Epik Fails of History: Quotes!
October 4, 2024
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PRESIDENTIAL Pros & Cons – Part Eleven (1974-1989)

The following is a continuation of a multi-part series that I first started back in 2016 and left off back in 2019 (click here for the full list!), now that we’re heading into the 2024 election, I figured it was time to get back to it…

Part Ten: JFK, LBJ, Nixon

38 – GERALD FORD

Gerald FordPresidential Years: 1974-1977

Political Party: Republican

Vice President: <Vacant> / Nelson Rockefeller

Ran Against: N/A

First Lady: Betty Ford

Quote: “I am a Ford, not a Lincoln.” 

Best known for: Pardoning Richard Nixon, officially ended American involvement in Vietnam, and for being extremely clumsy…

Random Fact: Ford was never actually elected to office, either as Vice President or President – he got the position because both Nixon and his VP resigned during the Watergate Scandal

Pros:

  • Attempted to re-unite a fractured country post-Watergate
  • Signed the Helsinki Accords – reducing tensions during the Cold War
  • Signed the Paris Peace Accords of 1975, ending the US’s involvement in the Vietnam War
  • Established diplomatic relationships with the People’s Republic of China
  • His economic policies reduced inflation and stimulated growth
  • Appointed Colin Powell – the first African American National Security Advisor (later Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff)
  • Oversaw the Apollo-Soyuz mission: NASA’s first joint-mission with the Soviet Union, in 1975!
  • Served in the Navy during WWII

Cons: 

  • Pardoned Richard Nixon
  • Was part of the Warren Commission and potentially the alleged cover-up regarding the Assassination of JFK
  • Was blamed for the economic fallout of Nixon’s presidency
  • Is mostly known in pop-culture for tripping on live television… twice!
  • Attempted to fight inflation with… Buttons?!
  • Unpopular on both sides of the political spectrum, lacking a political base (because he wasn’t actually elected to office)
  • Lost re-election in 1976 (mostly due to pardoning Nixon)

Bio: Before entering politics, Gerald R. Ford was a college football star in the 30’s, while at the University of Michigan and was even offered a contract to play for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL, but chose to pursue a law degree instead. He then enlisted in the Navy in 1942, during WWII, and served aboard the USS Monterey, where he fought in several battles in the Pacific, including Iwo Jima. He was then elected to Congress in 1948.

Following the shocking assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, Gerald “Jerry” Ford was assigned to the controversial Warren Commission, headed by former head of the CIA, Allen Dulles – whose findings are still heavily debated by experts (and conspiracy theorists) to this day. Despite the ‘official narrative’, the findings of the Warren Commission are most likely bogus based on witness testimony that has come forward in the years since, including new evidence that surfaced in 2023. However, it’s still very much a developing story all these decades later, as hundreds of files regarding JFK are still classified to this day (which is suspicious in it’s own right).

In 1974, when Richard Nixon was facing impeachment for his direct involvement in the Watergate scandal, he and his VP both resigned, which automatically thrust Gerald Ford (the former Speaker of the House) into the spotlight as the 38th President of the United States and the first President that was never elected to the office! As President, “Jerry” was faced with a… challenging political landscape and a nation amid economic instability and social turmoil.

Despite having an uphill battle from day one, Ford was a relatively level headed President who still managed to get a lot done, especially considering the chaotic circumstances he was given. He also faced opposition on both sides of the aisle, as a President without a political base. President Ford’s first order of business was attempting to unite a fractured country amid the fallout of Watergate and the failed war in Vietnam.

Unfortunately, his first move was to pardon Nixon…

The decision to pardon the former President (for his numerous crimes) wasn’t just a bad move, it would haunt Gerald Ford for the rest of his political career, and cost him re-election. While Ford had hoped it would help the country heal and move on from the Nixon Presidency, it also set a dangerous precedence, because a President who committed a crime was able to get off scot-free, while his underlings paid the price – resulting in the indictment of 69 people, 48 of whom were found guilty, including several top Nixon officials, but not Nixon himself.

Regardless of his short term (and that one really bad call), in 1975, President “Jerry” managed to negotiate an end to the US involvement in the Vietnam War with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords with North Vietnam, helped to lower Cold War tensions, oversaw the joint-NASA/USSR “Apollo-Soyuz” Project (the first international space-venture, which marked the official end of the Space Race), and signed the Helsinki Accords, along with 35 European nations and Canada!

