Good point, apparently some of the Reagan advisors convinced him he needed a “moderate” Republican (GHWB) to hold the liberal Republican segment of the party — to keep it from defecting even more to John B. Anderson of liberal IL. He had already tapped a “moderate” at best in 1976 — Richard Schweiker.
I recall watching the convention and the buzz was that Reagan's short list had boiled down to Bush I or Rumsfeld. Think how that decision changed history. I can't imagine Rummy ever losing to BJ eight years later.
I believe “moderate” is the key word here. Moderation in all things, does not apply to principles, which is what we are being told we must accept.
“Advisors”, is another key word. Presidents are defined by their advisors, as they must be. The problem is when they are “re”defined by their advisors, which I beleve, has happened to almost, if not all Presidents, for at least the past hundred years (FDR being the best example).