(7 of 10)
That relationship began in 1954 when he signed on for his first regular TV appearance as host and master of ceremonies for the weekly General Electric Theater. He stayed on for eight years. His duties involved frequent trips to G.E. plants around the country, making an interminable series of addresses (Reagan figures he spent 4,000 hours at G.E.-plant microphones) that went far toward honing his present-day skill with an audience.
In 1962 Reagan and General Electric Theater went off the air, and Ronnie signed up with Borax as the permanent host on television's Death Valley Days. He also decided to switch his own sponsorship and register as a Republican. "It did not happen easily," he says. "Changing registration is almost like changing religion."
Never Such an Alarm. Once he became a full-fledged convert to the G.O.P., Reagan was eaeerly embraced by the party's conservative wing. They suggested that he launch a primary campaign to knock off Republican Moderate Tom Kuchel in 1962. Reagan said no but then backed Right-Winger Wright. He also turned down a suggestion that he take on Pat Brown for Governor that year. "I said that I would do everything short of running, that I would be a Paul Revere for other people." Never did Reagan sound the alarm so loudly as he did in 1964 for Barry Goldwater, for whom he retains considerable admiration.
When approached to run for Governor in 1966, says Reagan, "I told them that if I was going to be a divisive influence, I wouldn't run, but that I would test the water." Thus, in the spring of 1965, a group called the Friends of Ronald Reagan retained a political management firm, Spencer & Roberts, that had previously specialized in handling California campaigns for such moderate Republicans as Tom Kuchel and Nelson Rockefeller. After dozens of trips around California, Reagan decided that the G.O.P. could hardly be in worse shape than it already was.
He announced his candidacy and immediately ran into a nasty, costly primary scrap with moderate Republican George Christopher, former mayor of San Francisco. Tom Kuchel, who usually avoids involvement in state party squabbles, loudly backed Christopher in the primary, saying, "I know where he stands—which is more than I can say about Ronald Reagan." Nevertheless, Reagan won with 64% of the votes —and pulled 50,000 more than Governor Brown did in a much closer Democratic race against maverick Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty.
Where's Barry? California's G.O.P. today is more unified than it has been in decades. Although Christopher and
Kuchel refused to help Reagan, Christopher's own top campaign advisers joined the nominee's crew right after the primary. Dozens of leftover Rockefeller-for-President crusad ers came aboard and, of course, so did plenty of Goldwater fans.