Apollo-Soyuz, 1975 (NASA / USSR)

Regardless of everything else, to date Ford is still most well known for stumbling down the steps of Air Force One on live TV, falling off a ski slope in Colorado (also on live TV), and losing to Jimmy Carter in 1976 – all because he pardoned Nixon.

 

39 – JIMMY CARTER

Jimmy CarterPresidential Years: 1977-1981

Political Party: Democrat

Vice President: Walter F. Mondale

Ran Against: President Gerald Ford

First Lady: Rosalynn Carter

Quote: I can’t deny I’m a better ex-president than I was a president”

Best known for: The Iranian Hostage Crisis

Random Fact(s): Had to sell his peanut farm, because it was a conflict of interest. Once saw a UFO and became one of the first Presidents to *publicly* comment on the topic. The first American President to live to 100!

Pros:

  • A man of virtue, faith, and honesty
  • Served aboard two nuclear submarines in the Navy
  • Refused to bow to corrupt political interests and lobbyists
  • Pardoned Vietnam draft-dodgers on Day 2
  • Collaborated with NASA on the Voyager Project’s “Golden Record” message sent into space in 1977!
  • Camp David Accords – which brokered peace between Israel and Egypt in 1979
  • Helped to heal the wounds from Watergate, proving not all politicians are crooks
  • Humanitarian efforts in foreign affairs
  • Created the Department of Energy
  • Created the Department of Education
  • Expanded diplomatic trade with China
  • The Panama Canal Treaty
  • Deregulated the airline industry
  • Scandal-free Presidency
  • After leaving office, has dedicated his life to helping others
  • Established the Carter Center post-Presidency
  • Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002

Cons: 

  • The Iranian Hostage Crisis
  • Not the most effective politician as President
  • Blocked by Congress on numerous policies
  • Had a lot of bad luck during his tenure
  • Mishandling of the energy crisis?
  • The economy tanked in the late 70’s
  • Unemployment rates and inflation skyrocketed
  • Although he promised to declassify the government’s UFO files, he later cited “National Security” concerns
  • Supported Afghan Freedom Fighters to combat the Soviets, which backfired and created the Taliban and Al-Qaeda…

Bio: Born in Plains, Georgia, a small farming town, on October 1st, 1924, Jimmy Carter attended the Georgia Institute of Technology and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1946, before serving aboard two nuclear submarines as a senior officer, while studying nuclear physics. After his father passed away in 1953, he left the Navy, returning home to his family’s farm. In 1962 he became a Georgia Senator, and became Governor in 1971.

In 1974, Carter announced his candidacy as President of the United States and narrowly won against Gerald Ford in 1976, with a majority of popular and electoral votes, thanks primarily to his Anti-Nixon stance. To many American voters, Carter was a breath of fresh air and really helped to heal the societal wounds caused by a series of corrupt politicians (like Nixon), and a series of endless, pointless wars (namely Vietnam). In fact, on his second-day in office, President Carter pardoned those who avoided being drafted into the Vietnam War!

To his credit, Jimmy Carter was, is, and continues to be one of the most virtuous and honest politicians to ever serve as Commander in Chief. A deeply devout Christian who actually lived his principles, and spent much of his life serving others, with a keen dedication toward humanitarian efforts.

Jimmy and his wife

Unfortunately, because of his steadfast integrity, and refusal to “play ball” with other politicians and lobbyists in Washington, President Carter soon made a number of enemies, both in the Republican party and in his own Democratic party. His refusal to compromise his values ultimately led to Congress blocking many of his initiatives, and attempts at fixing the economic issues that befell the nation in the 70’s, as a result of the 1973 Oil Crisis – due to the OPEC oil embargo (which also occurred under the Nixon administration).

Years earlier, while serving as governor, in 1969, Jimmy Carter was preparing to give a speech to the Lions Club, when he and 12 other eyewitnesses witnessed a UFO! They reported seeing a strange glowing orb, darting through the sky, before stopping on a dime and hovering silently in the distance, as if observing them. It shifted in colors from blue to red to white for about 10 minutes, before inexplicably fading away into the distance!

