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This was Ronald Reagan's night. He had finally done it. 4 decades of making crappy films and less crappy speeches had been worth it. He was finally the Republican nominee for President (even though it took him 3 tries, but who's counting). His only regret was that he had to share the spotlight with some Congressman who few people had ever heard of. Oh well, that’s the cost of leading. Reagan was so absorbed in his near certain election that he didn't even hear the tires squealing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Breaking news: Limousine carrying former Governor Ronald Reagan and former CIA Director George H.W. Bush involved in crash. One Secret Service Agent is confirmed dead"- NBC news (July 16th, 1980)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Update: Unconfirmed sources indicate that both Reagan and Bush dead from car crash"- NBC news (July 17th, 1980)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"At 1:00 AM this morning CST both Governor Ronald Reagan and CIA Director George H.W. Bush succumbed to their wounds incurred in a fatal car collision. By Mr. Reagan's bedside was his wife Nancy and by Mr. Bush's bedside was his son John. Mrs. bush is also being treated for hypertension that she suffered after hearing of her husband's condition"- Detroit Medical Center spokesman Bill Robertson (July 17th, 1980)
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"When people talk about my husband they only talk about what kind of President he would have been. They never talk about who he was as a person. As Ronnie was on his deathbead he used the last of his strength to turn his head towards me and muttered what was always his favorite movie line: "Where's the rest of me?" That was the last thing he ever did. That moment will always define Ronald Reagan to me."-
"Ronnie and Me: An American Marriage" by former First Lady of California Nancy Reagan (Random house Publishing, 1990)
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“I would say that the death of Governor Reagan was the single biggest blow to the Republican Party in the last 50 years. Conservatives had lost their messiah, a true Washington outsider who was ready to change the system, and were instead handed a party hack who couldn’t handle the heat when the kitchen got too hot”- Massachusetts Senator and Republican Presidential Candidate Tom Brady addressing a town hall in Ames, IA (October 7th, 2027)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"RNC Chairman William Brock declares Republican National Convention back in emergency session to choose new Republican ticket"- NBC news (July 17th, 1980)
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""Draft Ford" movement begins to gain steam among delegates as second ballot gets underway"- CBS news (July 17th, 1980)
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"I will not seek and I will not accept the Republican nomination for President"- former President Gerald R. Ford
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"Come on Gerald we all know you are the only person who can beat Carter. Don't you want revenge for '76?"
"Bill I have said it before and I will say it again: that time in my life is over. I have come to peace with '76 and I encourage everyone else to do the same"
"Fine. There's also talk of Jesse Helms. He did come in second for the VP vote after all"
"Do you want Carter to win?"
"He's the only other candidate to have built up any kind of united support amongst the delegates. Who would you choose?"
"Anybody but Helmes. Rumsfeld, Baker, hell even Nixon would probably do better than Helmes. You want to know who I would go with though?"
"Who?"
"Dole"
"Interesting. Well known within the party, was already a candidate in the primaries, and young. I like it"
"Now we just have to convince the delegates"
- Closed-door meeting between former President Gerald R. Ford and RNC Chairman Bill Brock
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Will you do it Bob?"
"If that is what my party and my country require of me sir"
- Phone call between former President Gerald R. Ford and Kansas Senator Bob Dole
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Republican Party lost two of its most brilliant leaders in the past two days. The party has been tasked with finding the person who exemplifies the strongest qualities of both men in order to lead our party to victory in November. I believe that I have found such a person in the man I chose to accompany me in '76. I hereby announce my support for Senator Bob Dole of the great state of Kansas"- former President Gerald R. Ford addressing the 1980 Republican National Convention before the commencement of the fourth ballot (July 19th, 1980)
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Fifth Ballot of the 1980 Republican National Convention:
Robert "Bob" Dole- 1,750 Delegates (nominee)
Jesse Helms- 450 Delegates
Various Candidates- 58 Delegates
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Senator I must say that I am surprised to be hearing from you right now. I thought you would be choosing your VP"
"That’s what I wanted to talk to you about John. I need someone who is almost beyond criticism and who both factions can back. Will you jump off this cliff with me?"
