Ford, Bush Endorse Dole, Reagan Saluted

SAN DIEGO (AllPolitics, Aug. 12) -- Former presidents Gerald Ford and George Bush urged Americans to support presidential candidate Bob Dole, and Nancy Reagan thanked delegates for their support following a video tribute to former president Ronald Reagan.

Introduced by Texas Gov. George W. Bush, temporary co-chairman of the evening, former President Gerald Ford told his audience his first "whiff" of politics came in 1940.

"I did inhale," Ford quipped. "I still love it."

If an unlikely attack dog, Ford made several other jabs at President Bill Clinton, from the Democratic administration's improper collection of Republican FBI files to his reputation for flip-flops. Recalling his own comments that he was "a Ford, not a Lincoln," the former president said Americans have, in Clinton, "a convertible Dodge."(320K WAV sound)

"Isn't it time we had a trade-in?" he asked to cheers.

Ford said Americans should finish what voters began two years ago when they returned Congress to Republican control. Above all, he said, America needs a commander-in-chief who would rather solve a problem than "talk and talk and talk."

Referring to the polls that have shown presidential candidate Bob Dole way behind in the polls, Ford reminded delegates that in 1976, the Ford-Dole ticket was more than 30 points behind, only to lose in a "cliffhanger."

Next on the podium was former President George Bush who called strong families and sound values the "backbone of America." Bush said as president, he tried to treat the presidency with respect, saying it "breaks my heart" when the presidency is "demeaned." Dole, Bush contended, would treat the presidency with respect and would increase the respect of America from abroad.

A mature and respected group of leaders, Bush said, helped him preside over the end of the Cold War, the destruction of the Berlin Wall, a reunited Germany and the historic coalition that removed Saddam Hussein's Iraqi troops from Kuwait.

In all these crises, Bush said, Dole's support was vital. International terror and nuclear proliferation will provide challenges to the next president, Bush said, and consistent leadership will be vital to world peace.(576K WAV sound)

Bush finished his speech by introducing his wife, Barbara, as "the most popular woman in the United States." In a not-so-veiled reference to the scandals that have plagued First Lady Hillary Clinton, Bush said his wife "unquestionably" had upheld the honor of the White House. Barbara did her part to make the country "a kinder and gentler nation," he said.

Bush's speech was immediately followed by a video tribute to Reagan, a collection of famous clips and quips from the former president that brought tears and laughter from delegates. Former Chrysler chairman Lee Ioccoca, Rev. Billy Graham, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Air Force pilot Scott O'Grady, Kansas Sen. Nancy Kassebaum and Vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp each spoke glowingly of Reagan's character, his sense of humor and his sense of conviction.

Kemp, who sold the former president on a supply-side economic package, said Reagan's policies tamed inflation and led to the longest peacetime expansion in U.S. history. Reagan will be remembered as one of the "last lions of the 20th century," Kemp predicted.

The tribute to Reagan was followed by an appearance by his wife Nancy Reagan. She said how "grateful Ronnie and I are" for eight years in the White House and the years in the California statehouse. It was interesting, challenging and "sometimes frightening," she said.

Though she spoke unhesitatingly about Reagan's Alzheimer's condition, Mrs. Reagan broke down as she recalled that four years ago in Houston, he predicted it might be his last speech. "Sadly his words were too prophetic," she said. (384K WAV sound)

Citing Reagan's legendary optimism, Nancy Reagan urged the convention, "Never, never give up on America." Reagan, she said, "still sees a shining city on a hill."

Full Text Of Bush's Speech

Ford, Bush Endorse Dole, Reagan Saluted

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