Reagan won two elections in an era where the dems had the media and there was no other media.
Reagan's elections took place during the infancy of cable television (my parents didn't yet have cable in 1980; I think it was available in their neighborhood in 1983). CNN was equally young; the paradigm of 24/7/365 news-as-entertainment had yet to really get rolling.
There were also some journalists (print and broadcast) who were still relatively objective and not outright leftist shills. Likewise, there was also limited political discourse "online" via the BBS networks. From what I recall, it was even more staunchly conservative than this little corner of the internet.
Back when the news was delivered in small doses by independently-owned newspapers and by local broadcast radio and television, it was tougher for the left to work their propaganda evil. Things were beginning to change in 1980, but Reagan certainly benefitted from the lingering influence of the old system.
Yes, but only half right.
Reagan also had 83% white voters, 11% Black voters, 2% Hispanic voters, and very low minority voter turn out.
Today, those numbers are 63% white voters, 17% Hispanic, 13% Black, with minority turn out that is high and growing.
Conservatives are usually stunned when they learn that Reagan would have LOST his 1980 election if the racial and ethnic make up of the USA had been the same as 2012.