Thank you. I try to bring something to the table here on FR.
RE: RR Third try - 1968, 1976 then 1980.
1968 — I don’t remember that. Perhaps it was because it wasn’t considered a “real” try for the Presidency. RR was Governor of CA in 1968, and CA had a long tradition of nominating their Gov. as a “Favorite Son”. They used to do it all the time with everyone voting for him on the 1st ballot and then holding out and delivering all their votes to whomever looked like he would be the winner, all in one fell swoop. Nobody ever expected those favorite son nominations to go any place.
I don’t live there any more, and I don’t think they do that any more. The dates of the Primary have changed too. In the olden days, it was “June Primary”.
Goodness, I was a little kid, but I remember when Earl Warren was nominated as a Favorite Son. Of course, that was before he was appointed to the Supreme Court.