He did not unite the GOP elitists when he ran in '76 and'80. He went around them. Do you remember the vitriol from the Rockefeller wing of the party and the contentious 1976 convention? He made a new coalition of like minded people to make the Ford wing powerless and forced to follow him in '80. Reagan inspired the religious right with Pat Robertson to accomplish just that. As President, he was successful because he had public support, not from the GOP in the congress. Remember weak RINOs like Bob Michel?
I don't know why you directed you comment towards me. I was defending Morris for the most part. He is right here and he is a shrewd tactician with a record of solid successes. The GOP said they were going to do something and they are looking wobbly. Point to where Reagan promised things in an election and didn't deliver?
In 1980, Ronald Reagan ran for president with the promise that if he were elected, he would abolish the Department of Education. The DOE still exists today.