On radio Thursday, Glenn reminded the Republican establishment how Ronald Reagan was able to re-energize the Party and renew the GOP in 1980. It wasn't without difficulty, he pointed out. The establishment hated Reagan because he refused to play by their rules.
After losing the 1976 election, Reagan dug in his heels and established himself outside of Washington, D.C., becoming a leader for the American people.
When Glenn asked how Reagan turned things around to win, Stu took a wild guess:
"He moved way to the moderate side of the scale and embarrassed all the establishment people in D.C. and ran as a moderate in 1980, right?"
Wrong. He did just the opposite.
"Exactly wrong. That is exactly the point," Glenn said. "He remained solid, and if anything, solidified himself outside of Washington and the establishment. The establishment hated his guts. They hated him. So what happened to the Party? Did he destroy the GOP? And this is what the establishment needs to understand. Did Ronald Reagan destroy the GOP?"
No. Reagan stood on his principles, won the presidency and the establishment flocked to him.
Glenn reminded the establishment how this can and will happen again.
"It's not like these new guys from the Tea Party are going to destroy the GOP. They're going to renew the GOP exactly the way Ronald Reagan did," Glenn said.
Featured Image: Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan speaks at a rally for Senator Durenberger February 8, 1982. (Photo by Michael Evans/The White House/Getty Images)