ABSTRACT
On 13 November 1979 Ronald Reagan became the tenth, and final, Republican to declare his candidacy. He aimed his announcement speech at middle-class Americans who yearned for strong and inspiring leadership. Instead of laying out a laundry list of promises, he described his vision of America's future. Reagan charged into New Hampshire as if he were the underdog. Reagan offered voters his sunny, optimistic view of unlimited possibilities, while Bush became tongue-tied any time he tried to express his vision of the nation's future. As Reagan regained his footing in New Hampshire, he also resolved staff problems. He was a liberal Democrat who considered Reaganomics unfair because it fell heavily on the less affluent and slashed programs reformers had been constructing since the days of Roosevelt. Reagan's supporters pointed to the fifteen million new jobs created during the period of economic expansion, while his opponents showed that half the positions paid below poverty-level wages.
