Farewell Addresses: Ronald Reagan (1989)
For most Presidents, their second terms are harder than their first. At least that was the way it appeared for Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Jackson, Grant, Wilson, Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson, Nixon, Clinton and perhaps some others. That was certainly the case for Ronald Reagan, who left office in 1989, in the wake of the Iran-Contra scandal, an incident that adversely affected Reagan's reputation as someone oblivious to what was occurring on his watch. In spite of this, he left office with a 68% approval record, the highest for a departing president in the modern era.
When Reagan addressed the nation on January 11, 1989, at 9:02 p.m. from the Oval Office at the White House, his address was broadcast live on nationwide radio and television. It was, as he opened his speech by saying, "the 34th time" that he had spoken from the Oval Office, and as he also noted, it would be his the last. The Great Communicator addressed his people in his typical folksy and down to earth nature, and began by telling his listeners that "before I go, I wanted to share some thoughts, some of which I've been saving for a long time." He said that serving as President had been an honor for him and he appreciated the letters of thanks that he and the First Lady had received. He regretted the lack of connection with the people that came from being president. He said:
"One of the things about the Presidency is that you're always somewhat apart. You spend a lot of time going by too fast in a car someone else is driving, and seeing the people through tinted glass—the parents holding up a child, and the wave you saw too late and couldn't return. And so many times I wanted to stop and reach out from behind the glass, and connect. Well, maybe I can do a little of that tonight."
He told his audience that in fact "parting is such sweet sorrow" and that while he welcomed a return to his home in California, he would miss the White House. He said:
"You know, down the hall and up the stairs from this office is the part of the White House where the President and his family live. There are a few favorite windows I have up there that I like to stand and look out of early in the morning. The view is over the grounds here to the Washington Monument, and then the Mali and the Jefferson Memorial. But on mornings when the humidity is low, you can see past the Jefferson to the river, the Potomac, and the Virginia shore. Someone said that's the view Lincoln had when he saw the smoke rising from the Battle of Bull Run. I see more prosaic things: the grass on the banks, the morning traffic as people make their way to work, now and then a sailboat on the river."
Reagan said that he had "been reflecting on what the past 8 years have meant and mean." He said that it reminded him of a story from the early eighties, about a sailor on the carrier Midway, patrolling the South China Sea. The sailor saw, "on the horizon, a leaky little boat. And crammed inside were refugees from Indochina hoping to get to America. The Midway sent a small launch to bring them to the ship and safety. As the refugees made their way through the choppy seas, one spied the sailor on deck, and stood up, and called out to him. He yelled, 'Hello, American sailor. Hello, freedom man.'" He recounted being told that story in a letter from the sailor, and said, "that's what it was to be an American in the 1980's. We stood, again, for freedom. I know we always have, but in the past few years the world again—and in a way, we ourselves—rediscovered it."
Reagan reflected on some of the amazing things that had happened during his two terms in office, which he described as "quite a journey this decade, and we held together through some stormy seas." These included the military action in Grenada, Moscow summits, and the recession of 1981-82. He said that the "two things that I'm proudest of" were "the economic recovery, in which the people of America created—and filled—19 million new jobs. The other is the recovery of our morale. America is respected again in the world and looked to for leadership."
He recalled his first economic summit in Canada in 1981, meeting world leaders on a first name basis, and how "we began the actions we felt would ignite an economic comeback". He said that two years later, at another economic summit, he was asked by everyone to "Tell us about the American miracle". He said that when he first ran for president in 1980, the "pundits said our programs would result in catastrophe. Our views on foreign affairs would cause war. Our plans for the economy would cause inflation to soar and bring about economic collapse." He said "What they called 'dangerous' was just 'desperately needed.'"
Reagan commented on his nickname, "The Great Communicator." Of the handle, he said:
"I never thought it was my style or the words I used that made a difference: it was the content. I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didn't spring full bloom from my brow, they came from the heart of a great nation—from our experience, our wisdom, and our belief in the principles that have guided us for two centuries. They called it the Reagan revolution. Well, I'll accept that, but for me it always seemed more like the great rediscovery, a rediscovery of our values and our common sense."
