Charisma and propaganda--Reagan knew how to reach his audience and convince the American people they were in a state of danger and he had been able to keep them safe.
The Reagan administration focused on Cold War tactics first convincing American citizens they were unsafe in a world with communism and the USSR. He then developed military focus and propaganda to prove his leadership was keeping Americans safe. This with large tax breaks and a sense of conservative 'normalcy' made him very popular with the majority of white America.
In his speech, President Obama said that poverty and hopelessness do not cause terrorism, but they cause resentment that terrorist groups use to recruit people. He also says that when governments deny human rights to people, or when their governments treat them like terrorists, people might turn to terrorist groups.
