[Vigilanteman]

Great tribute, Doug. My formal introduction to politics was giving a couple minute talk on behalf of Reagan at our county convention in North Dakota where he came to make a bid for our tiny handful of 18 statewide delegates in 1976.

If the rank and file had gotten their way, he would have gotten all 18 delegates. As it was, the RINOs in charge of the state machinery split the delegation 9 for Ford, 9 for Reagan as their concession to us unwashed masses.

Up until then, the momentum had been all in Reagan's direction. Perhaps the country wasn't ready for him in 1976, but I still can't help but wonder if he might have spared us from those disastrous four years of Jimmy Carter.

[doug from upland]

I have always believed that it took the horror of Carter to give us Reagan.