Carter later said, “One thing’s for sure, I’ll never make fun of people who say they’ve seen unidentified objects in the sky. If I become President, I’ll make every piece of information this country has about UFO sightings available to the public and the scientists.” However, as President, he cited “national security” concerns as the reason he was unable to declassify the government’s UFO files. While unconfirmed, there’s a long-standing rumor that when Carter was briefed on the subject, he broke down crying in the Oval Office…

While President, in 1977, Jimmy Carter collaborated with NASA and Carl Sagan on the Voyager Project! NASA launched the two interstellar probes into space, on a trajectory outside of our solar system – each containing a “Golden Record”, as a time capsule of Earth, intended as a message in a bottle among the vast oceans of stars, in the hopes that it might be found one day by an extraterrestrial civilization! Included was a message from President Carter:

“This Voyager spacecraft was constructed by the United States of America. We are a community of 240 million human beings among the more than 4 billion who inhabit the planet Earth. We human beings are still divided into nation states, but these states are rapidly becoming a single global civilization.

We cast this message into the cosmos. It is likely to survive a billion years into our future, when our civilization is profoundly altered and the surface of the Earth may be vastly changed. Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, some–perhaps many–may have inhabited planets and spacefaring civilizations. If one such civilization intercepts Voyager and can understand these recorded contents, here is our message:

This is a present from a small distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts, and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations. This record represents our hope and our determination, and our good will in a vast and awesome universe.”

Amid exasperated tensions in the Middle East, President Carter’s biggest success happened in 1978, when he brokered an unprecedented peace treaty between Israel and Egypt thanks to the Camp David Accords. Carter basically forced the Israeli Prime Minister and the Egyptian President to hash it out until they came to an agreement over the course of 13 days at Camp David!

Unfortunately, as Murphy’s Law would have it, a series of things went wrong from there, starting in 1979:

During the oil shortage of the Energy Crisis, Carter urged Americans to conserve energy… but they didn’t listen, and they then blamed him for the economic fallout from it, as unemployment, inflation, and interest rates all rocketed out of control. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, so the US attempted to aid and supply the Afghan rebels… which backfired horribly by creating not one, but two radical jihadist terrorist groups known today as the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. In response to the Soviet Invasion, Carter led an unpopular boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, barring American athletes from competing. And if all that wasn’t bad enough, there was also the Three Mile Island incident, when a nuclear reactor had a near catastrophic meltdown in Pennsylvania! But the cherry on top was the Iranian Hostage Crisis… 

During the Islamic Revolution in Iran, 52 American diplomats and their staff were taken hostage. Jimmy Carter spent the rest of his Presidency dedicated to securing the release of the hostages. The standoff went on for 444 days! At one point, President Carter ordered a military rescue operation, Codename: “Operation Eagle Claw” ! A Delta Force strike team was flown into Tehran, aboard 8 helicopters, launched from the USS Nimitz stationed in the Arabian Sea. The mission soon turned disastrous thanks to a sandstorm that nearly took out half the choppers, and causing one to crash, killing 8 soldiers, forcing them to abort the mission. The entire debacle ended up costing Carter the election, and the hostages were released the day that Reagan was sworn into office (more on that in a bit)…

While the public at the time blamed Jimmy Carter for pretty much *everything* that went wrong in the 70’s, so much of it was outside of his control, and a lot of it was actually economic fallout inherited from Nixon’s administration. And regardless of all the things that went wrong, people often ignore just how much good Carter accomplished while in office, even when his hands were tied by a Congressional hostility: he created the Department of Energy and the Department of Education, expanded diplomatic trade with China, deregulated the airline industry, signed the Panama Canal Treaty, helped forge a lasting peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, made humanitarian efforts in foreign affairs his number one goal, and most impressive of all: his presidency was scandal-free.

And what’s even more impressive is how much he accomplished *after* his presidency!

After leaving office, in addition to writing 32 books, Jimmy Carter dedicated the rest of his life to helping others, becoming a champion of human rights, and putting his time, money, and energy into several charitable causes, most notably Habitat for Humanity International, where he was often seen on the ground helping to build housing for the under privileged. In 1982, Carter and his wife founded the Carter Presidential Center at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia!

As a freelance Ambassador, Jimmy was involved in mediating a number of international disputes, including Muammar Qaddaffi of Libya and Kim Il-Sung of North Korea, most notably an incident involving nuclear weapons in 1994. In 2002, Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development”. 

He recently turned 100 (meaning he’s officially too old to play with Legos) and revealed he has one last goal before he dies: “I’m only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris.”  

He may not have been the best President, but no one can argue that he was, is, and continues to be a good man.

