The fundamental word is: communication.
Reagan was called, “The Great Communicator” for a reason. He was. And mainly, he was the “Great Television Communicator.” When they aimed the cameras at him and tried to ambush him with questions, he quickly proved they had started a battle of wits unarmed. And it wasn't just that he defeated them, it was that he defeated them in language that the average sheeple could understand.
William F Buckley was certainly smarter, but there was no way the average sheeple could understand what he was saying. Reagan had the ability to look straight into the camera and connect with people from all walks of life. Our governor, Rick Perry, is at least as conservative as Reagan. But point a TV camera at Perry and expect him to speak off the cuff - A COMPLETE DISASTER.
What we need is not to turn or change, but rather to find somebody that can explain to the great unwashed masses what most of the people that post here already know. And year by year I despair, because I just can't see an even half a Reagan on the horizon.
The other thing about Reagan, was that his time in Hollywood served him well...not only learning about how to look good in front of a camera and speaking eloquently.....but he was literally in the Lions’ Den as well, and understood what made the enemy tick, and how to get flies with honey, instead of vinegar.
Now, I have my doubts whether Reagan could have won, but the fact remains Romney lost to a sitting president with a disastrous record. We'll never know what would have happened if he had told Americans why Obama was a disaster: he, Obama, was a leftist. All future Pubbie candidates cannot just slam their leftist opponent (as all future Dem candidates will assuredly be as extreme left as Obama), they must educate the public as to why conservatism is superior to liberalism.