Editing Ronald Reagan (section)

===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 attacked Ford for handing the [[Panama Canal]] to Panama's government, while Ford implied that Reagan would [[Social Security debate in the United States|end Social Security]].{{sfn|Woodard|2012|pp=89–90}} Then, in Illinois, Reagan 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]] campaign for the [[1976 Democratic Party presidential primaries|Democratic nomination]],{{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, and distract Ford. Instead, conservatives were left alienated, and Ford picked up the remaining uncommitted delegates, earning 1,187 to Reagan's 1,070.{{sfn|Brands|2015|p=204}} 

[[File:Ronald Reagan remarks Republican National Convention 1976.ogv|thumb|thumbtime=06:22|right|300px|"Reagan's impromptu concession speech has been called a "defining moment of the Reagan Revolution."]]

After giving his acceptance speech, Ford invited Reagan to address the convention.  Reagan gave an eloquent and stirring speech that overshadowed Ford's own acceptance address, despite being little more than five minutes long. Some delegates later stated that they left the convention wondering if they had voted for the wrong candidate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-p-Nuu8hYQ  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/n-p-Nuu8hYQ |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Reagan's Impromptu Speech at 1976 GOP Convention |publisher=YouTube |date=1980-07-17 |access-date=2015-08-25}}{{cbignore}}</ref> A contemporary media account stated that if a motion to reconsider the nomination had been in order, it might have passed.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dickenson |first1=James R. |title=Hearts Are with Reagan |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rRsaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jCQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5374%2C5704418 |access-date=2015-07-06 |work=[[Times-News (Hendersonville, North Carolina)|The Times-News]] |agency=[[Washington Star]] |date=1976-08-21 |location=Hendersonville, N.C. |page=2}}</ref>  

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|1976 presidential election]].{{sfn|Cannon|2003|pp=432, 434}}