A Gerald R. Ford campaign bowler hat from the 1976 Republican National
Convention.
photo: A1881-25A
After
both had attended a Republican fund-raising dinner, President
Ford meets with California governor
Ronald Reagan at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los
Angeles.October
31, 1974
Truthfully, I had not developed a longstanding
personal relationship with Governor Reagan. We were political friends,
but we had not become personal friends. So I was upset when he challenged
me. I thought it was unwise for a Republican to challenge a sitting
Republican president. We
had a pretty bitter contest. It was a head-to-head, knock-down, drag-out
affair. So at that time I was not anxious to have him on the ticket
(as vice president). Maybe his being a part of the ticket might have
made a difference, I don’t know. I do know he could have helped
more during the campaign in three or four pivotal states that we lost by
a narrow margin. --Gerald
R. Ford