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The Rise

- The year is 1945. A group of Ronald Reagen's friends from his hometown in Illinois contact about making a bid for congress in Illinois' at large seat. A popular film and radio star, they are convinced Reagen, a solid democrat, is their only hope for defeating William Stratton, an up and coming popular Republican. Reagen allows himself to be talked into declaring his interest in the Democratic nomination and it is no surprise when the Democrats choose him as their candidate over incumbent Emily T. Douglas.

- The next year Reagen triumphs in one of the closest victories in the history of Illinois congressional elections, stunning many who favored Stratton in the contest. In January, at the age of 35, he is inaugurated into the United States house of representatives.

- Shortly after being inaugurated Reagen personally meets President Truman. Reagen and Truman soon formed a close friendship and alliance, meeting frequently. Truman described Reagen to the press as his 'friend in congress.' Originally a solid leftist and new deal supporter Reagen would later credit Truman with starting his gradual slide towards the center which would take over his politics by the early 50's.

- Reagen's first notable shift towards the center however came when he was campaigning for Truman in 1948. This also made Reagen a national political figure for the first time. In his own election, despite little local campaigning, Reagen ran up a landslide that surprised many.

- In late 1949, with the support of President Truman and the momentum from his recent landslide in the state wide congressional seat, as well as the news his seat would not be disbanded in 1950, Reagen announced his intention to seek the senate.

- The Democratic party handed the young and popular Reagen the nomination over 2 term democrat Scott W. Lucas whose on popularity seemed to make defeat in the senate election almost inevitable. Reagen, with the backing of the president and the higher ups of the Democratic Party, as well as his own stardom, popularity, and charisma, solidly wins the election and becomes Illinois' junior senator.

- Over the next ten years Reagen continued to build a name for himself in politics. He voted from the center and had, what one newspaper described as a 'mean independent streak.' This independence from party politics and willingness to think and act outside of 'the box,' along with his aforementioned stardom and charisma, led Reagen to become one of the countries most supported democrats. In fact in 1956 the 'draft Reagen' movement to convince him to run for president gained millions of signatures. However Reagen turned down the movement due to the second major result of his centrist ideology and independence from political parties. Reagen had formed with Eisenhower, like he had with Truman, a close personal and political alliance.

- In 1958 Reagen began meeting with the only other Democratic senator who could rival his popularity, John F. Kennedy. After nearly a year of meetings Kennedy and Reagen came out on the same day announcing their plan to seize the presidency for a party 'United against Nixon' a man who Reagen personally and politically despised. The plan was to make Kennedy the presidential candidate and Reagen his vice-president. There was little primary challenge.

- Election night 1960. The Kennedy-Reagen ticket enter election night be labeled by many reporters as the 'most charismatic duo in US presidential history.' On the other side Nixon, whose appeal to independents had been counteracted by Reagen's, seemed to stand little chance. Indeed the election turned out to be a landslide with the Democratic ticket winning 54% of the vote.
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