"I DON'T THINK" Ibid., 17374. For one thing, Ford said, the two men were both legal residents of California, and the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution held that presidents and vice presidents had to be from different states. According to Germond and Witcover, Reagan handed Ford a memorandum on that question; all Ford had to do to dispense with that obstacle was change his residency to either Colorado, where he had a house in Vail, or back to Michigan, which he had represented in Congress for a quarter century. (Ibid.) WOULD FORD THINK ABOUT IT Ibid., 174. For the Ford drama in Detroit, see also Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 32169; Cannon, Reagan, 26467; Stacks, Watershed, 18591; and Richard V. Allen's memoir of the convention, "The Accidental Vice President," NYT, July 30, 2000.
A PRESS CONFERENCE FOR ELEVEN O'CLOCK ON THURSDAY MORNING Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 366.
FORD REMAINED OVERTLY SKEPTICAL Germond and Witcover, Blue Smoke and Mirrors, 174.
AFTER THE MEETING WITH FORD Hedrick Smith, "Reagan Woos Ford as Top Republicans Denounce President," NYT, July 16, 1980.
"I JUST SOUGHT" Ibid.
BUSH WAS TAKING PART "George Bush Detroit Schedule," BPB diary, summer 1980.
BACK AT THE DETROIT PLAZA Germond and Witcover, Blue Smoke and Mirrors, 17475.
LATE TUESDAY NIGHT, KISSINGER...MET Ibid.
"THE POSSIBILITIES FOR FORD" Ibid., 175.
"I KNOW IT MUST BE" Greenfield, Real Campaign, 16162.
ASKED WHETHER PRIDE Germond and Witcover, Blue Smoke and Mirrors, 17576.
FIGURING THAT OUT Author interview with Henry Kissinger. See also Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 35455, and Nancy Reagan with Novak, My Turn, 211.
A KIND OF SUPER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 354.
ANOTHER WOULD HAVE HAD FORD Author interview with Henry Kissinger.
THERE WAS ALSO TALK OF A SCENARIO Ibid. "When I found that out, I called Meese and said that under no circumstances would I accept a position as part of these negotiations," Kissinger recalled to the author. Ford kept the talks going, Kissinger recalled, out of a sense that "If it means defeating Carter, then you have a duty to do it. But I believe Ford never really wanted to do it." (Author interview with Henry Kissinger.) "IT WAS MIND-BLOWING" Author interview with Dick Cheney.
THE REAGAN-FORD RUMORS WERE BEING DISSECTED Author interview with Jerry Rafshoon.
DESPITE THE POLLING Ibid.
"WE THOUGHT THIS COULD BE A BREAK FOR US" Ibid.
"THOUGHT THE WHOLE IDEA WAS RIDICULOUS" Nancy Reagan with Novak, My Turn, 211.
"I DIDN'T SEE" Ibid.
"IT CAN'T BE DONE" Ibid.
AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN AFTER LUNCH, DEAN BURCH LF, 9.
"IT'S ONLY A RUMOR" Ibid.
"THIS IS CRAZY" Author interview with GHWB.
BUSH BELIEVED HIS SPEECH LF, 10.
WAS SCHEDULED FOR EIGHT P.M. "George Bush Detroit Schedule," BPB diary, summer 1980.
JOGGED ON THE INDOOR TRACK King, George Bush, 56.
HAD A SNACK LF, 10.
IT WAS SEVEN P.M. Greenfield, Real Campaign, 163.
THE TELEVISION WAS TUNED TO CBS LF, 10.
SITTING WITH CRONKITE Greenfield, Real Campaign, 163.
"I REALLY BELIEVE" Germond and Witcover, Blue Smoke and Mirrors, 182. Reagan was startled to see Ford on television at all. (Cannon, Reagan, 266.) IT WAS AN HONEST Germond and Witcover, Blue Smoke and Mirrors, 18283.
CRONKITE ASKED ABOUT Ibid.
WATCHING, REAGAN SAT UP STRAIGHT Ibid., 183. See also Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 358.
"AS FAR AS RONNIE WAS CONCERNED" Nancy Reagan with Novak, My Turn, 212.
BUSH WAS TYING HIS TIE LF, 10.
HE WAS, HE SAID LATER, "STUNNED" Ibid.
RETURNING TO THE ROOM Ibid., 1011.
"PUT IT OUT OF YOUR MIND" Ibid., 11.
AS BUSH LOOKED OVER HIS SPEECH Ibid.
"I'M SORRY, Mr. BUSH" Ibid. See also Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 35960.
"IF ANYONE WANTS TO KNOW" Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 359. See also NYT, July 17, 1980.
BUSH FOCUSED HIS FIRE NYT, July 17, 1980.
HE, JEB, AND BUSH AIDE DAVID BATES Author interview with Jeb Bush.
THERE HAD BEEN A COUPLE OF CALLS Author interview with Pete Teeley; Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 35759. See also Allen, "The Accidental Vice President," NYT, July 30, 2000.
