Without directly mentioning opponent Walter Mondale, defense spending, or the Soviet Union (traditionally symbolized by a bear), the ad suggested that Reagan was better prepared to recognize and deal with threats to global stability.
Research by award-winning pollster Richard Wirthlin detected the nation's overriding concern about the Soviet Union and how to communicate the solution through subtlety.
[1] Initial focus group screenings of the advertisement demonstrated that the audience found its message ambiguous, with some interpreting it as an indictment of environmentalism, others as a criticism of gun control, but the underlying metaphor of "peace through strength" remained strong.
"[4] "There is a bear in the woods" continues to be a popular phrase to invoke when a potential problem looms on the horizon, especially in political circles.
[5][6] Currently, The Washington Post's PowerPost email newsletter to subscribers, The Daily 202, often uses the phrase, "There still a bear in the woods," to introduce political topics.