President Joe Biden planned an international trip in order to give a speech in Normandy. This speech is in the honor of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, celebrating the bravery and sacrifices of the military in the past. Well, the President is also using this trip to get support for the coming presidential election.
About forty years ago, President Ronald Reagan did the same thing. He also planned the Europe tour and gave the famous speech during the occasion of the D-Day anniversary. This tour helped the President to win the election again, while also overshadowing his Democratic rivals. Reagan was also praised for his ability to use this international tour to boost its political image. And the same story the current president of the United States is trying to repeat.
Back to June 1984, when Reagan traveled across Europe. The purpose of that trip was to strengthen the relationship between the US and Europe. He also wants to boost his political image. During this trip from 1-10 June across Europe, the President talked about their achievements and also discussed some important issues.
At the time, his foreign policy had low approval, with only 37% of Americans supporting it, and his handling of the economy was debated. The previous tour to Europe was not successful. At this time he wanted to change the view of Europeans about himself.
Ireland is the country from where the tour started. Reagan’s campaign aimed to win support from the 40 million Americans with Irish roots, including Reagan himself. His administration believed that in order to impress the Catholic voter, visiting Ireland is important. Many of whom were former Democrats and had helped elect him in 1980.
Thomas Patrick Melady, a former diplomat, highlighted in a memo that Irish and Catholic factors were vital domestically. To win over the important “Reagan Democrats,” as they were called by the press, Melady suggested inviting journalists from Catholic newspapers to join the trip.
After visiting Ireland, he went to attend the D-Day ceremony in Normandy. The White House took advantage of this opportunity. They showcased Reagan’s speaking skills and demonstrated his ability to be dignified and statesmanlike on the global stage.
All team members of the Reagans planned his Normandy speech carefully. This was done to take advantage of NBC, CBS, and ABC’s interest in the anniversary.
The speechwriter of Reagan named Peggy Noonan, carefully looked at photos and locations where the president would speak. This is done to check on what TV viewers would see during his speech.
Later, footage of Reagan’s speech at Normandy was shown during prime time at the Republican National Convention, emphasizing its significance for the campaign.
Reagan’s tour ended in London. Here he attended the G7 Summit. His main purpose is to win the election again. The UK Ambassador in Washington, D.C., Oliver Wright, sent important messages to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to plan the G7. One of these messages said, “ What the president wants above all from his visit to London is an outcome that will play well in his election campaign. His staff tell us that he will want to look presidential.”
During one event, three print journalists were asked to leave so that the Republican National Committee’s film crew could shoot footage for Reagan’s campaign ads. Cannon also informed about Reagan’s return to the US that no president performed such a successful tour on the world stage.
Did this tour strategy work? Reagans got a lot of media attention during his whole trip. However the approval rating of the President did not go up from beginning to the last moment of the trip. Also people’s thoughts were not changed about his policies in opinion polls. However, Reagan’s tour created a story in the media that became important for his campaign. He also managed the whole trip without breaking the budget and also not spending extra money.
In brief, the president took full advantage of his roles as both head of state and elected politician during his pre-election travels. His huge win in the election that followed shows that no opponent had a chance against him, as he excelled in his role as a powerful communicator.
