Oh BS. That is about the dumbest analysis I've seen anytime recently. No one puts a VP on the ticket to shove a stick in anyone's eye, they pick a VP nominee in order to help them win. Period. Reagan and his team calculated putting Bush on the ticket would unite the party and put a more moderate face on the ticket (due to the fact the left wing media had for years portrayed Reagan as a right wing fanatic).
I know full well the GOP establishment hated Reagan. That's the point, he overcame them to win 2 electoral landslides. He didn't whine and moan about running off and going 3rd party or spend all his time crying about the establishment. Reagan became a great candidate that could overcome the complacent establishment and liberal mainstream media - and won. So stop the cryfest about the establishment and work for and nominate GOOD conservative candidates that at least have a chance (no EW Jackson's in a purple state)to win.
Dumbest? Really? Okay, I’ll tell Mark Levin since I heard him give this take several times. And he was there working for Reagan in 1976 and his administration.