No kidding, I was there, and I remember how the elites sneered at Ronald Reagan, said he could never win, too extreme, a nut case, a cowboy. And not a serious thinker. All talk and no substance. Wouldn’t be able to hold his own in a debate past the first few sound bites. All summer and fall, the media thought election day 1980 would be close. (It wasn’t.)
Reagan served two full terms as governor of one of the most populous states (if not the most populous) and had years and years of national campaigning experience and exposure, professional and political.
Not saying anything derogatory about anyone on the scene now, but Reagan was uniquely positioned at the time as compared with anyone now.
And then came the four words that changed everything. "There you go again"