reagan was elected in a different america.
and let's face it, he also had better policies. he had an economic agenda - what do we offer? more free trade? guest worker programs to suppress wages? there is a disconnect between the macro economic numbers, and what alot of americans see in their own "micro economy" - their jobs, wages, pensions, etc.
Ronald Reagan was a free trader, at a time when free trade had fewer advocates. He screwed up on some things, to be sure, like amnesty for illegal aliens. But my point is that at a time when voters were more apt to vote Democrat than today, he won election overwhelmingly as a unabashed conservative.
It takes communication skills, likeability, intelligence (Reagan was called dumb by liberals, but was a brilliant man) and being a "true believer," but it most certainly can be done, and is easier done today than in Reagan's day.