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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.

Yes, dumbest. Reagan did not pick a moderate VP nominee in order to shove a stick in anyone's eye. The main motivation for every Presidential candidate choosing a VP nominee is to give them an edge. If a side of effect was proving some other point, then fine. Reagan chose the guy (Bush) who called his economic policy "voodoo economics". Bush was the moderate establishment guy and Reagan chose him. He did it because he calculated it would unite the party, give the ticket a more moderate face and give him a better chance to win the election.