My favorite statesman of my lifetime, Ronald Reagan, changed his political affiliation.
Sometimes, the party really does leave the person.
You are certainly correct and I agree with your assessment and opinion of RR.
I'm inclined to think that with RR, he came to understand that the Republican party was more representative of his values than the dims. Remember Reagans early years, as SAG president and spending time in Hollywood, a traditional liberal/democratic bastion.