But then again, he was governor of sunny CALIFORNIA (and its 47 electoral votes) as opposed to far away Alaska (and its 3 electroal votes). Big difference there, kemosabe.
That argument makes absolutely no sense.
If you have serious Presidential aspirations, you don't quit in the middle of your first gubernatorial term. I doesn't matter whether you're governor of Alaska, California, or even North Dakota. You at least see that first term through to the end.
If Reagan had been governor of Alaska, would have finished his final eighteen months in office.