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Press Releases - Reagan
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1672164
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Press Releases - Reagan
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Ron Nessen Files (Ford Administration)
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Presidential campaign, 1976
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1976-08-31
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1976
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1976
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The original documents are located in Box 54, folder "Press Releases - Reagan" of the Ron
Nessen Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald R. Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Some items in this folder were not digitized because it contains copyrighted
materials. Please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library for access to
these materials.
battleline
How You Can Help!
To help us defray the cost of publishing Battle
AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION
Line, we'd appreciate it if, right now, you would
Aug.-Sept. 1976, Vol. X, No. 7
send us a contribution in the enclosed postage-paid
envelope. Anyone who gives $10 or more will re-
ceive, at no additional cost, a copy of Solveig Eg-
gerz's new study for ACU's Education and Re-
search Institute, Federal Aid for Social Engineer-
ing in the Public Schools; or another ERI publica-
tion by Max Friedman, The Peoples Bicentennial
Commission.
FORD R. GERALD LIBRARY
Wide World Photo
More than 150 GOP Delegates Members of ACU
Ronald Reagan's Candidacy Brought
Conservative Message to Millions
ACU MAINTAINED A high profile at the
Needless to say, most of these conservative stalwarts
GOP convention in Kansas City. More than
were backers of Ronald Reagan. Indeed it is no exaggera-
150 delegates were ACU members (see list on
tion to say that ACU played a vital role in the remarkable
page 5). If alternates are counted, this total
effort that brought Ronald Reagan to the verge of win-
would be increased by several hundred.
(continued on next page)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 19, 1976
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
(Kansas City, Missouri)
THE WHITE HOUSE
REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT
AND
QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION
WITH
RONALD REAGAN
THE ALAMEDA PLAZA HOTEL
2:05 A.M. CDT
THE PRESIDENT: Governor Reagan, I came over
to the hotel for the purpose of congratulating you on a
very fine campaign and expressing to you our compliments
for the outstanding organization that you had. You really
got us in shape.
I think the campaign you waged and the organization
you put together was beneficial to the campaign that we
have, beginning right away to defeat the Democratic nominees
and to make certain that our philosophy prevails for the
GERALD R. LEBRARY FORD
next four years.
I thank you for your indication of full support
and again, I congratulate you for a fine campaign. Thank
you very much.
GOVERNOR REAGAN: Mr. President, my congratulations
to you.
It was a good fight, Mom, and he won.
My congratulations and, of course, you know that
as we both agreed all the way from the very beginning, once
the fight was over, we are on the same side and we go forward
together.
QUESTION: Mr. President, did you discuss the
Vice Presidency with Governor Reagan?
THE PRESIDENT: I talked about a number of possi-
bilities. We had a discussion in that regard, yes.
QUESTION: Mr. President, was Mr. Reagan one of
those possibilities you discussed?
THE PRESIDENT: That is a private matter between
Governor Reagan and myself and I don't think we should
comment further.
MORE
Page 2
QUESTION: Governor Reagan, are you prepared
to campaign actively for President Ford in the election?
GOVERNOR REAGAN: Yes, as I said before, and
that is what I have always done and believed in with regard
to the party and I will do all I can.
QUESTION: Governor Reagan, your wife said earlier
this evening that she would be happy to get back to the
ranch when this is all over. Is that what is going to happen,
sir?
GOVERNOR REAGAN: I want to tell you I will be happy
to get back to the ranch, too, but I don't think we mean
permanently settle down on the ranch, but I know what she
meant. We are both tired -- I think we are all tired --
having been through this campaign. We are looking forward to
a breathing spell.
QUESTION: Governor Reagan, are you going to stand
by your statement you would not accept the Vice Presidency?
GOVERNOR REAGAN: I shall stand by that statement,
yes.
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
QUESTION: Governor Reagan, could you turn down a
draft by the Convention?
GOVERNOR REAGAN: Well, now you are asking, Barry,
one of those hypothetical questions. I will answer that if
and when it comes.
QUESTION: Mr. President, why did you send Ben
Becker out to California to negotiate the pardon of Mr.
Nixon when he was under investigation for criminal tax fraud
at the time?
THE PRESIDENT: I think we are discussing matters
that are of much more interest at this time. I have answered
it in the past. If you go back and look at the record, you
will find out.
QUESTION: Mr. President, is there a place for
Ronald Reagan in your Administration?
THE PRESIDENT: Of course there is. As came out
during the campaign, I wanted Governor Reagan to be a part
of my Administration and there certainly would be. He is
a person whose philosophy is virtually identical with mine
and he certainly has indicated a great capability as an
executive of the largest State in the Union. The answer
is yes.
MORE
Page 3
QUESTION: Mr. President, how long is the Vice
Presidential list?
THE PRESIDENT: We will make the announcement
tomorrow.
QUESTION: Mr. President, you now in principle
have the votes of approximately 20 percent of the electorate.
How do you propose to go about getting the votes of another
31 percent?
