Ronald Reagan

===1976 Republican primaries===
{{Main|Ronald Reagan 1976 presidential campaign|1976 Republican Party presidential primaries}}
[[File:1976 Republican National Convention.jpg|thumb|alt=Reagan and Gerald Ford shaking hands on the podium after Reagan narrowly lost the nomination at the 1976 Republican National Convention|Reagan and Gerald Ford shaking hands on the podium after Reagan narrowly lost the nomination at the [[1976 Republican National Convention]]]]

Insufficiently conservative to Reagan{{sfn|Woodard|2012|p=78}} and many other Republicans,{{sfn|Primuth|2016|p=45}} president [[Gerald Ford]] suffered from multiple political and economic woes. Ford, running for president, was disappointed to hear him also run.{{sfn|Woodard|2012|pp=84–87}} Reagan was strongly critical of ''détente'' and Ford's policy of ''détente'' with the Soviet Union.{{sfn|Kengor|2006|p=48}} He repeated "A Time for Choosing" around the country{{sfn|Brands|2015|pp=193–194}} before announcing his campaign on November 20, 1975, when he discussed economic and social problems, and to a lesser extent, foreign affairs.{{sfn|Primuth|2016|p=47}} Both candidates were determined to knock each other out early in the primaries,{{sfn|Witcover|1977|p=433}} but Reagan would devastatingly lose the first five primaries beginning with New Hampshire,{{sfn|Woodard|2012|pp=89–90}} where he popularized the [[welfare queen]] narrative about [[Linda Taylor]], exaggerating her misuse of welfare benefits and igniting voter resentment for welfare reform,{{sfn|Boris|2007|pp=612–613}} but never overtly mentioning her name or race.{{sfn|Cannon|2000|p=457}}

In Florida, Reagan referred to a "strapping young buck",{{sfn|Primuth|2016|p=48}} which became an example of [[dog whistle politics]],{{sfn|Haney López|2014|p=4}} and accused Ford for handing the [[Panama Canal]] to Panama's government while Ford implied that he would [[Social Security debate in the United States|end Social Security]].{{sfn|Woodard|2012|pp=89–90}} Then, in Illinois, he again criticized Ford's policy and his secretary of state, [[Henry Kissinger]].{{sfn|Witcover|1977|p=404}} Losing the first five primaries prompted Reagan to desperately win North Carolina's by running a grassroots campaign and uniting with the [[Jesse Helms]] political machine that viciously attacked Ford. Reagan won an upset victory, convincing party delegates that Ford's nomination was no longer guaranteed.{{sfnm|1a1=Woodard|1y=2012|1p=91|2a1=Primuth|2y=2016|2p=48}} Reagan won subsequent victories in Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Indiana with his attacks on social programs, opposition to [[forced busing]], increased support from inclined voters of a declining [[George Wallace]] presidential campaign,{{sfn|Primuth|2016|pp=49–50}} and repeated criticisms of Ford and Kissinger's policies, including ''détente''.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|p=104}}

The result was a seesaw battle for the 1,130 delegates required for their party's nomination that neither would reach before the [[1976 Republican National Convention|Kansas City convention]]{{sfn|Woodard|2012|pp=92–93}} in August{{sfn|Boller|2004|p=345}} and Ford replacing mentions of ''détente'' with Reagan's preferred phrase, "[[peace through strength]]".{{sfn|Kengor|2006|p=49}} Reagan took [[John Sears (political strategist)|John Sears]]' advice of choosing liberal [[Richard Schweiker]] as his running mate, hoping to pry loose of delegates from Pennsylvania and other states,{{sfn|Brands|2015|p=204}} and distract Ford. Instead, conservatives were left alienated, and Ford picked up the remaining uncommitted delegates and prevailed, earning 1,187 to Reagan's 1,070. Before giving his acceptance speech, Ford invited Reagan to address the convention; Reagan emphasized individual freedom{{sfn|Woodard|2012|pp=93–94}} and the dangers of nuclear weapons. In 1977, Ford told Cannon that Reagan's primary challenge contributed to his own narrow loss to Democrat [[Jimmy Carter]] in the [[1976 United States presidential election]].{{sfn|Cannon|2003|pp=432, 434}}
Description	What you type	What you get
Italic	''Italic text''	Italic text
Bold	'''Bold text'''	Bold text
Bold & italic	'''''Bold & italic text'''''	*Bold & italic text*
Description	What you type	What you get
Reference	Page text.<ref>[https://www.example.org/ Link text], additional text.</ref>	Page text.^[1]
Named reference	Page text.<ref name="test">[https://www.example.org/ Link text]</ref>	Page text.^[2]
Additional use of the same reference	Page text.<ref name="test" />	Page text.^[2]
Display references	<references />	↑ Link text, additional text. ↑ Link text