+/- 17 years before becoming a prominent conservative and eventual Republican presidential candidate, ___________began his political career as a Democrat. He joined numerous political committees with a left-wing orientation, such as the American Veterans Committee. He fought against Republican-sponsored right-to-work legislation. He planned to lead an anti-nuke demonstration and only his employer's intervention prevented it. He was elected president of a large, famous union twice--a union which had known communists among its members. He appeared ONSTAGE to endorse the Democratic presidential candidate, who subsequently won. 19 years later, as a governor he signed into law a liberalization of abortion that led to an explosion of abortions in his state.
Almost 20 years later, as president, he signed a law that legalized all illegal immigrants who had arrived in the US during the first almost 200 years of the existence of our nation.
I'll fill in the blank for you: our greatest president of the 20th century, known as Ronaldus Magnus, RONALD REAGAN.
Reagan switched parties in 1962.