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Victoria Ureste

Professor Moore

ENGL-1302

19 February 2017

Reagan and Goldwaters Run

In 1964, Ronald Reagan gave a speech, A Time For Choosing, at a televised

Presidential campaign on behalf of Barry Goldwater. At the time Ronald Reagan was a chairman

in California. A Time For Choosing was one of Reagans first steps into politics; he was

previously a successful actor. Ronald Reagan had switched from being a Democrat to being a

Republican due to some issues he saw with the Democrats views and plans. This speech shows

Ronald Reagans upfront opinions about war and why he believes Goldwater would be a great

President. In A Time For Choosing, Ronald Reagan uses logos, litotes, repitition, and pathos to

undermine the Democratic party and strengthen Barry Goldwaters Presidential campaign.

Ronald Reagan makes logical points throughout his speech using statistics and quotes

from credible sources to build up Goldwaters campaign for President and bring down the other

party. Reagan brings up how the Democratic campaign, which he used to be involved with, cares

about the fortune of American citizens. No nation in history has ever survived a tax burden that

reached a third of its national income. Today, 37 cents out of every dollar earned in this country

is the tax collector's share, and yet our government continues to spend 17 million dollars a day

more than the government takes in.(par.3) Ronald Reagan says this showing that the

Democratic party knows that America is in debt and is willingly making decisions to spend more

money that America does not have. Ronald Reagan shares quotes from many democrats

including the current President at the time, Lyndon B. Johnson, and some Senators. "Our
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traditional system of individual freedom is incapable of solving the complex problems of the

20th century.(par. 9) Reagan goes on to quote six democrats and explains how all of them say

the Constitution is too old to still be a neccsessity and, therefore, needs to be changed. The seven

men believe the people of the U.S. should have less freedom and the government should be more

in control. Ronald Reagan makes it clear that the Republican party, which he is in, does not have

the same thought process as those men.

Throughout this speech Ronald Reagan relates to his audience emotionally by using

specific wording and stories to show the negative characteristics of the Democratic party and to

make Barry Goldwater a more desirable candidate for President. Toward the beginning of

Reagans speech, he mentions the things the Democratic party finds important. Peace is one of

the things that a former democrat, Ronald Reagan, says is important to democrats and something

they focus on fixing. Reagan talks about knowing how hard it is when a parent loses a child or a

wife loses her husband but the importance of war and fighting for their country. He also talks

about the difference between peace at home due to people fighting for America and peace for not

fighting and from surrendering. And it's been said if we lose that war, and in so doing lose this

way of freedom of ours.(par. 4) Reagan explains how the democrats want to stop war to gain

peace but Reagan shows that if we surrender America will lose its freedom. Later on in Ronald

Reagans speech, Reagan says that he does not like it when a political leader refers to you and

me, talking about himself, as the masses. When Reagan says you and me he groups himself

in with the people of the U.S., letting the people know that Reagan sees himself as one of the

people. Ronald Reagan explains further that the referring to you and me as the masses is a

term that the American people are not used to. Reagan goes on to explain that the saying means

that the government needs to be more in charge. Reagan brings up the Founding Fathers and how
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they were not foolish and knew what they were doing. The Founding Fathers knew that a

governemnt with complete control would never work. That is why they made the power of the

government split between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.

Ronald Reagan uses double negatives when talking positively about the peoples health

and about Barry Goldwater; Reagan degrades the Democratic party to emphasize Goldwaters

robust traits that make him eligible for President. Ronald Reagan uses double negatives when

talking about health care. I think we're against forcing all citizens, regardless of need, into a

compulsory government program.(par. 29) Reagan shows that he knows people are in need of

help from the government but he knows how other countrys governments went bankrupt and

how their people were treated from health care programs. They want to make you and I believe

that this is a contest between two men -- that we're to choose just between two

personalities.(par. 37) Reagan shows the audience that the other party believes that the people

are voting for personalties of the people running and not what the actually have planned to do.

Reagan goes on to say how the Democrats have tried to make Barry Goldwater look

unacceptable for President. Reagan follows up with a little background of the two and how they

knew eachother before everything got political. Reagan says about Goldwater, Ive never

known a man in my life I believed so incapable of doing a dishonest or dishonorable

thing,(par.39) This double negative shows the audience that Goldwater is a honest and reliable

person. Barry Goldwater would never do anything that would not be ok in the peoples eyes,

making him a sound candidate.

Repeating words, ideas, and negative impacts from the Democratic party is how Ronald

Reagan makes Barry Goldwater more attractive as a President to the people. You and I is used

by Reagan many times in this speech to refer to himself and the people. Reagan also uses
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were to group himself in with the people. Later on in the speech he says, but we're against.

Ronald Reagan was using were to group himself in with the people, again but this time he

uses that word to make his idea seem like it is the peoples idea. Reagan gets the audience to go

along with his thought process that Barry Goldwater should be President. The entire speach is

made up of Ronald Reagan explaing the various ways of how the current political leaders are

messing up. Reagan talks about how the United States is up to their ears in debt, how the war

situation is not being handled well, how the number of homeless is growing, and how the

government should be able to fix these issues but have not. Ronald Reagan followed each mess

up with a solution that Barry Goldwater would do. Ronald Reagan brought up many times in the

speech that the Democrats want one central government that would have more control, almost

complete control, over the people. Reagan addresses the central government idea by showing

how Barry Goldwater related with the people and wanted the people to keep their power.

A Time For Choosing, the speech that started Ronald Reagans career in politics.

Reagan had previously been a well known actor. His career starting speech focused on Reagan

making Barry Goldwater appealing to the people. Reagan spoke at this Presidential campaign, by

using logical statements, relating with the people, repetition of various things, and positive

double negatives to cheapen the value of the Democratic party in the peoples eyes, fortifying

Barry Goldwaters run for President of the United States of America.

Works Cited

Reagan, Ronald. A Time For Choosing. American Rhetoric. 27 October, 1964. Accessed 08

February, 2017.