Marathon Pundit: (Video) Ronald Reagan's second inaugural address

Tampico, Illinois--February 6, 2011

Arctic cold forced Ronald Reagan's second inauguration ceremonies indoors. But otherwise there was much to celebrate on January 21, 1985--as it does this year, Inauguration Day fell on a Sunday that year.

The unemployment rate was falling, inflation was under control, and rather than blaming his predecessor for a weak economy, Reagan fixed it.

"Four years ago, I spoke to you of a new beginning and we have accomplished that. But in another sense, our new beginning is a continuation of that beginning created two centuries ago when, for the first time in history, government, the people said, was not our master, it is our servant; its only power that which we the people allow it to have," Reagan said in the rotunda of the Capitol.

"My fellow citizens, our nation is poised for greatness," he declared later. "We must do what we know is right and do it with all our might. Let history say of us, 'These were golden years—when the American Revolution was reborn, when freedom gained new life, when America reached for her best.'"

These were indeed golden years.

Scroll to the related posts to learn how you can win one more for the Gipper.

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(Video) Reagan's first inaugural address

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