Battle Cry For Freedom: Ronald Reagan- Peace Through Strength: 1980 Campaign Commercial

Source:Battle Cry Of Freedom- from the 1980 political ad.

"To preserve our peace and our freedom we must maintain a margin of safety. Not numerical superiority in arms and armament , but a margin of safety that is a combination. A balance of a strong economy, mutual respect and unity among our great allies and a revitalized up to date military capability. History has taught us only too well, that tyrants are tempted only when the forces of freedom are weak, not when they're strong."

Source:Battle Cry Of Freedom

This looks similar to a 1968 Nixon For President ad where Richard Nixon saw a country coming apart because of the Vietnam War and how the country was so divided on that. And to a certain extent America looks weak as a result, in the late 1970s and 1980, because of Russia invading Afghanistan which at the time was an American ally and the Carter Administration looking like they were unable or unwilling to do much about that and then the Iranian Hostage Crisis happens right before the Afghan invasion in late 1979 and the Carter Administration looking somewhat paralyzed and not able to effectively deal with Iran on that.

America was also going through the weak economy with the high inflation, high interest rates, millions of Americans out-of-work, the recession of 1979-80. America just looks very weak during this period.

And you have Ronald Reagan former two-term Governor of California and a very popular one that comes in and says he has a plan to return America to it's greatness and a time and we were dominant. And saying the only way we can establish peace in the world is for America to be strong both economically and militarily. So no other country would even try to threaten us because of what we would be able to do in response.