"It would be an honor sir"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Dole/Connally: Faith in America"- 1980 Republican Presidential ticket
This was Ronald Reagan's night. He had finally done it. 4 decades of making crappy films and less crappy speeches had been worth it. He was finally the Republican nominee for President (even though it took him 3 tries, but who's counting). His only regret was that he had to share the spotlight with some Congressman who few people had ever heard of. Oh well, that’s the cost of leading. Reagan was so absorbed in his near certain election that he didn't even hear the tires squealing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Breaking news: Limousine carrying former Governor Ronald Reagan and former CIA Director George H.W. Bush involved in crash. One Secret Service Agent is confirmed dead"- NBC news (July 16th, 1980)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Update: Unconfirmed sources indicate that both Reagan and Bush dead from car crash"- NBC news (July 17th, 1980)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"At 1:00 AM this morning CST both Governor Ronald Reagan and CIA Director George H.W. Bush succumbed to their wounds incurred in a fatal car collision. By Mr. Reagan's bedside was his wife Nancy and by Mr. Bush's bedside was his son John. Mrs. bush is also being treated for hypertension that she suffered after hearing of her husband's condition"- Detroit Medical Center spokesman Bill Robertson (July 17th, 1980)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"When people talk about my husband they only talk about what kind of President he would have been. They never talk about who he was as a person. As Ronnie was on his deathbead he used the last of his strength to turn his head towards me and muttered what was always his favorite movie line: "Where's the rest of me?" That was the last thing he ever did. That moment will always define Ronald Reagan to me."-
"Ronnie and Me: An American Marriage" by former First Lady of California Nancy Reagan (Random house Publishing, 1990)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“I would say that the death of Governor Reagan was the single biggest blow to the Republican Party in the last 50 years. Conservatives had lost their messiah, a true Washington outsider who was ready to change the system, and were instead handed a party hack who couldn’t handle the heat when the kitchen got too hot”- Massachusetts Senator and Republican Presidential Candidate Tom Brady addressing a town hall in Ames, IA (October 7th, 2027)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"RNC Chairman William Brock declares Republican National Convention back in emergency session to choose new Republican ticket"- NBC news (July 17th, 1980)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
""Draft Ford" movement begins to gain steam among delegates as second ballot gets underway"- CBS news (July 17th, 1980)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I will not seek and I will not accept the Republican nomination for President"- former President Gerald R. Ford
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Come on Gerald we all know you are the only person who can beat Carter. Don't you want revenge for '76?"
"Bill I have said it before and I will say it again: that time in my life is over. I have come to peace with '76 and I encourage everyone else to do the same"
"Fine. There's also talk of Jesse Helms. He did come in second for the VP vote after all"
"Do you want Carter to win?"
"He's the only other candidate to have built up any kind of united support amongst the delegates. Who would you choose?"
"Anybody but Helmes. Rumsfeld, Baker, hell even Nixon would probably do better than Helmes. You want to know who I would go with though?"
"Who?"
"Dole"
"Interesting. Well known within the party, was already a candidate in the primaries, and young. I like it"
"Now we just have to convince the delegates"
- Closed-door meeting between former President Gerald R. Ford and RNC Chairman Bill Brock
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Will you do it Bob?"
"If that is what my party and my country require of me sir"
- Phone call between former President Gerald R. Ford and Kansas Senator Bob Dole
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Republican Party lost two of its most brilliant leaders in the past two days. The party has been tasked with finding the person who exemplifies the strongest qualities of both men in order to lead our party to victory in November. I believe that I have found such a person in the man I chose to accompany me in '76. I hereby announce my support for Senator Bob Dole of the great state of Kansas"- former President Gerald R. Ford addressing the 1980 Republican National Convention before the commencement of the fourth ballot (July 19th, 1980)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fifth Ballot of the 1980 Republican National Convention:
Robert "Bob" Dole- 1,750 Delegates (nominee)
Jesse Helms- 450 Delegates
Various Candidates- 58 Delegates
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Senator I must say that I am surprised to be hearing from you right now. I thought you would be choosing your VP"
"That’s what I wanted to talk to you about John. I need someone who is almost beyond criticism and who both factions can back. Will you jump off this cliff with me?"
"It would be an honor sir"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Dole/Connally: Faith in America"- 1980 Republican Presidential ticket
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