 

40 – RONALD REAGAN

ReaganPresidential Years: 1981-1989

Political Party: Republican

Vice President: George H.W. Bush

Ran Against: President Jimmy Carter (Democrat), John Anderson (Independent), Ed Clark (Libertarian) / Walter F. Mondale (2nd term)

First Lady: Nancy Reagan

Quote(s): “Facts are stubborn things.” and “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

Best known for: “Reaganomics”, and helping to bring an end to the Cold War, along with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Easily one of the most divisive and controversial figures of the 20th Century.

Random Fact(s): Was a former Hollywood actor. Once publicly spoke to the UN about the possibility of an “alien invasion” uniting humanity…

Pros: 

  • Known as the “Great Communicator” for his abilities as an orator
  • Often credited, in part, for the end of the Cold War, with the signing of the landmark INF Nuclear Arms Treaty in 1987, with Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev 
  • The famous “Berlin Wall” speech
  • Many argue that Reagan’s strategies and PR led to the decline of the Soviet Union
  • Reagan’s proposed SDI program (The Strategic Defense Initiative) may have been a clever ploy to trick the USSR into over-spending on their military, leading to their collapse
  • Gave many Americans hope for the future, with his optimistic rhetoric
  • While “Reaganomics” has proven problematic in the long term, the Reagan administration did manage to stimulate economic growth for the economy through tax cuts, deregulation, and reduced government spending
  • Unemployment rates declined during his tenure
  • Survived an assassination attempt
  • Appointed Sandra Day O’Connor – the first female Supreme Court Judge
  • Reagan’s deregulation of TV standards inadvertently (for better or worse) led to a series of “kids shows as adverts” which spawned some of the biggest cartoon hits of the 80’s and 90’s: GI Joe, Transformers, He-Man, and TMNT!
  • Hosted the 1984 Summer Olympics in LA
  • Major proponent of NASA’s Space Shuttle program, and gave a moving speech following the 1986 Challenger Disaster 
  • During his early years, as a lifeguard, he saved 77 people from drowning
  • Was opposed to racial and religious intolerance
  • Supported amnesty for illegal immigrants
  • Delivered a message of peace to the United Nations in 1987

Cons: 

  • “Reaganomics” – many of the current economic issues in America today can be traced back to Reagan’s failed ‘Trickle-Down’ Economics approach
  • Embroiled in several scandals throughout his presidency
  • Had one of the most corrupt administrations in modern history (28 people within his administration were convicted of crimes, while many were overturned and others were pardoned by future presidents)
  • Complete mishandling of the AIDS Epidemic
  • The Iran-Contra Affair
  • The Invasion of Grenada
  • The Bombing of Libya
  • During the Iranian Hostage Crisis, the Reagan Administration negotiated (in secret) with Iranian terrorists to release the American hostages *after* Reagan was sworn into office as an election stunt…
  • Ramped up the ongoing “War on Drugs” – continuing Nixon’s (failed) initiative to crack down on “dangerous substances” like marijuana
  • Utilized “Narcoterrorism” as an excuse to go after guerilla insurgents in Latin American countries
  • Supported anti-communist dictators in Central and South America who committed genocide against their people (most notably Guatemala and El Salvador)
  • Supported repressive regimes in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Cambodia, and the Philippines)
  • Support for the Apartheid Regime in South Africa
  • Vetoed the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act (Congress overrode the veto with overwhelming bipartisan support)
  • The US was found guilty of war crimes against Nicaragua, although he claims to have been unaware of it at the time
  • Very Anti-Union
  • Fired over 10,000 Air Traffic Controllers who went on strike
  • Failed in his promise to “Balance the Budget”
  • Cut funding on education by $1 billion
  • Vetoed the Civil Rights Restoration Act
  • Ending of the FCC’s “Fairness Doctrine”, giving media outlets the ability to spout unfounded opinions as facts regarding controversial issues without acknowledging the other side, leading to a rise in conservative talk radio and outlets like Fox News, as well as the rampant spread of misinformation
  • Appointed 3 conservative justices to the Supreme Court, which significantly shifted its ideological balance
  • Despite helping to end the Cold War, he also exasperated it to the point that people were concerned Reagan would inadvertently cause WWIII
  • Reagan’s tax cuts and increased military spending led to a massive increase in the national debt
  • Reagan’s SDI – The Strategic Defense Initiative (aka “Star Wars”) was ultimately an incredibly expensive failure, later cancelled by President Clinton, with long-term estimates at $1 Trillion!?
  • Reagan’s economic policies favored corporations and the wealthy over working class citizens, leading to an exponential income inequality between the classes that unfortunately continues to this day
  • Although Reagan is credited for ending the Cold War, it’s worth noting that it was more of an intermission, with the current tensions between the US and Russia now at an all time high
  • The collapse of the Soviet Union led to the rise of Russian oligarchs, which in turn paved the way for Vladimir Putin’s rise to power…

