I was a Reagan democrat who had supported Jimmy Carter in the previous election. I was young, and still establishing my identity as a voter, and I had supported, although not voted for Richard Nixon in the previous election to Carter. (Hadn’t voted because I was overseas and overseas ballot was a pain to a 19 year old me.)
What is different? Reagan didn’t paint Ford or any of his opponents as just recently returned from a KKK meeting the way they did to Chris McDaniels.
Reagan painted Ford for exactly what he was. An out of touch, unelectable, North Eastern Beltway Rockefeller Republican.
He was right.
Ford should never have run for election. After his pardon of Nixon, there was no way he was going to get elected. It looked like a prid-quo pro after Agnew resigned in disgrace. And to top it off, Ford was an incompetent boob.
If I might add, what cochran & the GOPe did was to feed the lie that being conservative means you're a racist. While insulting and lying about us they then expect us to vote for them in the general election because the Rats are so bad.
I crossed my Rubicon awhile ago. I welcome any that crossing their Rubicon now.
I will never vote for the "lesser of two evils" again.