AHC/WI: Ronald Reagan enters Politics Earlier

Reagan entered politics rather late in life. In 1966 when he won the governorship, he was around 55 years old. That left him with the issue of limited experience compared to high age. In 1968, when he first ran for president, he had only a year of elected political experience. It's odd to think a man older than Kennedy or Nixon (Reagan born 1911, Kennedy 1917, Nixon 1913) didn't have a shot of winning when those two men were in their political prime, had significantly less political experience if any when those men were rising politically, and it took him a two term governorship he went for in his 50s and 60s to get enough for his resume. That's a fact I realized recently and it's very odd to think about. And it inspired this.

What if Ronald Reagan had entered politics earlier? Whats the likelihood of that, and what's the likeliest situation?
 
I read that Reagan wanted to run for the House as a Democrat in the early 50's, but the party turned him down. I don't know what district he was looking at making a run for, and I think the year was 1952 but I'm not certain. So maybe the Democratic party takes his offer, and supports him in his race and he wins. If he can win in 1952, then he should be able to survive the rest of the 50's in the House under Eisenhower.

In 1958 the Democrats have a good shot at winning the California Senate seat, so maybe Reagan throws his hat in for that race. Democrat Clair Engle won that race in the OTL, and he died near the end of his first term. If Reagan can nudge him out for the nomination in 58, then he could hold that Senate seat for several terms, as 1964, 1970, and 1976 would be good years for a Democratic incumbent as long as the Presidents remain the same. Of course with this new Reagan timeline, butterflies will change who becomes President the further out we go from the POD.

So being a well known Senator from the big state of California, with more than one term under his belt, could give him some clout to run for Governor or President at some point in the late 60's or later.

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I also wonder what type of Democrat Reagan would be if he remained in the party? He was big supporter of FDR and the New Deal, his experience as head of SAG turned him into a strong anti-communist, and California has a lot of defense industry as part of it's economy. So I assume he'd be like Scoop Jackson, but with a more magnetic personality and better campaign skills.
 
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If Democrat mRonald Reagan is elected to the House in 1952 and the Senate in 1958, then he comes up for reelection in the Democratic years of 1964, 1970,1976, and 1982. He however could be too moderate for the tastes of many California Democrats and face a primary challenge. If he undergoes the same political evolution as he did OTL, then he becomes a Republican in 1962. In 1964, he backs Goldwater and loses. If he stays in the Senate, his first opportunity to run for president is 1972. sSince he probably supports the Vietnam war, I don't see him doing well in the Democratic primaries.
 
If Democrat mRonald Reagan is elected to the House in 1952 and the Senate in 1958, then he comes up for reelection in the Democratic years of 1964, 1970,1976, and 1982. He however could be too moderate for the tastes of many California Democrats and face a primary challenge. If he undergoes the same political evolution as he did OTL, then he becomes a Republican in 1962. In 1964, he backs Goldwater and loses. If he stays in the Senate, his first opportunity to run for president is 1972. sSince he probably supports the Vietnam war, I don't see him doing well in the Democratic primaries.

If Reagan gets elected to the House in 1952 as a Democrat and eventually the Senate, then I doubt he undergoes the same political evolution as in the OTL. He won't be working for GE in the 50's in this scenario, and that job played a big role in his conversion. Plus having to fend off possible primary challenges in a state that shifts to the left over the decades will keep him from veering too far to the right within the Democratic party. The only area I could see him having real trouble with Democratic voters would be his foreign policy views. If he's too hawkish on Vietnam when that war becomes unpopular he could face some trouble.

If everything else stays the same then I think 1976 or 1980 would be his best shot for the Presidency. In 1968/1972 being so hawkish on Vietnam would be a liability in the Democratic primaries.
 
If he is elected in 1976 then a Republican, I would guess George HW Bush, defeats him during the time of recession and hostage crisis.
 
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