Reagan was a consummate showman and insanely lucky.

He orchestrated the Iran hostages being released on his Inauguration Day.

He was the one who came up with the gimmick of the President walking down the long hall to the podium. Before that you'd just see the President sitting at his desk. Another trick was to have Air Force One buzz whatever town he was visiting, then doing his presser on the tarmac, with the plane behind him.

When he first met Gorbachev he broke protocol and went out to greet Gorbachev when he came out of the car. Here's Reagan in a great suit, looking fit and trim, and here's Gorbachev, rumpled from a long ride and wearing an overcoat like a grandfather.

On the luck side. He had three Soviet leaders die one after another. Solidarity trade Union started before he was inaugurated. Afghanistan invasion turned into a nightmare. Chernobyl disaster.

Also he survived an actual assassination attempt. That alone got him 50 million votes*

*no I didn't count, I'm using hyperbole.