While Bush '41 was his VP, RR was not part of the GOPe. He showed that in the GOP Candidate Debate for the NH Primary in 1980. After an FEC (Federal Election Commission) ruling that the debate sponsorship, by the Nashua Telegraph, was illegal, RR financed the debate out of his own funds. However, since all of the arrangements were already there and the primary was in 3 days, the moderators remained from the newspaper. What happened next made Reagan history and showed that RR was not a knock-over!
At the start time, for unannounced reasons, the moderator(s) wanted to exclude the other GOP candidates of Sens Howard Baker & Bob Dole, Reps John Anderson & Philip Crane and TX Gov John Connally, leaving only Reagan & Bush. When RR came in with several of these candidates and wanted them included, the argument got so heated that the moderator ordered the sound to Reagan's mike shut off. That was when sound byte history was made; "Mr. Green...you asked me if you would... I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Green!" (Note: that man was actually Jon Breen, the executive editor of The Telegraph of Nashua.)
At the 50+ year distance, we forget that this was Reagan's SECOND run for the candidacy and that it was NH that had knocked him back against President Jerry Ford in 1976 under the cloud of 'spoiled ballots'. Sound familiar? Here at this New Hampshire Primary, RR was behind and Bush was trumpeting his Iowa win by 2% (Big Mo) over Reagan, 5 weeks earlier. Additionally, Bush was the local favorite son in NH, having campaigned frequently from his Maine home. Another similarity to Trump is that he, Reagan, was great 'copy' for the MSM but it was always mixed with antagonism against his conservative and pro-America issues of a rebuilding military and economy.
Here is a thought for us to remember. In both of his successful campaigns in 1980 & 84, Reagan was always asked if he was too old for the office. He left office around 2 weeks short of his 78th birthday. Joe Biden will turn 80 this coming November.