I worked in Arlington, Va in the early eighties, and I remember vividly the attacks on the Gipper by those same individuals you mentioned. The attacks against Ronald Reagan by these conservatives predated his election in November of 1980, since most of these people supported then Congressman Phil Crane for POTUS in the 1980 GOP primary.
You are correct. Viguerie and the leaders of “The New Right” backed Phil Crane to the hilt and, truth be told, I can certainly see why they liked Crane. He was conservative to the core in his voting and speaking - and he was one of them: A Washington insider. Still, Congressmen tend not to get elected President!
I loved Phil Crane back in the day because of his overall voting record and his fight against Jimmy Carter’s Panama Canal giveaway. However, when it came to Presidential Primary Politics, Ronald Reagan was the choice.