He said that it was "Common sense" that drove his tax policies, and that his economic program brought about the longest peacetime expansion in our history: "real family income up, the poverty rate down, entrepreneurship booming, and an explosion in research and new technology." It was also common sense that told him "that to preserve the peace, we'd have to become strong again after years of weakness and confusion. So, we rebuilt our defenses, and this New Year we toasted the new peacefulness around the globe."
Reagan said that "because we're a great nation, our challenges seem complex. It will always be this way. But as long as we remember our first principles and believe in ourselves, the future will always be ours." He said that "countries across the globe are turning to free markets and free speech and turning away from the ideologies of the past."
Reagan acknowledged that he was now at a point in his life "when you can celebrate the anniversaries of your 39th birthday" and he used this as a time for personal reflection. He said "For me there was a fork in the river, and it was right in the middle of my life. I never meant to go into politics. It wasn't my intention when I was young. But I was raised to believe you had to pay your way for the blessings bestowed on you." He credited the nation's positive reversal of fortune "with three little words: We the People." He explained:
"We the People" tell the government what to do; it doesn't tell us. "We the People" are the driver; the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which "We the People" tell the government what it is allowed to do. "We the People" are free. This belief has been the underlying basis for everything I've tried to do these past 8 years."
He said that this was a change from "back in the 1960's, when I began", when it seemed that the nation was enslaved by "more and more rules and regulations and confiscatory taxes, the government was taking more of our money, more of our options, and more of our freedom. I went into politics in part to put up my hand and say, 'Stop.'" He said that "man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts." He said that this was proven by the example of communism, but he added that even Russia was changing for the better, since "President Gorbachev has brought about some internal democratic reforms and begun the withdrawal from Afghanistan. He has also freed prisoners whose names I've given him every time we've met." He followed this with an anecdote of a visit that he and the First Lady had in Moscow:
"Once, during the heady days of the Moscow summit, Nancy and I decided to break off from the entourage one afternoon to visit the shops on Arbat Street—that's a little street just off Moscow's main shopping area. Even though our visit was a surprise, every Russian there immediately recognized us and called out our names and reached for our hands. We were just about swept away by the warmth. You could almost feel the possibilities in all that joy. But within seconds, a KGB detail pushed their way toward us and began pushing and shoving the people in the crowd. It was an interesting moment. It reminded me that while the man on the street in the Soviet Union yearns for peace, the government is Communist. And those who run it are Communists, and that means we and they view such issues as freedom and human rights very differently."
Reagan said that America must "continue to work together to lessen and eliminate tension and mistrust" with the Russians and said that "President Gorbachev is different from previous Soviet leaders." He noted however, "It's still trust but verify."
Reagan spoke of his regrets in office, and said that his greatest was the deficit. He segued this into asking Americans to support his successor, George H. W. Bush:
"I've been asked if I have any regrets. Well, I do. The deficit is one. I've been talking a great deal about that lately, but tonight isn't for arguments, and I'm going to hold my tongue. But an observation: I've had my share of victories in the Congress, but what few people noticed is that I never won anything you didn't win for me. They never saw my troops, they never saw Reagan's regiments, the American people. You won every battle with every call you made and letter you wrote demanding action. Well, action is still needed. If we're to finish the job, Reagan's regiments will have to become the Bush brigades. Soon he'll be the chief, and he'll need you every bit as much as I did."
Reagan said that there was a "great tradition of warnings in Presidential farewells, and I've got one that's been on my mind for some time." He said that while "one of the things I'm proudest of in the past 8 years" is "the resurgence of national pride that I called the new patriotism", this would not "count for much, and it won't last unless it's grounded in thoughtfulness and knowledge." He called for "informed patriotism". He asked: "And are we doing a good enough job teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the long history of the world?" He went on to say:
"But now, we're about to enter the nineties, and some things have changed. Younger parents aren't sure that an unambivalent appreciation of America is the right thing to teach modern children. And as for those who create the popular culture, well-grounded patriotism is no longer the style. Our spirit is back, but we haven't re-institutionalized it. We've got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And freedom is special and rare. It's fragile; it needs protection."
Reagan said that "lesson number one about America" is that "All great change in America begins at the dinner table. So, tomorrow night in the kitchen I hope the talking begins. And children, if your parents haven't been teaching you what it means to be an American, let 'em know and nail 'em on it. That would be a very American thing to do."
Reagan closed his address with a reference to the "shining city upon a hill." He said: "The phrase comes from John Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined." He went on to say:
"I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still. And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was 8 years ago. But more than that: After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home.
