Can any FReepers enlighten me?
If you are interested in learning more, these are 2 good books on the topic by Craig Shirley:
“Reagan’s Revolution” - about Reagan’s 1976 campaign - the battle that shook the Republican party.
“Rendezvous with Destiny” - the 1980 presidential election - and Reagan’s victory.
It was worse. They hated him for taking on Ford in 1976 and blamed him for the loss to Carter when it’s was Ford’s fecklessness that lost.
1980 proved them wrong on Reagan again (yes, they fought him hard - GHW Bush was their candidate) when he won a landslide against Carter.
And the GOPe never learned that lesson as 2012 proved. Obama was twice as bad as Carter in 1980 but they give us Ford again in Romney who was a spineless moderate that cared more about getting along and the process more than the results.