"The Great Communicator"

Republican challenger Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent Democratic President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 election. Reagan's hometown newspaper, the Dixon (Ill.) Evening Telegraph, reported his triumph. Reagan understood television and the power of images and used both to maximum effect during his campaign. He was called “The Great Communicator” for his unique ability to translate his vision of a smaller government and an expanded military into simple, uplifting messages about the future of America.