Word: reagan
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...just accept the way things are. We always try something new.” He described the U.S. as a “dynamic, sometimes charismatic country,” citing historical examples—such as the transition from Hoover to Roosevelt in 1932 and Carter to Reagan in 1980—as times when the country underwent “great change.” Looking toward this fall’s election, Matthews spoke of the need for the next president to be more curious about the international community. “We need to elect...
...context was hardly an auspicious beginning for the phrase in the presidency, and it didn't immediately catch on. Gerald Ford eschewed it, as did Jimmy Carter. But not Ronald Reagan. Reagan made "God bless America" the omnipresent political slogan that it is today. He used the phrase to conclude his dramatic nomination acceptance address at the Republican Party convention in July 1980, and once in office, made it his standard sign-off. Presidents since Reagan have followed suit, and the shift in presidential rhetoric could hardly be more striking...
...Watch Reagan wield God bless America at the 1980 convention
...which most observers view as the beginning of the modern presidency - to the end of Carter's term in January 1981, Presidents gave 229 major addresses. Nixon's use of "God bless America" was the only time the phrase passed a President's lips. In contrast, from Reagan's inauguration through the six-year mark of the current Bush Administration, Presidents gave 129 major speeches, yet they said "God bless America" (or the United States) 49 times. It's a pattern we unearthed in our book The God Strategy: How Religion Became a Political Weapon in America...
...just these specific words that have entered the presidency with alarming regularity. Presidential requests for divine blessing or guidance, phrased in any fashion, also took off with Reagan. Presidents from Roosevelt to Carter did sometimes conclude their addresses by seeking God's blessing, often using language such as "May God give us wisdom" or "With God's help." But they didn't make a habit of it. In fact, five of the eight Presidents during this period concluded this way in less than 30% of their speeches. Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson and Ford did so a bit more often...