable."
This was a President that Told the Truth and never wavered about our Enemies!
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- While President Barack Obama won't call terrorists "radical Muslims," President Ronald Reagan was known for taking the opposite approach with America's enemies.
During his presidency, he called communism a failed experiment, saying the Soviet Union was an "evil empire."
At the annual Reagan Symposium at Regent University this year, experts discussed how the U.S. worked to spread democracy while Reagan was president compared to U.S. policies today.
"Around the world today, a democratic revolution is gathering new strength," Reagan said in his famous 1982 Westminster speech to the British Parliament.
"How we conduct ourselves here in the Western democracies will determine whether this trend continues. No, democracy is not a fragile flower, still it needs cultivating," he continued.
Republican National Convention: President Reagan's Address at the 1992 RNC, 1992
He challenged the West to help spread democracy around the world, and his Westminster speech stands as one of the greatest of his presidency. At a time when the Soviet Union's presence in the world seemed to be permanent, Reagan predicted the growth of freedom and democracy.
"It was very important, both in mobilizing everybody on the free side of the Iron Curtain, but even more important, I was in several countries, Poland and Hungary and East Germany, where I met people who said, 'We wouldn't be doing what we're doing now and the wall wouldn't be coming down if a leader like Reagan hadn't spoken up, And we knew there was someone who understood and who was behind us on the other side of the wall,'" Aram Bakshian Jr., Reagan's former director of speechwriting, said.
"The march of freedom and democracy will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history as it has left other tyrannies which stifle the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of the people," Reagan said in that same Westminster speech.
Those are words Bakshian said Reagan penned himself.
British Parliament: President Reagan's Address to Members of the British Parliament, 1982
The speakers at the Reagan Symposium commented on the stark contrast between Reagan's speeches about communism and President Obama's refusal to use the words "radical Islam" when talking about terrorism.
"The difference between Ronald Reagan and President Obama is that President Obama is politically correct and Reagan was correct," Bakshian said.
Craig Shirley, bestselling author of several books about Reagan and the first Reagan Scholar at Eureka College, said one major difference is consistency.
"There was consistency to Reagan's eight years as president and consistency in his attitude toward the Soviets. Obama seems to be kind of a hodge-podge. He's pro-Israel and then he's questionable on Israel, he's going to re-set with Putin and now he's pulled back from Putin," Shirley explained.
At the 1992 Republican National Convention, Reagan talked about winning the Cold War and the victory over communism, showing that he wasn't afraid to call his enemies exactly what they were.
"It was a world where our leaders told us that standing up to aggressors was dangerous -- that American might and determination were somehow obstacles to peace," Reagan said during that speech.
"But we knew then what the liberal Democrat leaders just couldn't figure out: the sky would not fall if America restored her strength and resolve. The sky would not fall if an American president spoke the truth. The only thing that would fall was the Berlin Wall," he continued.
The panelists at the Reagan Symposium acknowledged that we are now facing deadly enemies, just as Reagan did in the 1980s, in a world hungry for leadership. So what should the United States do now to again promote freedom and democracy?
Perhaps the best advice for our current and future administrations came from Reagan himself in that 1982 Westminster speech.
"Let us be shy no longer, let us go to our strength, let us offer hope," he said. "Let us tell the world that a new age is not only possible, but probable."
***** Thank you ever so much Ryan, and I totally, 100% agree with you! Ronald Reagan in my single opinion was the very best of all! :)
+Michael Powell Obama said he won't give them religious legitimacy because they aren't religious leaders, they are cult leaders and terrorists.
+Ryan Studios You evidently were not alive when Reagan was President. He has become a mythical figure that never existed. The last two years of his second term were a disaster and many people, including Republicans were speculating on whether or not he would even finish his term.
+Michael Powell "I've met men that walked on the Moon"; lied right out of the gate. "America is the force that defeated communism" Another lie, America is falling to communism.
+Michael Powell Radical Muslims walked all over Reagan
@freeqwerqwer Quayle was not a deciding factor, it was his broken tax pledge. Bush stabbed Reagan in the back and weakened his 1986 Tax Code Reform and removed the Flat Tax option Reagan fought so hard for. This sent his administration into the mini recession of the early 90s and that is why he lost. Broken Promise + Recession = Fail. We haven't heard of true tax code reform or flat rates on a serious level in Washington since.
The contrast between the current Republican’s nominee’s dark and dour convention speech, and this uplifting speech - whether you think Reagan was great, terrible, or in between, he appealed to our best selves and not to fear and hate.