Bio: Unlike Jimmy Carter – who was unpopular in his time, but is now remembered as a great man amid terrible circumstances – Ronald Reagan was extremely popular at the time, but like so many icons of the 1980’s, Reagan’s presidency has since proven to be… a complicated legacy to say the least.

“Law and Order” (1953)

Born in a small apartment above a general store, in Illinois, to an alcoholic Shoe Salesman and his deeply devout Roman Catholic wife. In school, young Ronnie played football and basketball, acted in school plays, wrote for the yearbook, and became class president. He was also an accomplished swimmer, working as a lifeguard in his youth, and is credited for saving at least 77 people from drowning!

Reagan was already a household name by the time he ran for office. He was a famous Hollywood actor throughout the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s with movies like “Dark Victory” (1939), “King’s Row” (1942), and “Storm Warning” (1951) – where he ironically played an idealistic politician. Although he never saw combat, during WWII, he enlisted with the Army Air Corps First Motion Picture Unit where he narrated training films for new recruits and appeared in a few patriotic films designed to enlist aid in the war effort, with movies like 1943’s “Rear Gunner”. After a falling out with his first wife, Jane Wyman, an actress who’s career eclipsed his own, Reagan met and fell in love with Nancy Davis, who would later become is his second wife and life-long partner in 1952.

Although he started his political campaign as a Democrat, he slowly came to identify more with the Republican party. And while he didn’t like Nixon personally, he campaigned for him against Kennedy. His career as an actor paid off in a big way when he turned to politics, because his charm and delivery were arguably his greatest gifts and he used them effectively.

In 1966, Reagan was elected as the Governor of California, and served until 1975. He was a mostly successful governor and even showed an ability to compromise with the more liberal Democrats, in his words preferring partial victories to “going off the cliff with all flags flying”. During the 1976 Presidential Election, Reagan threw his hat into the ring, but the Republicans backed Ford instead, who then lost to Jimmy Carter. 4 years later however, at the age of 69, Ronald Reagan beat Carter in a landslide victory, thanks in part to the (aforementioned) Iranian Hostage Crisis…

The Iranian hostage standoff went on for 444 days as President Carter worked around the clock, in a desperate attempt to resolve the situation, and bring the 52 American hostages home, but to no avail. However, the hostages were “miraculously” released just *minutes* after Ronald Reagan was sworn into office. If this seems suspicious, you’re not wrong, because it turns out that Reagan’s team was negotiating with the Iranian terrorists, in secret, to release the hostages once Reagan was in office… as a political win!?

While there was rampant speculation at the time, regarding the secret negotiations, it’s since been confirmed by several key individuals, including: the former Iranian President, Abulhassan Banisadr, Barbara Honegger – Reagan’s campaign staffer and White House analyst, former Lt. Governor of Texas, Ben Barnes, and Gary Sick – a former Naval Intelligence Officer and US National Security Council member! So yeah, the President of the United States negotiated with terrorists and gambled with the lives of Americans all to win the election and make Carter look bad – which both makes Carter a much better President than people realized at the time *and* makes Reagan look soooo much worse in retrospect…

Then, just two months after his inauguration, Reagan miraculously survived an attempted assassination, outside the Washington Hilton hotel – perpetrated by John Hinckley Jr. – a mentally disturbed man who apparently hoped the attack would impress Jodie Foster, who starred in Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” (1976) with Robert De Niro.

Hinkley fired off six shots from a revolver: the first hit the White House Press Secretary, James Brady, in the head, the second shot struck a DC police officer, Thomas Delahanty, in the back of the neck, the third bullet hit a window across the street, Secret Service Agent, Timothy McCarthy, was hit in the abdomen by the fourth bullet, the fifth struck the bullet-proof glass on the President’s limousine, but the sixth and final shot, ricocheted off of the armored limousine and hit Reagan on his left side. McCarthy, Delahanty, and Reagan were all seriously injured in the attack, but James Brady was left permanently disabled and later succumbed to his wound decades later.

