The economic problems of 1980 were revisited in the 1984 election as Ronald Reagan's ads asked Americans if they were better off than just "four short years ago."

Spots like the famous "Morning in America" used a folksy, soft spoken approach to remind Americans of their improved conditions. A softer-sell version of Ford's "Feeling Good about America" theme, the ad didn't even mention Reagan. The references to four years before were especially effective, given that Reagan's unsuccessful challenger, Walter Mondale, had served as Jimmy Carter's vice president.