REAGAN: THE PROUD PERFORMER

Ronald Reagan sought the seclusion of his hilltop home in Pacific Palisades to prepare for the rigors of the Republican Convention in Kansas City. For an actor-turned-politician, he is a surprisingly solitary figure, and the campaign has not changed him. Shy and reserved, he protects his privacy and that of his wife Nancy. Reagan is happiest puttering around his ranch in the Santa Ynez Mountains or reading political memos and position papers in his book-lined study in Los Angeles.

He studiously took time last week to prepare himself for his bid for the presidential nomination. Before breakfasting with Nancy, he vigorously rolled an exercise wheel to tone up his 65-year-old physique, which could pass for that of a man half his age. Reagan eats sparingly, drinks an occasional screwdriver or a glass of wine, and averages a healthy eight hours of sleep each night. Far from taxing his energies, the strenuous campaign seems to have invigorated him. Although he is extraordinarily self-disciplined, he also has been suspected of being somewhat lazy, so his aides were pleasantly surprised at his ability to withstand the punishing physical demands of the campaign and his willingness to devote long hours to speechmaking and delegate wooing. Says Chief of Staff Mike Deaver: "The campaign has aroused his competitive instincts."

Those instincts were clearly at work during the days preceding the convention. Seated at his desk in a study that overlooks a backyard swimming pool, casually dressed in slacks, sports shirt and loafers, Reagan was constantly telephoning uncommitted delegates and "soft" Ford supporters around the country. Nancy did her part, fending off nonessential calls and chatting with delegates on one line until her husband had completed a conversation on another. Like Betty Ford, Nancy is universally regarded as a campaign asset to her husband. She also participates actively in strategy discussions.

Between calls, Reagan confidently made notes for an acceptance speech. At one point he canceled eleven press interviews to devote full time to strategy for giving the G.O.P. platform a Reagan tone. Although he is normally not an early riser, he surprised Aide Peter Hannaford in Kansas City with a 7:45 a.m. call to check on the progress of foreign and domestic policy planks. His concern with the platform is intense; Reagan believes his campaign will shape national debate for years.

There was time during the week for two private dinners with friends, prepared by the Reagans' longtime cook, Ann Allman. One day Reagan joined four personal and political intimates--Holmes Tuttle, Justin Dart, Jack Hume and William French Smith--for lunchtime reminiscences at the California Club in downtown Los Angeles. On another day he met with Ben Harbor, a black delegate from Louisiana, who asked for a face-to-face session while on a business trip to California; of course Reagan tried to talk him into support.

Although he trailed Ford in the delegate count, Reagan remained outwardly confident. Insisted Deaver: "There's nothing but optimism in his mind." But whatever the outcome in Kansas City, Reagan is convinced that his bid for the nomination has helped the party and the country. He began the campaign on the defensive, forced into endless and lame explanations of his proposal to reduce federal spending drastically by transferring social programs to state and local jurisdictions and his suggestion that Social Security funds might be invested in the stock market. He and his supporters protest that these lapses give him an undeserved reputation for being a Goldwateresque hip-shooter. He should be judged more, they argue, on his two terms as the prudent, moderate Governor of California.

Looking back, Reagan sees his candidacy as an experience that broadened his views and sharpened his skills as a campaigner. He believes that he has been resolute under pressure, relying more on his own instincts than on the advice of aides. He regards his pursuit of the nomination as a good occasion that enabled him to talk with and to people whose hopes and fears are of real concern to him.

Emotionally and philosophically, Reagan is prepared for whatever verdict the delegates return this week. From his point of view, he has rendered a valuable service by making it impossible for President Ford to move comfortably toward the center of the political spectrum. If he is not nominated, Reagan probably will resume his career as a spokesman for conservative causes via radio commentaries and newspaper columns, convinced that he can contribute more to the national dialogue from outside than he could from within a Ford Administration. He would be content to have proved himself a powerful competitor for the presidential nomination --a contender whom Ford simply could not kayo before the convention.

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