Reaganś revolution : the untold story of the campaign that started it all

Today's political scene looks nothing like it did thirty years ago, and that is due mostly to Reagan's monumental reshaping of the Republican party. What few people realize, however, is that Reagan's revolution did not begin when he took office in 1980, but in his failed presidential challenge to Gerald Ford in 1975–1976. This is the remarkable story of that historic campaign–one that, as Reagan put it, turned a party of "pale pastels" into a national party of "bold colors." Featuring interviews with a myriad of politicos, journalists, insiders, and observers, Craig Shirley relays intriguing, never–before–told anecdotes about Reagan, his staff, the campaign, the media, and the national parties and shows how Reagan, instead of following the lead of the ever–weakening Republican party, brought the party to him and almost single–handedly revived it. ebook,book The transformation of American politics usually described as beginning with the election of 1980, Craig Shirley argues, actually began in 1976. In that year former California Governor Ronald Reagan challenged incumbent President Gerald Ford in the Republican primaries and state caucuses, eventually coming within 57 delegates of taking the nomination away from Ford at the Republican National Convention. Shirley describes in intriguing detail the contest between two men and two visions for the soul of the Republican party. With Ford's eventual loss to Democrat Jimmy Carter, Reagan became the front-runner for the Republican nomination in 1980. The rest, as they say, is history.... The Beginning Of The End -- Awakening Ambitions -- Ford Follies -- Citizens For Reagan, Take One -- Setting The Stage -- Reagan's Reversal -- Against The Wall -- North Carolina -- Citizens For Reagan, Take Two -- Ford Storms Back -- Contentious Conventions -- The Schweiker Stratagem -- Bloody Mississippi -- Kansas City -- Reagan's Remarks -- The End Of The Beginning. Craig Shirley. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 398-406) And Index. The story of Reagan's 1976 presidential campaign--a down to the wire political battle that shook the Republican Party to its core, gave it a new purpose, and ended the reign of Liberalism