Reagan stays Democrat after marrying Nancy

What if Ronald Reagan stayed Democrat after marrying Republican Nancy Davis. I still figure he would be elected California governor but his candidacy for president would get very fuzzy.

Senario. George H.W. Bush beats Carter in 1980 but only 48%-46%.
Electoral college Bush 286 - Carter 252.

Bush cuts taxes, but not the gigantic Reagan cut, Bush avoids Star Wars program but pumps more into the Pentagon and holds firm against the USSR Afghan occupation.

Would the Cold War end sooner if Bush was willing to meet Soviet Premiers Andropov and Brezhnev and discuss nuclear reductions and other NATO - Warsaw issues?
 
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Interesting idea certainly, but he'd hardly be in line with the Democrat mainstream by the 1970s. I can see him either being left on the peripharies or jumping to Republicans at a later date, maybe even Libertarians.
 

Xen

Banned
What if Ronald Reagan stayed Democrat after marrying Republican Nancy Davis. I still figure he would be elected California governor but his candidacy for president would get very fuzzy.

He could have remained Democrat, and become a sort of moderate Democrat, possibly even winning the 1976 election instead of Carter. Reagan might even lead the Democrats into taking hawkish stances in the Cold War and dealing with regimes like Iran. The Republicans meanwhile argue for diplomacy rather than Reagan's cowboy tactics.

Senario. George H.W. Bush beats Carter in 1980 but only 48%-46%.
Electoral college Bush 286 - Carter 252.

Bush cuts taxes, but not the gigantic Reagan cut, Bush avoids Star Wars program but pumps more into the Pentagon and holds firm against the USSR Afghan occupation.

Would the Cold War end sooner if Bush was willing to meet Soviet Premiers Andropov and Brezhnev and discuss nuclear reductions and other NATO - Warsaw issues?

Butterflies, everywhere there are butterflies. It is unlikely Bush and Carter would face of in 1980, perhaps in 1984 if Reagan selects Carter as his veep, also I suppose this depends on if Reagan wins the Democratic nomination in 1976. He could win in 1972 and we would have a Reagan-vs-Nixon campaign
 

maverick

Banned
Why do you assume that a Democratic Reagans waits until 1966 to be Governor?

Maybe if he was a little more famous, like if he got the part in Casablanca or if he was a more important democratic activist?

Why couldn't he run in 1958 instead of Pat Brown? maybe even becoming LBJ's VP in 1964...and the Democratic nominee in 1968 and/or 1972
 
We discussed this back in the Democratic President Reagan thread.

Reagan was a democrat once.

Holy f***. o_Ô

Even better: In 1952 the LA Democratic Party turned him down for a House seat because they viewed him as too liberal.



Basically Reagan needs to avoid his GE deal (because that helped him swing conservative, before that he was an anti-communist New Dealer), and he needs an alternative to his OTL approach to becoming a politician—i.e. his pro-Goldwater speech in '64 is the only reason he was even considered to run for Governor of California in '66.)
 

Xen

Banned
Basically Reagan needs to avoid his GE deal (because that helped him swing conservative, before that he was an anti-communist New Dealer), and he needs an alternative to his OTL approach to becoming a politician—i.e. his pro-Goldwater speech in '64 is the only reason he was even considered to run for Governor of California in '66.)

Remaining a Democrat throughout the 1950s, Reagan is stunned when he hears of JFK's assassination in Dallas, Texas. He writes to a local news paper or something about his feelings, and deep personal regret that the country lost a great leader or what not. The people read it and love it, and he is approached to run for Governor of California....
 
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