Ronald Reagan

**Ronald Wilson Reagan** (February 6, 1911 - June 5, 2004) was an American actor and perennial political candidate who was the 1976 presidential nominee for the American Independent Party. A staunch conservative, Reagan believed that both major parties were too liberal and ran to ignite a 'political conservative revolution' that culminated in the eventual election of Newt Gingrich as U.S. House Speaker after the 1994 Republican Revolution.

Reagan was a master orator, winning him many adoring nicknames from his supporters, most famously the Great Communicator and Teflon Ron. Reagan was marred by his party members, including highly unpopular names such as New Hampshire Governor Meldrim Thomson Jr. (his 1976 running mate) and North Carolina U.S. Senator Jesse Helms. Criticized as a right-wing extremist, Reagan nevertheless lead his party's 1976 ticket to win 3 states and 20 electoral votes, as well as around 11% of the popular vote (around 9 million votes).

Reagan began his political career during his acting career; heading Hollywood's leading anti-Communist unions. He identified as a Democrat at first, but in 1963, upon the formation of Alabama Governor George Wallace's American Independent Party, Reagan switched to the AIP. However, Reagan did not support the segregationist Wallace's campaign, instead backing his main challenger, Arizona U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater, who won the nomination against Wallace. Reagan was considered a viable running mate, but Goldwater decided against it. However, Reagan's "A Time for Choosing" speech cemented him as a national figure.

He switched to the Republican Party in 1965, but after failing to gain support despite encouragement from Alaska U.S. Senator Ted Stevens and Louisiana Governor Jimmie Davis to run for Governor of California in 1966, Reagan dropped out of the race. Reagan then challenged Richard Nixon in 1968 for the U.S. Senate seat, but was defeated at the convention and dropped out of the primary.

Reagan had ambitions to be U.S. President, and ran in 1972 for the nomination after Nelson Rockefeller was term limited. Reagan won a number of key primaries, including his home state of California and his birth state of Illinois, as well as gaining the highest percentage of the popular vote by a margin of millions, but at the Republican National Convention that year, the delegates overwhelmingly voted for Vice President William Scranton as the nominee. Reagan requested to be Scranton's running mate, but considering Reagan too extreme, Scranton picked Colorado Governor John Love instead. Nevertheless, Reagan was the runner up for both the Presidential and the Vice Presidential nomination. Reagan was mentioned as a candidate for the U.S. Senate in both 1974 and 1976, but turned down both opportunities.

Reagan switched back to the American Independents in 1975 to run for their nomination in 1976 after Governor Strom Thurmond, Senator Stevens and Howard Baker all convinced Reagan not to launch a primary challenge to Scranton. Reagan ran for the nomination, facing the now disabled Governor Wallace. Reagan handily defeated Wallace, and the AIP became mainstream once more. With President Scranton and U.S. Senator Robert Byrd dirtied by their scandals and the state of the country, Reagan campaigned as a clean good government outsider who wished to get the government out of people's lives. Reagan picked New Hampshire's AIP Governor Thomson as his running mate, over the choice of his advisors, Senator Jesse Helms. Reagan lead polling for most of the race, but as the campaign results came in, it had turned out that Reagan had come in an embarassing third compared to his polling, winning just shy of 3% of the popular vote and only 3 states. Reagan came second, however, in 6 states.

Scranton blamed his defeat on Reagan, and, as Reagan announced his campaign for the 1980 Republican Presidential nomination, a series of his rivals rallied to stop him. Senators George H.W. Bush, Howard Baker & Bob Dole were all opponents to the Reagan campaign, and shared intel and promises to attempt to prevent Reagan from winning the nomination. Senate Minority Leader Ted Stevens endorsed Baker on primary night, and Dole and Bush dropped out to endorse Baker as well. Baker was attacked for being boring compared to Reagan, but even with Reagan's witty remarks, Baker won out on experience, attacking Reagan for hypocrisy based around his proposed crime legislation and his ideas on liberty. Baker called Reagan an extremist to the point that it was described by an anonymous report from a Reagan advisor as a 'noose with a clip-on label'. Reagan lost the nomination at the convention.

Reagan considered a run in 1988, but was attacked for his old age and questioned heavily about the health of his brain. Alas, in 1994, Reagan was diagnosed with Alzhiemer's disease. While battling the disease, in 2004, he contracted pneumonia and died at his home in Los Angeles, California. He was 93. Reagan's legacy remains controversial, with many honoring him as a founding father of modern American politics, and others chafing his reputation as a radicalized bigot and political extremist.