How Reagan became Reagan: The Texas Earthquake of 1976

When conservatives set to work to remake the Republican party (1960-1980) they faced two distinct battles. One was against the liberal Rockefeller Republicans of the Northeast. The other was with the Republican rump in the Sunbelt.

It is difficult to remember now just how hard the GOP establishment in the South and Southwest fought against Goldwater and Reagan. They were keen to hold on to their own power even if that meant their party was nonviable in their state.

There are many perks for party leaders even if their party is unsuccessful. In a rump party, the leadership gets to keep their perks without challenge. Who cares if the GOP can’t win Georgia? The rump establishment still gets courted during the run-up to the convention. They get to make speeches and bestow patronage. And they get to do all this without working too hard to earn their position.

The press played a key role in this situation. They portrayed the rump leaders as pragmatic even though they could not win general elections. The insurgents were painted as foolish kamikazes who did not understand politics. The approval of the New York Times and the Rockefeller wing was a big perk and big asset for the neutered leaders of the old GOP.

The media also overstated the power and influence of the party leaders and were blind to the political realignment that a Reaganite party could carry out.

In May 1976 Gerald Ford was far ahead of Reagan when the campaign moved to Texas. He seemed to be coasting toward the magic number of delegates needed to lock in the nomination. Reagan needed a big win just to keep his campaign alive and stay in the race.

The Ford camp had a strong hand. They had the support of all the leading RepublicansJohn Tower, George H.W. Bush, Jim Baker. They looked to pick up a pile of delegates and maintain their lead over the Gipper. But Texans did not follow the script.

Ronald Reagan won every single one of the 100 delegates. A shut out in a huge state where the rules worked to ensure that the rump leaders always got their seats at the convention. Reagan carried every single county in the state. The win revitalized the Reagan campaign and kept it in the fight right up to the convention. When Ford lost to Carter Reagan became the front runner for 1980.

A funny thing about those pragmatic southern republican leaders--they could not carry their states for Ford. But the kamikazes had no problem in 1980. Alabama went for Carter by 150,000 votes in 1976. He lost by 22,000 to Reagan. Ford lost Texas by 130,000; Reagan carried it by 650,000. Same thing in North Carolina (Ford -180,000, Reagan +40,000). The trend carried across the south and gave Reagan his crushing electoral landslide in 1980.

Conservatives did not just take over the moribund party. They revitalized it, made it first viable and then dominant in the south. Bad for the democrats but bad as well for the rump establishment. The party won, but they lost their leadership positions.