Positive Image During The Reagan Administration

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The title is meant to be a play on words referring to two all-American successes that have a calculated positive exteriors that guard complicated and fraudulent interiors. I am going to highlight three ways in which companies and politics overlap, and how a positive image can ensure a lasting legacy despite horrific actions. The most obvious instance of crossovers between companies and politics is that politicians must sell themselves as a product. Their promotional material includes television advertisements. Presidential campaigns are run like a business, and some candidates like Donald Trump use loopholes in the system to navigate the political landscape, just as he would the market. Like advertising, politicians must find ways to relate to their audience; think of when Hilary Clinton said, "I want to be as good a president as Beyoncé is a performer." That isn't a normal thing for a politician to say in a speech, …show more content…

An overall positive appearance can make up for morally reprehensible actions. President Ronald Reagan maintained his all-American positive image throughout his life, despite questionable actions he presided over during his administration. The Reagan administration was undoubtedly productive. Most notably, under his presidency, The Cold War ended and many jobs were created. However, the Iran-Contra affair was underhanded, and the hiding of the evidence by Oliver North was illegal. Reagan also waited 4 years and 3,665 deaths before bringing the AIDS epidemic to the public's attention, which is morally repugnant. So Nixon goes down in history as "tricky dick" for attempting to hide records of Watergate. Perhaps it's because the image of his menacing smile, sweating, and sliminess stuck with him. Reagan himself gets off essentially scot-free for his international scandal and subsequent information hiding scandal, while Nixon lives on in shame for