A friend recently argued that President Ronald Reagan owed his election to extreme right-wing elements and special interest groups -- specifically, the "Christian right."
I never knew what the "Christian right" was anyway. But let's get this clear: President was irrepressibly propular across ideological and partisan political boundary lines. In the end he remained the favorite of the one group that really mattered - the American people.
Reagan won both presidential elections by WIDE popular and electoral vote majorities.
He won the 1980 election by more than eight million votes and carried every state but four -- and he did that while ousting an elected incumbent president. That was something that hadn't been done in nearly half a century. As president, during his first term Reagan was so popular that he won re-election by nearly 17 million votes and carried 49 of 50 states.
When Reagan left office in 1989, his popularity was at 63% -- even then, nearly two-thirds of the American people approved of Ronald Reagan and his presidency.
Ronald Reagan didn't need the "Christian right" to be elected.
Ronald Reagan didn't climb to the presidency on the backs of any group or groups.
He was lifted up to the presidency on the shoulders of the American people.
And Ronald Reagan remembered that every day that he served our nation.
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