re: #405 stuiec

Sal: Moderates joined Reagan because he refused to try to push soconism on them.

At the same time, he convinced defense conservatives and fiscal conservatives that social conservatives deserved a place inside the Republican Party’s big tent.

Or do you think he meant the following only as an admonition to social conservatives?

“As to the other issues that draw on the deep springs of morality and emotion, let us decide that we can disagree among ourselves as Republicans and tolerate the disagreement.”

Which in practice meant not pushing legislation that would alienate either of them - socons OR moderates. And indeed Reagan fed rhetorical red meat to the socon wing, but governed from the sensible center, and didn’t try to pass any of their agenda. Which is one reason why he won a second term.