FROM THE REAGAN CAMP, RICHARD V. ALLEN Allen, "The Accidental Vice President," NYT, July 30, 2000.
AS HE CHANGED INTO KHAKIS AND A TENNIS SHIRT Time, July 28, 1980. See also Germond and Witcover, Blue Smoke and Mirrors, 188, and LF, 11.
HE OPENED ANOTHER BEER Time, July 28, 1980.
JEB POUNDED HIS FIST Author interview with GHWB.
"THIS ISN'T FAIR, DAD" Ibid.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, FAIR?" Ibid.
"NOBODY OWES US A DAMN THING" Ibid.
"DO YOUR BEST" LF, 11.
DAVID BATES HAD A BOTTLE OF SCOTCH Author interview with Jeb Bush.
JEB TOLD HIS PARENTS Ibid.
AS THE EVENING HAD WORN ON Allen, "The Accidental Vice President," NYT, July 30, 2000.
"ALMOST RHETORICALLY" Ibid.
"THERE'S BUSH" Ibid.
"IF YOU COULD BE" Ibid.
"WELL, IF YOU" Ibid.
AT 8:55 P.M., ACCORDING TO ALLEN Ibid.
KISSINGER "NOW TAKES HIMSELF OUT" Ibid.
"I THOUGHT IT WAS ABSOLUTELY UNTENABLE" Author interview with Henry Kissinger.
THE OLD ACTOR'S SENSE OF HIS AUDIENCE Germond and Witcover, Blue Smoke and Mirrors, 186.
BY 10:45 P.M. MEESE RETURNED Allen, "The Accidental Vice President," NYT, July 30, 2000.
"IT'S KIND OF HARD" Ibid.
JIM BAKER HAD GIVEN UP Author interview with Pete Teeley.
PETE TEELEY DOWN TO Ibid.
IN THE REAGAN SUITE Ibid.
"HOLD EVERYTHING" LF, 1314.
EVEN IF IT WEREN'T REAGAN-FORD Ibid., 14.
STILL, BAKER HAD TEELEY Author interview with Pete Teeley.
BY A QUARTER AFTER ELEVEN Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 363.
AT THE DETROIT PLAZA Greenspan, Age of Turbulence, 91.
HE WENT DOWNSTAIRS Allen, "The Accidental Vice President," NYT, July 30, 2000. See also Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 363.
"RON, I'VE BELIEVED" Germond and Witcover, Blue Smoke and Mirrors, 187.
"MR. PRESIDENT, I THINK" Ibid.
PUTTING AN ARM AROUND REAGAN'S SHOULDERS Ibid.
"WELL, WHAT DO WE DO NOW?" Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 364. This was Richard Allen's recollection of the question, based on his notes of the evening. Germond and Witcover reported a different, more specific question from Reagan: "Now where the hell's George Bush?" According to Germond and Witcover, "He had decided that afternoon, Meese said, that if something couldn't be worked out with Ford, his choice would be Bush." (Germond and Witcover, Blue Smoke and Mirrors, 18788.) "THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE RESPONSE" Allen, "The Accidental Vice President," NYT, July 30, 2000. See also Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 364. Craig Shirley reports that Peter Hannaford, another Reagan adviser, suggested the call to Bush. (Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 364.) REAGAN HAD PLACED Author interview with Stu Spencer.
"DO YOU STILL" Ibid.
"A COMBINATION OF EBENEZER SCROOGE" NYT, August 17, 1980.
"WELL," REAGAN SAID, "LET'S GET" Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 364.
AT 11:37 P.M., THE TELEPHONE IN ROOM 1912 Ibid., 365.
JIM BAKER PICKED IT UP Ibid.
DREW LEWIS, A REAGAN ADVISER Germond and Witcover, Blue Smoke and Mirrors, 188.
BUSH TOOK THE RECEIVER Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 365. The Bush camp had the slightest of inklings that good news might be at hand when the Secret Service, which had apparently learned the Bush news in the Reagan suite, called the Bushes' room before Reagan got through to announce that agents were "ready to occupy a room two floors below." (LSY, 245.) "HELLO, GEORGE" LF, 14.
("YOU PRAY THAT GEORGE WILL SAY YES") BPB diary, summer 1980.
BUSH TURNED TO THE OTHERS Germond and Witcover, Blue Smoke and Mirrors, 188.
"I'D BE HONORED" LF, 15.
"OUT OF A CLEAR BLUE SKY" Author interview with GHWB.
"GEORGE, IS THERE ANYTHING" LF, 15.
REAGAN MENTIONED ABORTION Author interview with GHWB.
"I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD" LF, 15.
"FINE," REAGAN SAID Ibid.
WALTER CRONKITE HAD TO REGROUP King, George Bush, 4.
"THE POLITICS OF IT ALL" BPB diary, summer 1980.
BUSH TOOK A FEW QUESTIONS NYT, July 17, 1980.
"I HAVE NO INDICATION" Ibid.
AT THE HALL, REAGAN Shirley, Rendezvous with Destiny, 367.
YES, REAGAN TOLD THE DELEGATES NYT, July 17, 1980.