1. Conventional wisdom and establishment pundits will underestimate the size of a new coalition. They obsess about changes at the margin and are oblivious to radical realignment until it happens. No one saw the landslide in the Texas caucus in 1976 and few predicted that Carter would lose most of his southern states in 1980.
2. Hold on to your principles, but do not be afraid to change your platform or your mind.
In 1976, RR was a fairly conventional Republican on economics (deficits are bad and spending cuts were needed to balance the budget.) He was a an anti- detente hawk on foregn policy but his breakthrough issue was the Panama Canal.
In 1980 he was still a hawk, but the Panama Canal treaty was a fait accompli. On domestic policy, however, Reagan was now an enthusiastic supply-sider. Spending cuts took a back seat to Kemp-Roth. Deficits were of less concern than jump starting the economy by increasing incentives.
In addition, social issues (especially abortion) were a much bigger part of the platform and message.
3. Do not be afraid to upset you party's apple cart.
Balanced budgets were a GOP mantra in the 60s and 70s, yet Reagan was willing to embrace supply-side policies. Detente and the SALT process were the center piece of the Nixon, Ford, Kissinger foreign policy. Reagan was happy to oppose both the policy and the process head-on.
This "divisive" stance should have weakened the party. It should have doomed him in 1980. Instead he won two smashing victories and did more for his party than any president since FDR.
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