THE PRESIDENT: That is very simple. Our philosophy,
I think, is believed in by a majority of the American people
today. In my opinion, the Democratic ticket, the nominees for
President and Vice President, have embraced the Democratic
platform. They have embraced the record of the Democratic
Congress. Both are very vulnerable and I don't think they
coincide with the views, the philosophy of the American people
today and we are going to go out and campaign against them
as candidates, against the Democratic platform and against
the Democratic Congressional record. I think the American
people will support us and defeat them.
QUESTION: Will you debate Jimmy Carter, Mr.
President?
THE PRESIDENT: We don't rule it out.
GERALD R. FORD LIBRARY
QUESTION: Mr. President, you haven't said
whether you have or you have not made up your mind yet about
a Vice President.
THE PRESIDENT: I have not.
QUESTION: Can you tell us who is on your Vice
Presidential list?
THE PRESIDENT: I will tell you who the choice
is tomorrow.
QUESTION: What time?
THE PRESIDENT: How early do you want it? (Laughter)
QUESTION: Now. It is past 2:00 a.m.
THE PRESIDENT: We will advise you at the appropriate
time.
QUESTION: Mr. Reagan, do you consider your
philosophy almost identical with that of the President?
GOVERNOR REAGAN: I think basically it has to be
pretty much the same philosophy, as I said it was when I
picked Senator Schweiker, or we wouldn't be in the same party.
I think there are differences. I think we have different
approaches to a number of things, but I think, basically,
a basic philosophy, yes.
MORE
Page 4
QUESTION: Would you be willing to serve in the
Ford Administration?
GOVERNOR REAGAN: I had the honor of having that
offered to me once and turned it down because there was
something else that I thought I would rather do and
I still believe I would rather take up again what I was
doing before I became a candidate, which was in the
communications field.
QUESTION: If the Convention were to draft you,
sir, would you reject any move by the Convention?
GOVERNOR REAGAN: I just said that that is a
hypothetical question. I haven't seen any signs of such
a thing happening. I will answer when I see any such
signs.
QUESTION: Since most of his campaign has been
fought, do you think you would have any trouble selling
Mr. Reagan to the American people, I mean, as bitterly as
SERVICE R. FORD LIBRARY
you have contested him?
THE PRESIDENT: I don't think our fight has been a
bitter one. It has been a very hotly contested campaign.
I happen to think the campaign was beneficial. It took a
lot of time and a lot of effort, but the net result is good
for the Republican Party.
QUESTION: Governor Reagan, are you saying you will
permit your name to be entered for the Vice Presidential
nomination tomorrow night?
GOVERNOR REAGAN: No.
QUESTION: You will not permit it?
GOVERNOR REAGAN: No.
QUESTION: Mr. President, could you reflect on the
course of the campaign and would you explain why you think it
was so difficult for you, an incumbent President, to get the
nomination in your own fight to --
THE PRESIDENT: Governor Reagan is probably the
most effective campaigner in the United States today and
when you are competing against a man with that skill,
ability and dedication, of course it is a tough contest.
I have complimented him for a fine campaign. He had a good
organization. That makes it very difficult.
QUESTION: Governor Reagan, you seem to have left the
door open for a draft, or at least not closed it entirely?
GOVERNOR REAGAN: No.
MORE
Page 5
OUESTION: Are you going to instruct the States not
to enter your name in nomination tomorrow evening?
GOVERNOR REAGAN: I am not going to be so
presumptuous as to go out there and suggest that maybe
they and going to do it. That is what I meant by I haven't
seen any signs of that. I will treat it at that time, but
I am not going to go running out and saying don't you dare
do something and they might look at me very astounded
and say, "We didn't have any intention of doing that."
(Laughter)
QUESTION: Mr. President, will Governor Reagan
be invited to address the Convention tomorrow?
THE PRESIDENT: Quite frankly, I haven't thought
about it.
QUESTION: What is your instinct about that?
THE PRESIDENT: I will talk to the Governor about
it.
OUESTION: Mr. President, do you still feel that
Governor Reagan's comments about the Panama Canal in the
campaign were irresponsible?
FORD P. GERALD IBRART
THE PRESIDENT: I support the Republican platform,
which was agreed to by his people and by my people.
QUESTION: I don't think that answers the question.
THE PRESIDENT: That is the way I will answer it.
(Laughter)
QUESTION: Mr. President, California, Texas and
several other States were very solid for Ronald Reagan.
Tonight after the nomination, I was quite pleased to see
Texas, who fought so hard, waving Ford signs. How do you
plan on carrying these States, being sure they go to
Ford in November?
THE PRESIDENT: I think all during the campaign
the Ford people that I talked with indicated they would
have supported Governor Reagan and the Reagan people that
I had the opportunity to talk with or heard from otherwise
said they would support President Ford. I think that is
true across the spectrum as far as the Convention is
concerned. Our principles transcend personalities, and I
think we can solidify the party, strengthen it and win
in November.
Thank you very much.
GOVERNOR REAGAN: Thank you.
END
(AT 2:22 A.M. CDT)