Academic question

I was four years old when Reagan was elected, so i seek the "wisdom of the ages" on this.

During the Republican primary season of 1980 (and the years before), what was the media's opinion on Ronald Reagan? How did they portray him, particularly compared to Gerald Ford?

SheikBen wrote:I was four years old when Reagan was elected, so i seek the "wisdom of the ages" on this.

During the Republican primary season of 1980 (and the years before), what was the media's opinion on Ronald Reagan? How did they portray him, particularly compared to Gerald Ford?

As a crotchety old "B" movie star who Nancy, and her father, turned RR from being a smart Democrat to a Neanderthal Republican co-star of a chimpanzee named Bonzo--who (RR not Bonzo) would probably start thermo-nuclear war with the USSR.

I figured as much, but did they ever call him "unelectable" or anything like that? I also wonder how many "conservatives" came out against him as unelectable (or if they did)?

I was in the mid 20's when he was elected. He beat the goose grease out of Carter. While I didn't agree with some of his policies, I thought he was a good president. President Reagan had something that few had and none of our leaders have today. He had a belief in this nation was a good nation of people and he conveyed that. The people that occupy office today don't, they have no belief in this nation. In fact, they hate everything we have stood for and our founders fought for.

Cato

Yes, they rode him hard about being a Movie Star, like claiming everything he said was "scripted" and he was an actor faking it.

Reagan's famous line was:

"Corporations don't pay taxes, people pay taxes".

And that's why I voted for him.

But did they ever call him unelectable or "too extreme" to win in the general election?

I also wonder what the press said during the 1984 campaign which was such a blow out.