The death of former first lady Nancy Reagan at age 94 has revived the discussion of her husband's impact on the Republican party, at a time when the four remaining candidates are each vying to inherit his mantle.
She herself devoted a lot of energy to burnishing her husband's legacy.
Our U.S. correspondent Priscilla Huff reports:
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When Ronald Reagan met Nancy Davis,
he was a card carrying member of the actor's union and Democrat.
and she was the actress daughter of a Republican doctor.
Their marriage and life together lead him to change political parties, to the governorship of California and
eventually to the White House in 1981.
In 1989, she recorded her memoirs as part of an audio book for Random House....
talking about how her husband fit in the Republican party.
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And it's the Reagan vision of a shining city on a hill - and morning in America - that today, more than 30 years later, candidates are echoing.
Ted Cruz has repeatedly tried to adopt the mantle of being the inheritor of the Reagan legacy,
starting with his win at the Iowa caucuses.
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Nancy Reagan herself knew her words could impact the president's thinking.
But Presidential historian Craig Shirley says,
generally, she kept away from the truly big issues Ronald Reagan dealt with - such as the economic stumbles of the early '80s and the Soviets.
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Marco Rubio has also cited Ronald Reagan as his political idol
and what that legacy does NOT mean to the Republican party.
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The Reagans were unfailingly polite - and the Republican party has often played up this legacy of decorum and Nancy's generally classy approach in her signature red suits and dresses.
Unlike the coarse and often times rude approach taken by Donald Trump
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And the story of the life of Nancy Reagan not only reminds Americans about the impact of Ronald Reagan
the 40th president of the United States
It also says something about the candidacy of Hillary Clinton, also a former first lady.
For Nancy Reagan, a new president meant she could return to a traditional, quieter life as wife and mother.
Hillary Clinton...and other first ladies....are choosing different paths.
Priscilla Huff, Washington
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