Ford welcomes Reagan to the rostrum,
as Nancy Reagan (left) and Nelson Rockefeller (right) look on
August 19, 1976: The Republican National Convention wraps up, at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. Hearing the speakers talk of upcoming victory, in the Presidential election and in the Congressional elections, you'd never know they were 2 years out from a President of their Party having to resign in disgrace, a year and a half out from badly losing in the Congressional races, and looking at a country still in a recession. They were not only confident, they were arrogant.
Gerald Ford, who became President when Richard Nixon resigned, had been President for a shade over 2 years, with a hell of a mess dumped into his lap. The results had been mixed: Certainly, the country was better off than when he took office, but it was hardly in great shape. The month before, he had ridden the celebrations of the country's Bicentennial, which had helped him. But little else had gone his way.
His pardon of Nixon, just 1 month into his Presidency, had angered millions of Americans. His refusal to support a federal bailout of a bankrupt New York City had infuriated millions, and his reversal on that issue had angered millions of others, without winning many of the first group back.
Conservatives in the Republican Party hated that he had chosen former Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York as his Vice President, and refused to support him for a term of his own if he ran with Rockefeller on the ticket. He could have reminded him that he was now the leader of the Party, and that he wouldn't be bullied. Instead, he was, telling Rockefeller that he would be dropped. He chose Senator Bob Dole of Kansas.
None of it was enough. Ronald Reagan, who had recently wrapped up 2 terms as Governor of California, was the darling of the conservative movement. He challenged Ford in the Primaries, and the final Delegate total was very close. This remains the last major-party convention at which the nominee was not absolutely certain. Ford got 1,187 Delegates, Reagan 1,070.
Ford's acceptance speech was too dull to quote here. And he kept making the mistake of pointing out the differences in the last 2 years, reminding everyone that he had succeeded Richard Nixon, a fellow Republican. He could have compared the current situation to 1968, the last full year under a Democratic Administration, with war abroad and riots at home, but he didn't.
And then, as the balloons were falling, and everybody was reacting with tepid applause, he made a gracious gesture. Reagan had not had the chance to make a speech on his own behalf. So Ford asked Reagan to come down and make a speech.
Standing behind the podium, with the Presidential seal still affixed, Reagan looked more like a President than Ford ever had. He sounded more like one, too: Whatever else could be said about either man, Reagan, who had been an actor, was a better public speaker than Ford, who had been a lawyer, but not a trial lawyer, used to addressing crowds. Ford had become a good politician, but until he actually got the office, he had never intended to run for President, and he was not made for moments like these.
Reagan was. He spoke of being asked to write a letter for a time capsule, to be opened in Los Angeles in 2076, America's Tricentennial. He spoke of the world in 1976 being a battle between freedom and tyranny, with nuclear missiles as the potential deciding factor:
Those who would read this letter a hundred years from now will know whether those missiles were fired. They will know whether we met our challenge. Whether they will have the freedom that we have known up until now will depend on what we do here. Will they look back with appreciation and say, "Thank God for those people in 1976 who headed off that loss of freedom? Who kept us now a hundred years later free? Who kept our world from nuclear destruction?"
And if we fail, they probably wont get to read the letter at all, because it spoke of individual freedom, and they wont be allowed to talk of that or read of it.
This is our challenge, and this is why were here in this hall tonight. Better than we've ever done before, we've got to quit talking to each other and about each other, and go out and communicate to the world that we may be fewer in numbers than we've ever been, but we carry the message they're waiting for. We must go forth from here united, determined and what a great general said a few years ago is true: There is no substitute for victory. Mr. President.
Reagan's speech got a standing ovation. But a lot of people left the Arena thinking, "We've nominated the wrong guy."
Ford began the Convention far behind the Democratic nominee, former Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia. The Convention helped. He eventually closed the gap to a virtual dead heat on Election Day. Carter won a very close race.
Would Reagan have won? This time, the Republicans were still tainted with scandal and recession. Reagan's message of tax cuts and Cold War aggressiveness would not have flown in 1976.
Four years later, it was a different world. And while Reagan looked finished after 1976, in 1980, America was ready for him. All 3 men had their moment where they were the man of the moment. For Ford, it was 1974, but not 1976. For Carter, it was 1976, but not 1980. For Reagan, it was 1980, but not 1976.
The Kemper Arena still stands, right on the State Line with Kansas City, Kansas. Originally named for local banker and philanthropist Rufus Kemper, it is now named the Hy-Vee Arena, after a supermarket chain.
*
August 19, 1976 was a Thursday. These Major League Baseball games were played:
* The New York Mets lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-5 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. After 7 innings, it was 1-0 Los Angeles, a duel between the Dodgers' Burt Hooton and the Mets' Mickey Lolich. But the Mets scored 4 runs in the top of the 8th, and the Dodgers scored a run in the bottom of the 8th, to make it 4-2 New York. The Mets made it 5-2 in the top of the 9th. In the bottom of the 9th, the Dodgers got singles from Ted Sizemore and Bill Buckner, and home runs from Steve Garvey and Ron Cey.
* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Houston Astros, 7-1 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. For the Phillies, it was "Win Day": Steve Carlton went the distance for the win. Mike Schmidt and Jay Johnstone hit home runs.
* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Atlanta Braves, 3-2 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Mike Lum singled Tony Pérez home with the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning. Pete Rose went 2-for-3 with 2 walks and an RBI. Johnny Bench went 0-for-5.
* The Detroit Tigers beat the California Angels, 4-3 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit.
* The Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox, 4-2 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Carl Yastrzemski went 0-for-4.
* The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Kansas City Royals, 6-4 at Milwaukee County Stadium. Hank Aaron, in his last season as a player, was available for the Brewers, but did not get into the game. George Brett went 1-for-3 with a walk.
* The Minnesota Twins beat the Baltimore Orioles, 5-4 at Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. Brooks Robinson, in his last full season as a player, was available for the Orioles, but did not get into the game. Reggie Jackson did, going 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. For the Twins, Rod Carew had a rare 0-for-5 game.
* The Cleveland Indians beat the Texas Rangers, 7-5 at Arlington Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. Indians manager Frank Robinson, in his last season as a player, did not put himself into the game. He did put his former Baltimore teammate, John "Boog" Powell, in, and he hit 2 home runs.
* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the San Francisco Giants, 1-0 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. John Candelaria allowed 9 hits, but kept the shutout, outpitching Jim Barr. The only run came in the top of the 5th, when Richie Zisk singled home Candelaria himself, who had reached base via a forceout. Willie Stargell went 1-for-4.
* And the New York Yankees, the Oakland Athletics, the Chicago Cubs, the Montreal Expos, the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Diego Padres were not scheduled.
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