Passing the Torch: Who's the Next Gipper?

The first 2008 presidential primary is still about seven months away. But there's a fierce race on in Republican circles to see who can lay claim to being the next great conservative leader. That's where Ronald Reagan enters the picture... In every presidential contest people always seem to ask the same questions: Who can get the most votes? Who can raise the most cash? Who can kiss the most babies? But for the 2008 Republican race, the burning question is - who can invoke Reagan's name the most? The Gipper was a popular president, and he is especially beloved within the GOP. That love affair never subsided even after Reagan bid farewell to the country Today the love-fest is still in full swing and the numbers prove it. At one recent GOP debate, Reagan's name was mentioned 19 times in 90 minutes - that's once every 5 minutes. A quick search of top tier candidate John McCain's Web site shows 43 references to Reagan. Mitt Romney's site has 35. And Rudy Giuliani's speech to conservative activists back in March had 16 references to Reagan in 30 minutes - that's once every two minutes! So why the infatuation with Reagan? What are these candidates searching for that the former president had? CBN News visited Ronald and Nancy Reagan's ranch north of Santa Barbara. Nancy Reagan left the ranch in 1998 and it is now owned by the Young America's Foundation. The people who know Reagan say you need to visit the ranch to really get a window into his soul. "Ronald Reagan was and is the leader of the conservative movement," said Clark Vandeventer, director of the Reagan Ranch Center. Vandeventer gave CBN News a tour of the Reagans' 688 acre ranch. Inside, Reagan's shirts still hang in the closet and the country style bed is neatly made. Altogether, the dwelling has a humble feel to with no bells and no whistles - just purely genuine like Reagan himself. "Ronald Reagan often said a candidate doesn't choose to run for President, the people choose for him and so Ronald Reagan would just say 'Be humble, be comfortable in your own skin,'" Vandeventer said. Former Senator George Allen knew Reagan and once headed up Young Virginians for him. Now he is a presidential scholar for the Reagan Ranch Center. The center is dedicated to helping reach a new generation with conservative ideas. Those ideas were the principles that Reagan believed in and governed by, such as lower taxes, traditional morality, and standing strong against America's enemies. "There was only one Ronald Reagan and folks ought to come to the realization that you ought to be yourselves, whatever else," Allen said. "Feel strongly about your convictions, your beliefs, your guiding principles, and be yourself." So far, each top tier candidate is trying to do that, yet with a little 'Ronald Reagan' flavor thrown in. But Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and John McCain are all questionable when it comes to their conservative credentials. That is why some conservatives are excited that former senator Fred Thompson appears as though he is going to join the race. Some of his supporters believe he is the closes thing to a Reagan conservative. But for now at least, there is concern within Republican circles. "I share that concern," Allen said. Now Giuliani is reminding people that he was a prominent figure in Reagan's justice department. He talks frequently about nominating conservative judges such as Antonin Scalia - a man Reagan chose two decades ago. Romney in turn plays up Reagan's optimistic view of America and his tax cutting legacy which led to some of the strongest economic growth the nation has ever seen. Finally, there is McCain who compares Reagan's crusade against government waste to his own and mentions him in every foreign policy speech, citing Reagan's determination to fight evil in the world. Reagan has often been credited with winning the Cold War, with his famous Berlin wall speech being a defining moment. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall," Reagan said. Twenty years later, America is fighting a different enemy: radical Muslim extremists. "The decisions we are making today are not all that much different than what Ronald Reagan faced just 20-25 years ago and so that's relevant to today's generation," Allen said. Vandeventer said, "Ronald Reagan fought evil in his day and we need a new crop of leaders that will fight evil in our day." At the end of the day presidential historians note that Reagan's policies succeeded and reshaped not only the Republican Party, but America and the world. They also point out just how he did it: in his folksy charming way. Reagan's smiling, optimistic attitude was contagious. It led to many bi-partisan victories because when all was said and done, the great communicator communicated authenticity. It is an attribute Allen believes will be important for voters to consider. "I think people will look towards the genuineness, the credibility based on someone's past performance as the best indicator as to what someone will do in the future," he said. All the candidates agree that with the probability of terrorist attacks looming over America, the future is now. Allen said, "The decisions we make in the next several years are going to determine our level of freedom, our level of security, our level of opportunity and whether or not America remains that shining city on the Hill that Ronald Reagan talked about."