2 1/2 Minute ad?? Ads are only 30 seconds, once in a great while 1 minute; but 2 1/2 minutes?

I grew up in the Reagan era. People have called him the Great Communicator, but forget how much Reagan was a teacher. Reagan had to explain how the economic policies that Carter but also Nixon were killing the country.

He took time to explain his views and yes he even ran long , commercials. Here is a 2 minute 1980 commercial about defense where he explains that peace is brought about by strength.

Ted Cruz’s response in last night’s debate about the fall of Detroit should be used to create a long ad. Perhaps Americans are tired of the 30 second “hit” ad. Maybe this is why the over $100 million in Bush ads didn’t help him.

Watch Cruz explain why Detroit has fallen and his policies to fix it. (Transcript below for those who can’t watch video) and after watch the Reagan ad to see how Reagan used the long commercial to great effect.

CRUZ:

You know, Henry Ford revolutionized automobile manufacturing and brought automobiles to the middle class. During World War II, Detroit provided — funded the arsenals of democracy to help us win World War II. In — in the 1960s, Detroit was the Silicon Valley of America. It had a population of 2 million people, had the highest per capita income in the country.

And then, for 50 years, left-wing Democrats have pursued destructive tax policies, weak crime policies, and have driven the citizens out. (APPLAUSE)

This city now has just 700,000 citizens. There are vacant homes, one after the other after the other. Crime has been rampant, and it is an outrage. And let me say to folks in the media: That is a story that the media ought to be telling over and over again, the destruction of left-wing policies and the millions who have hurt because of it.

(APPLAUSE)

WALLACE: Well, I was going to say, I’ll give you 30 seconds to try to answer my question. What specifically would you do to bring manufacturing jobs back to Detroit and to train the residents here to do those jobs?

CRUZ: The way you bring manufacturing back to America is, number one, you lift the regulations. As president, I will repeal Obamacare, the biggest job-killer in America.

I will pull back the federal regulators, the EPA and all the regulators that are killing small businesses and manufacturing.

And my tax plan, which is a very, very detailed plan on the website, tedcruz.org, is what’s called border adjustable. We get rid of all the taxes. We get rid of the corporate income tax and the death tax and the Obamacare taxes and the payroll tax. And we replace it with a 16 percent business flat tax that is border adjustable, which means all exports are entirely tax-free and all imports pay the 16 percent business flat tax. That’s a 32 percent differential.

What that will do, Chris, is bring millions of manufacturing jobs back to this country, bring the steel industry back to this country, create an environment where when we compete on a fair and level playing field, American ingenuity can beat anyone. But right now, the federal government isn’t giving us a level playing field.

WALLACE: Thank you, Senator.