[fallujah-nuker]

I think announcing Senator Schweiker as his VP candidate was an act of desperation, he did not have enough votes IIRC, but the Schweiker may have hurt him. I was glued to the TV during the whole ordeal. One memory is of a southern state (Mississippi?) where a lot of delegates voted for Ford when they had declared for Reagan to the folks back home. So one delegate demanded and got an individual vote by each delegate, so they were on national TV and exposed to the people they had betrayed.

More people voted for Reagan in the primaries, but the GOP establishment saw to it that Ford got more delegates. Howard Baker and James Baker badmouthed Reagan every chance they got, I think it was an establishment Republican who came up with the line about "Governor Reagan could not start a nuclear war, President Reagan can?"

[bayourod]

"Howard Baker and James Baker badmouthed Reagan every chance they got, "

And both of them served as Reagan's Chief of Staff.

[bayourod]

"Howard Baker and James Baker badmouthed Reagan every chance they got, "

Just a footnote. I believe that this has been published. In the latter days of the Reagan administration it was G.W. Bush who made the decision, and with Nancy's permission marched into Howard Baker's office and fired him.

Reagan was President, G.H.W. Bush was Vice President and G.W. Bush was the natural leader who men followed.