I attended the recent Montana GOP Convention in Helena, representing the Teton County Republican Central Committee, never ...

In 1976, the party was in disarray. But in American politics, things are never as bad—or good—as they seem.

On May 31, 1976, as Reagan continued his insurgent run for the GOP nomination against a sitting president, the New York Times ran a photo of him at the top of the front page, waving astride a horse.

FILE - Clarke Reed, who was chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party from 1966-76, discusses the contested 1976 Republican National Convention in Greenville, Miss., on April 6, 2016. (AP ...

FILE - Clarke Reed, who was chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party from 1966-76, discusses the contested 1976 Republican National Convention in Greenville, Miss., on April 6, 2016.

During the 1976 Republican National Convention, delegates were closely divided between President Gerald Ford and former California Gov. Ronald Reagan.

During the 1976 Republican National Convention, delegates were closely divided between President Gerald Ford and former California Gov. Ronald Reagan. Reed united the Mississippi delegation behind ...