JD Vance Is Wrong About Nixon and Reagan - National Review
nationalreview.com
Vance argues Nixon's coalition beat Reagan's for durability — but does the electoral record actually back that up?
Coalition TheoryRealignment TheoryHistorical RevisionismElectoral Politics
Theory Briefing
- Vance publicly claims the Nixon coalition was stronger and more durable than Reagan's, a striking revisionist read of Republican history.
- National Review argues this theory doesn't survive contact with the actual electoral record, putting Vance at odds with mainstream conservative historiography.
- The debate matters now because Vance's coalition theory shapes how he thinks the GOP should be built going forward.