Even most of Reagan's policies were opposed by majorities in polling, so long as his identity was kept detached from them as I recall.

I'm hard pressed to think of anything they stand for that a majority would ever have supported--in the absence of Republican sponsored, Republican owned & Republican influenced national information infrastructure.

They create and distribute the common reality we experience, and their outright ownership or sponsorship gives them all the debate space that mass populations can access.

That gives them a certain edge in the P.R. game.