During the ordeal, the Secretary of State Alexander Haig took charge, despite being the fourth in the line of succession. Thankfully, the President recovered from surgery and was back in the White House in less than two weeks, and the shooter was “found not guilty by reason of insanity”, and sent to a mental institution for where he remained until 2016, and now makes music on You Tube, apparently. In the aftermath of the shooting, Regan’s approval rating surged to 73% in the polls, and to his credit, he had a genuinely positive attitude considering the traumatic event, and met with religious leaders where he expressed that he’d been saved by God for a greater purpose…

(Note: he’s wearing a bullet proof vest under his Mr. Rogers sweater)

Honestly there’s just so much to talk about here that I couldn’t possibly cover it all (see: pros and cons list above), but I’ll do my best to summarize as much as I can by focusing in on a few key points of Regan’s presidency:

SDI – THE STRATEGIC DEFENSE INITIATIVE 

In a 1983 televised address, President Reagan announced a new project to the American people: SDI – The Strategic Defense Initiative. SDI, often referred to unofficially as “Star Wars”, was a proposed space-based weapons program that would use lasers to detect, intercept, and destroy ballistic missiles before they could reach their targets. The concept was intended to work as a protective measure against nuclear weapons, but it was a controversial measure, that would cost American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars.

Critics claimed that it was unfeasible and was needlessly antagonistic against the Soviets, further ramping up tensions during the Cold War, leading us closer to World War III, while proponents praised the move as an important next step in guarding against a nuclear catastrophe. In retrospect, SDI was both an epic win and an epic fail, depending on how you look at it. While the program itself was technically a costly failure (later cancelled under President Clinton, as proposed costs were closing in on $1 trillion?!), it was also a massive PR success in that it caused the USSR to panic, leading the Russian to over-spend on their military, which was a major component in the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.

1984: “MORNING AGAIN IN AMERICA” 

While its easy to look back on the 80’s with cynicism from our modern perspective, it’s worth noting that on top of all the scandals and controversies, Ronald Reagan did a lot of good for the country during his time in office. Thanks in part to Reagan’s tax cuts and increased military spending, unemployment was down, inflation rates were dropping, businesses were thriving, and NASA was going back to space aboard the Space Shuttle! To top it off, the 1984 Summer Olympics was held in Los Angeles, California, where Reagan made a rousing speech, and the US took home 174 medals, including 83 gold medals! In the wake of Vietnam, Watergate, and the Iranian Hostage Crisis, it finally felt like the USA was back on track.

Reagan’s first term was genuinely seen as a success, especially in contrast to the perception of Carter’s presidency (at least at the time), and while a lot of it was just clever PR, there’s still something to be said of the Reagan-era optimism that rejuvenated hope in the future, and (for better or worse) it permeated every facet of American culture throughout the 80’s. This optimism was epitomized by Reagan’s re-election campaign in 1984, against Walter F. Mondale (Carter’s VP), which ran on the slogan “Morning Again in America”, along with some of the most iconic, wholesome and patriotic political ads ever created. As a result, Reagan won in one of the biggest landslide victories in American history.

Somewhat ironically, Reagan also misappropriated Bruce Springsteen’s hit song “Born in the USA” which (if you actually listen to the lyrics) is more of a critique of the so-called ‘American dream’ than a patriotic jingle.

IRAN-CONTRA

One of the biggest scandal of Reagan’s presidency was “The Iran-Contra Affair” revealed to the public during hearings in 1986. A year earlier, in 1985, the Reagan administration began *illegally* selling arms to Iran (in violation of an international arms embargo) in an attempt to secure the release of American hostages being held in Lebanon. The funds from those sales were then secretly used to fund a rebel group called “the Contras” that were fighting the government of Nicaragua (in violation of a Congressional ban).

Both the Iranian government and the Contras were accused of human rights abuses, and as a result, the Reagan administration was accused of war crimes on two fronts. President Reagan was nearly impeached over the embarrassing debacle.

THE SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER DISASTER (1986)

On January 28th, 1986, tragedy struck as the 25th Space Shuttle mission became NASA’s biggest failure. Televised to millions around the world, the Space Shuttle Challenger suddenly suffered a catastrophic failure, causing the Shuttle’s fuel tank to detonate in mid-air, just 73 seconds after launch. All 7 astronauts aboard died after plummeting to the ground, including a school teacher from Boston: Christa McAuliffe

In the aftermath of the shocking incident, President Ronald Reagan gave a heartfelt speech in commemoration of the late astronauts: “The crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of Earth’ to ‘touch the face of God’.”

