"Morning in America:" The Election of 1984

After Ronald Reagan's largely successful first term, there was little doubt he and vice-president George H.W. Bush would be renominated in the 1984 election cycle. One of the issues with Reagan was his age, as he would be 74 years old on election day in 1984. However, Reagan had earned the trust of the American people, and the economy had turned around and unemployment was starting to drop. The Democrats decided to go with former vice president Walter Mondale, and making history, Geraldine Ferraro was chosen to be the vice-presidential nominee, the first woman in history to be nominated on a major ticket. One of the more famous incidents occurred during a debate between Reagan and Mondale, when Reagan was asked about his age and he answered that he was not going to exploit Mondale's youth and inexperience. On election day, Reagan won in a landslide, capturing every state except Minnesota and the District of Columbia. Americans showed they supported Reagan, and Republicans gained in Congress as well. Reagan's second term was packed with action, as he helped bring an end to the Cold War and Soviet communism, dealt with the Iran-Contra scandal, and had bouts with health issues, such as cancer. One of the faults of Reagan was the budget deficit, as high spending in the military had increased America's debt. However, America had re-gained the sense of pride in the country, and it seemed that better times laid ahead. Being a Reagan collector, I have several items relating to this campaign, but I have decided to picture a few of my most favorite things, including a poster and some buttons. I also included a large 6" Mondale/Ferraro button. Items from this election are pretty common, especially buttons saying "Reagan-Bush '84" on them, and you can find them for less than $5 normally. Most Reagan jugates are common as well. Mondale-Ferraro items are also fairly common, although some buttons dealing with specific events or local states supporting the candidates can be more rare. For a new collector, Reagan items are a great way to get started, because they are readily available and you won't break the bank buying them.