"We've done our part. And as I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women across America who for 8 years did the work that brought America back. My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger, we made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.
"And so, goodbye, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America."
Below is a YouTube Video of that address:
When Reagan addressed the nation on January 11, 1989, at 9:02 p.m. from the Oval Office at the White House, his address was broadcast live on nationwide radio and television. It was, as he opened his speech by saying, "the 34th time" that he had spoken from the Oval Office, and as he also noted, it would be his the last. The Great Communicator addressed his people in his typical folksy and down to earth nature, and began by telling his listeners that "before I go, I wanted to share some thoughts, some of which I've been saving for a long time." He said that serving as President had been an honor for him and he appreciated the letters of thanks that he and the First Lady had received. He regretted the lack of connection with the people that came from being president. He said:
"One of the things about the Presidency is that you're always somewhat apart. You spend a lot of time going by too fast in a car someone else is driving, and seeing the people through tinted glass—the parents holding up a child, and the wave you saw too late and couldn't return. And so many times I wanted to stop and reach out from behind the glass, and connect. Well, maybe I can do a little of that tonight."
He told his audience that in fact "parting is such sweet sorrow" and that while he welcomed a return to his home in California, he would miss the White House. He said:
"You know, down the hall and up the stairs from this office is the part of the White House where the President and his family live. There are a few favorite windows I have up there that I like to stand and look out of early in the morning. The view is over the grounds here to the Washington Monument, and then the Mali and the Jefferson Memorial. But on mornings when the humidity is low, you can see past the Jefferson to the river, the Potomac, and the Virginia shore. Someone said that's the view Lincoln had when he saw the smoke rising from the Battle of Bull Run. I see more prosaic things: the grass on the banks, the morning traffic as people make their way to work, now and then a sailboat on the river."
Reagan said that he had "been reflecting on what the past 8 years have meant and mean." He said that it reminded him of a story from the early eighties, about a sailor on the carrier Midway, patrolling the South China Sea. The sailor saw, "on the horizon, a leaky little boat. And crammed inside were refugees from Indochina hoping to get to America. The Midway sent a small launch to bring them to the ship and safety. As the refugees made their way through the choppy seas, one spied the sailor on deck, and stood up, and called out to him. He yelled, 'Hello, American sailor. Hello, freedom man.'" He recounted being told that story in a letter from the sailor, and said, "that's what it was to be an American in the 1980's. We stood, again, for freedom. I know we always have, but in the past few years the world again—and in a way, we ourselves—rediscovered it."
Reagan reflected on some of the amazing things that had happened during his two terms in office, which he described as "quite a journey this decade, and we held together through some stormy seas." These included the military action in Grenada, Moscow summits, and the recession of 1981-82. He said that the "two things that I'm proudest of" were "the economic recovery, in which the people of America created—and filled—19 million new jobs. The other is the recovery of our morale. America is respected again in the world and looked to for leadership."
He recalled his first economic summit in Canada in 1981, meeting world leaders on a first name basis, and how "we began the actions we felt would ignite an economic comeback". He said that two years later, at another economic summit, he was asked by everyone to "Tell us about the American miracle". He said that when he first ran for president in 1980, the "pundits said our programs would result in catastrophe. Our views on foreign affairs would cause war. Our plans for the economy would cause inflation to soar and bring about economic collapse." He said "What they called 'dangerous' was just 'desperately needed.'"
Reagan commented on his nickname, "The Great Communicator." Of the handle, he said:
"I never thought it was my style or the words I used that made a difference: it was the content. I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didn't spring full bloom from my brow, they came from the heart of a great nation—from our experience, our wisdom, and our belief in the principles that have guided us for two centuries. They called it the Reagan revolution. Well, I'll accept that, but for me it always seemed more like the great rediscovery, a rediscovery of our values and our common sense."
He said that it was "Common sense" that drove his tax policies, and that his economic program brought about the longest peacetime expansion in our history: "real family income up, the poverty rate down, entrepreneurship booming, and an explosion in research and new technology." It was also common sense that told him "that to preserve the peace, we'd have to become strong again after years of weakness and confusion. So, we rebuilt our defenses, and this New Year we toasted the new peacefulness around the globe."