Click here for more on the history of the Space Shuttle Program (1977-2011)

THE AIDS EPIDEMIC

While President Reagan was not responsible for the AIDs Epidemic that swept through the country throughout the 1980’s, his complete mishandling of the crisis, and seeming lack of empathy for those affected, is often cited as one of his greatest failures. While the Reagan administration eventually relented in helping with the problem by pouring resources into helping the epidemic in 1987, their initial hesitancy (based on homophobic fears and stigma) affected countless lives that could have been saved, had he not let his personal biases get in the way.

THE LEGACY OF “REAGANOMICS”

Reagan’s economic policies are often cited as both his biggest success and by far his greatest failure. While his tax relief efforts, government spending cuts, and deregulation did help in the short term by stimulating the economy and lowering unemployment, the legacy of “Reaganomics” has ultimately proven to be a disastrous failure for working class Americans. The entire concept behind Reagan’s ‘Trickle Down’ economics strategy was a flawed one that has only benefited the 1% billionaire class and the CEO’s of major corporations, all while exasperating inflation, and causing a gigantic wealth gap between the ultra rich and average Americans that continues unabated to this day…

Thanks to @WardQNormal on Twitter for the charts ^ 

1987: ADDRESS TO THE UNITED NATIONS 

On September 21st, 1987, President Reagan gave a rousing speech to the United Nations General Assembly, in New York City, challenging Russia and others to embrace freedom and democracy, in a plea for world peace: “Cannot swords be turned to plowshares? Can we and all nations not live in peace? In our obsession with antagonisms of the moment, we often forget how much unites all the members of humanity. Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond. I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world. And yet, I ask you, is not an alien force already among us? What could be more alien to the universal aspirations of our peoples than war and the threat of war?” 

THE END OF THE COLD WAR? 

Perhaps Ronald Reagan’s biggest triumph was the end of the (first?) Cold War and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union. Many historians and political theorists point to Reagan’s policies, rhetoric, and negotiations as key factors in ending the decades-long standoff between the two super powers.

In 1987, President Reagan and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev signed a landmark nuclear arms treaty, the INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces) Treaty – which lasted until 2019. That same year, Reagan gave one of his most iconic speeches in Berlin, pleading with Russia to tear down the Berlin wall and end the hostility. Between the fall of the Berlin Wall, Glasnost, Chernobyl, “Rocky IV”, and a myriad of economic struggles, the USSR fell out of power, and by 1991, the Soviet Union was no more.

“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” – President Reagan’s famous Berlin Wall speech

However, considering the current global climate, it could be argued that the Cold War didn’t so much end as it took a long break, with tensions between the US and Russia once again at an all time high. In fact, the collapse of the Soviet Union led to the rise of Russian oligarchs, which in turn paved the way for Vladimir Putin’s rise to power… but that’s an article for another day.

After his second term as President, Ronald Reagan retired from the spotlight to his ranch in California. He and his wife established the Reagan Library Foundation. In 1994 it was revealed that he’d developed Alzheimer’s disease and passed away in 2004 at the age of 93.

Like so many American Presidents before and after, Reagan was a complex character, with… a mixed legacy. And while some may try to deify, or demonize these larger-than-life figures, we should always do our best to remember their humanity, their flaws and folies as well as their great deeds and words of wisdom. We should remember the context of their narratives, to look at all the facts and not just the ones that fit our comfy narratives.

I suppose history will be the judge, in the end.

                               Erik Slader

To Be Continued… in Part 12: Bush Sr., Clinton, (W) Bush, and Obama! 

For more Presidential content, check out my previous articles here (Parts 1-10), and you can help support me directly by picking up a copy of my book: “EPIC FAILS: Not-So-Great Presidents” by Erik Slader and Ben Thompson! 

Not So Great Presidents

Erik Slader
Erik Slader
Erik Slader is the creator of “Epik Fails of History” a blog (and podcast) about the most epic fails… of history. With Ben Thompson, Erik is the co-author of the Epic Fails book series. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Digital Media, once managed a comic book shop, has a weakness for fancy coffee and currently lives in Green Cove Springs, Florida with too many cats.

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