Ah, so that's why Reagan could never get his message across. /sarcasm
Sorry, but the GOP gave the MSM and the Dems the hammer to hit them with. You can pretend otherwise, but that is clear.
Reagan left office 19 years and was last elected 23 years ago. Much has changed since then. There is a whole new generation of voter who has been indoctrinated by the Public Schools system. They number in the millions and they are considered the most politically active group of their age in recent history.
The only way to appeal to them is with a moderate approach