Reagan said that "because we're a great nation, our challenges seem complex. It will always be this way. But as long as we remember our first principles and believe in ourselves, the future will always be ours." He said that "countries across the globe are turning to free markets and free speech and turning away from the ideologies of the past."
Reagan acknowledged that he was now at a point in his life "when you can celebrate the anniversaries of your 39th birthday" and he used this as a time for personal reflection. He said "For me there was a fork in the river, and it was right in the middle of my life. I never meant to go into politics. It wasn't my intention when I was young. But I was raised to believe you had to pay your way for the blessings bestowed on you." He credited the nation's positive reversal of fortune "with three little words: We the People." He explained:
"We the People" tell the government what to do; it doesn't tell us. "We the People" are the driver; the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which "We the People" tell the government what it is allowed to do. "We the People" are free. This belief has been the underlying basis for everything I've tried to do these past 8 years."
He said that this was a change from "back in the 1960's, when I began", when it seemed that the nation was enslaved by "more and more rules and regulations and confiscatory taxes, the government was taking more of our money, more of our options, and more of our freedom. I went into politics in part to put up my hand and say, 'Stop.'" He said that "man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts." He said that this was proven by the example of communism, but he added that even Russia was changing for the better, since "President Gorbachev has brought about some internal democratic reforms and begun the withdrawal from Afghanistan. He has also freed prisoners whose names I've given him every time we've met." He followed this with an anecdote of a visit that he and the First Lady had in Moscow:
"Once, during the heady days of the Moscow summit, Nancy and I decided to break off from the entourage one afternoon to visit the shops on Arbat Street—that's a little street just off Moscow's main shopping area. Even though our visit was a surprise, every Russian there immediately recognized us and called out our names and reached for our hands. We were just about swept away by the warmth. You could almost feel the possibilities in all that joy. But within seconds, a KGB detail pushed their way toward us and began pushing and shoving the people in the crowd. It was an interesting moment. It reminded me that while the man on the street in the Soviet Union yearns for peace, the government is Communist. And those who run it are Communists, and that means we and they view such issues as freedom and human rights very differently."
Reagan said that America must "continue to work together to lessen and eliminate tension and mistrust" with the Russians and said that "President Gorbachev is different from previous Soviet leaders." He noted however, "It's still trust but verify."
Reagan spoke of his regrets in office, and said that his greatest was the deficit. He segued this into asking Americans to support his successor, George H. W. Bush:
"I've been asked if I have any regrets. Well, I do. The deficit is one. I've been talking a great deal about that lately, but tonight isn't for arguments, and I'm going to hold my tongue. But an observation: I've had my share of victories in the Congress, but what few people noticed is that I never won anything you didn't win for me. They never saw my troops, they never saw Reagan's regiments, the American people. You won every battle with every call you made and letter you wrote demanding action. Well, action is still needed. If we're to finish the job, Reagan's regiments will have to become the Bush brigades. Soon he'll be the chief, and he'll need you every bit as much as I did."
Reagan said that there was a "great tradition of warnings in Presidential farewells, and I've got one that's been on my mind for some time." He said that while "one of the things I'm proudest of in the past 8 years" is "the resurgence of national pride that I called the new patriotism", this would not "count for much, and it won't last unless it's grounded in thoughtfulness and knowledge." He called for "informed patriotism". He asked: "And are we doing a good enough job teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the long history of the world?" He went on to say:
"But now, we're about to enter the nineties, and some things have changed. Younger parents aren't sure that an unambivalent appreciation of America is the right thing to teach modern children. And as for those who create the popular culture, well-grounded patriotism is no longer the style. Our spirit is back, but we haven't re-institutionalized it. We've got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And freedom is special and rare. It's fragile; it needs protection."
Reagan said that "lesson number one about America" is that "All great change in America begins at the dinner table. So, tomorrow night in the kitchen I hope the talking begins. And children, if your parents haven't been teaching you what it means to be an American, let 'em know and nail 'em on it. That would be a very American thing to do."
Reagan closed his address with a reference to the "shining city upon a hill." He said: "The phrase comes from John Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined." He went on to say:
"I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still. And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was 8 years ago. But more than that: After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home.
"We've done our part. And as I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women across America who for 8 years did the work that brought America back. My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger, we made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.
"And so, goodbye, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America."
Below is a YouTube Video of that address: