The first is a subset of the second. To be THE man to walk into the WH in eight years he should obviously have reasonable capability of doing that now if necessary.
Your argument of political precedent fails to recognize that this is an unprecedented political year as was Regan’s election in many similar ways. That is why your citing of Bush in 1988 is particularly relevant.
The one BIG mistake Reagan made was his choice of VP. One could strongly argue that Reagan’s VP mistake took us into 28 years of increasing and accelerated unconstitutional central government growth and socialism - basically tyranny.
One could also reasonably argue that if Trump has a good-to-great presidency, not unlike Reagan did, Trump’s VP, like Reagan’s VP, could walk into the WH blindfolded.
Don’t forget the dynamics behind your stats. Until the 20th Century, the central government was small and spending was less than 10% of the GDP. The central government, as designed, was not a part of people’s daily lives. The feds were not threatening to Americans.
Since that changed in the 20th century, there have been only two “conservative” (limited government) Presidents – Cool Cal and Reagan. Under that data, 50% of their VP’s were elected to the White House. Again, if Trump has a good-to-great presidency, not unlike Reagan did, Trump’s VP, like Reagan’s VP, could reasonably easily take the WH.
Nancy Reagan believed, and so do I, that GHWB tried to become President by murdering Ronald Reagan.
We have been ruled uninterruptedly by murderers since 1989.