Let me tell you a story about a man who stepped onto a stage in 1964 and didn’t just give a speech—he gave a warning, a promise, and a challenge. Ronald Reagan called it ‘The Speech,’ but it might as well have been titled ‘The Wake-Up Call,’ because its echoes still ring true today.
Reagan spoke of freedom under siege, government growing like a weed in a farmer’s field, and a nation at a crossroads. Sound familiar? It should. The questions he asked back then—about government overreach, fiscal responsibility, and the enduring strength of individual liberty—are the same ones we wrestle with today.
Delivered in his plainspoken style, with words sharpened like a pocketknife from years of speeches to Rotary Clubs and Lions Clubs, Reagan didn’t just talk to America; he talked for America. His voice still asks us, in this moment of decision: Will we choose freedom, or will we let it slip away? This is the speech that made Reagan a leader and left us a timeless challenge. Let’s see how those words still resonate in our lives today.”
“The Speech” is what Ronald Reagan called it. Today we call it, “A Time for Choosing,” and it was a pivotal turning point in Ronald Reagan’s life.
Ronald Reagan began a long side-career of public speaking as his acting career closed out. He traveled across the country meeting Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs, Chambers of Commerce and any other civic-minded local groups. This continued and intensified during his service as the General Electric spokesperson while hosting their sponsored television series. “The Speech” was delivered in various forms and to different audiences as each word was honed, measured and memorized.
During the 1964 Presidential campaign, Republican party officials in California, who knew Reagan’s powerful message and delivery, asked him to film a speech on behalf of the Republican candidate, Barry Goldwater. The speech was aired on October 27, 1964 and it was electrifying. Donations to the Republican party and candidates increased dramatically.
The Republican Party took note and they targeted Reagan as a candidate from that point forward. He agreed in 1966 to run for Governor of California. He won two terms, and eventually won the Presidency.
Table of Contents:
0:00 Choose My Own Words
1:42 We Haven’t Balanced Our Budget
2:14 As For The Peace That We Would Preserve…
3:28 Government is Beholden to The People
6:22 Government’s Involvement In The Farm Economy
8:26 The Assault on Freedom Carries On
10:18 The Need Grows Greater; the Program Grows Greater
12:37 What Are We Doing to Those We Seek to Help?
15:14 Barry Goldwater Thinks We Can
17:50 No Government Ever Voluntarily Reduces Itself
20:47 Democratic Opponents Seem Unwilling to Debate
23:55 Perhaps There Is a Simple Answer
27:17 You And I Have a Rendezvous With Destiny
Extra Credit:
https://x.com/i/status/1871520121212346496
