In this episode of Slate's bite-sized podcast about presidential campaign history, chief political correspondent John Dickerson offers up Part Two in his look at Ronald Reagan's rise to power in the conservative movement. 

As detailed in our first installment, Reagan boldly challenged President Gerald Ford for the 1976 Republican nomination. 

Today, Dickerson describes the political maneuvering that took place at the Republican National Convention that summer. Ford secured the party's nomination, but Reagan ultimately won the hearts of Republicans for decades to come.

Love Slate podcasts? Listen longer with Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, ad-free versions, exclusive podcasts, and more. Start your 2-week free trial at slate.com/podcastplus.

Email: whistlestop@slate.com

Thumbing his nose at both courtesy and convention, Ronald Reagan challenged incumbent Gerald Ford for the GOP presidential nomination in 1976. But why would Reagan run against a sitting president of his own party? On this episode of Whistlestop, Slate's political correspondent John Dickerson gives the background of the Gipper's ascendency to hero status in the conservative movement.

For more episodes, visit the Whistlestop page.