"Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

President Ronald Reagan uttered that exact phrase during his 1980 presidential campaign. That phrase alone spoke volumes of the current state of our nation in 1980 and will also speak volumes for the 2008 presidential election.

Many Americans will be asking themselves that question when the polls open on that first Tuesday in November 2008.

Are you better off?

I don't know that I can answer that question now, nor will I be able to answer it come election time. However, one thing I know for sure is that this nation is in desperate need of another Ronald Reagan. We need a leader who can reunite the American people.

If you look at the Reagan-Mondale electoral map from 1984, you can clearly see where I am coming from. Reagan won 49 out of the 50 states. Talk about popular and united. Ronald Reagan was what George W. Bush promised to be in 2000 --- Reagan was the "great uniter."

Unfortunately, President Bush failed to achieve his campaign promises of being a great uniter. Instead he faces the distinction of being quite possibly the most polarizing president in the history of this great nation. It's disappointing that we, as a nation, are so separated. For this reason, I think we need to elect another Ronald Reagan.

The problem is that politicians such as Reagan simply do not exist anymore. The Great Communicator was one of a kind. He was one of the most articulate human beings to ever live. When he spoke, people listened. Our most recent presidents did not share that distinction. The past two administrations have been plagued by scandal after scandal -- quickly losing the trust of the American people.

The Reagan administration made the 1980s one of the most peaceful times in the history of America. Not only had he gained honor and trust from the American people, he was also a great diplomat. He led the United States out of the Cold War with dignity. During his two terms, American morale was restored and America was once again a world leader to be trusted.

Today, we are respected by few. We may live in a culture far different from that of the 1980s, now facing an imminent terror threat. But does this mean we cannot be united for this cause? We need a president who can once again restore the hope we once had as a country. I don't know if this ideal candidate will exist as a choice in the 2008 presidential election, but I would like to believe that someone of Reagan's character will rise.

Reagan de-nationalized the national government at a time when it was vitally needed. People needed to be free from government. As Reagan so accurately stated: "The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help." Reagan's domestic agenda proved what the Founding Fathers had worked so hard to establish -- government must be limited and must not interfere with the lives of individuals. During Reagan's farewell address, he can be quoted with words reminiscent of the passion of our forefathers: "Man is not free unless government is limited...As government expands, liberty contracts." The only political figure I can most liken to President Reagan is former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. He has not yet announced a candidacy for president. In 1994, Newt reinvigorated Congress with his Contract with America. He had clear ideas that the American people could relate to, clear ideas that the American people needed.

We have once again reached a time in which change is needed. The American people supposedly voted for change this past November, only to be subjected to the same political banter that plagued the previous Congress. Our elected officials stood up and proclaimed that change was going to come... well, where is it? I agree that change was needed and I had hoped that change would come. I am still holding on to that hope.

It seems as if the government, particularly the Congress, has given up. Do we elect senators so they can run for president? I don't think so. So many senators have already begun campaigning for 2008 that they seem to have forgotten about 2007. Is that what the American people voted for?

The days of Ronald Reagan restoring hope for America are long gone. It is time for a new vision of optimism. I am holding on to the belief that Newt will run for president in 2008. His recent book Winning the Future is a treatise of his belief in America and the American people. Time magazine even went as far as to say that Newt "belongs in the category of the exceptional." I truly believe that this man can once again restore honor to the White House in the spirit of Ronald Reagan.

Skeptics and critics of President Reagan can say what they will. I am sure not everyone agreed with Reagan, as there will always remain individuals with different opinions. However, it is almost inarguable that the 1980s were a prosperous time under Ronald Reagan. Although I wasn't born until late into the 80s, that doesn't disqualify me from knowing something about history.

We don't have to have lived through times of unity and prosperity to have optimism for the future.