1976 Presidential Election

Michigan had thrown President Ford a life preserver. Now, in only three weeks, he and Reagan would square off in the final primaries, held in New Jersey, Ohio, and California, where 331 delegates waited. The two combatants traded victories in the nine primaries leading up to June 8, and by Ford's calculation he had inched ahead of Reagan in the delegate count. Ford stood uncontested in New Jersey. California was Reagan's home, and a winner-take-all, state. Ohio might prove the battleground.

Appearing on Face the Nation, on June 6, Ford touted his "underdog" status, claiming his "new momentum" was helping him "close the gap," even giving him, the President suggested, "an opportunity to win California."

It was all a smoke screen, part of a strategy, Stu Spencer later said, "to keep Reagan pinned to California, to keep him the hell out of Ohio." The better Ford's odds appeared in California, the less time Reagan would spend in Ohio.

Ford's campaign strategy notwithstanding, Reagan once again handed his opponent a sizable club. Speaking in Sacramento on June 2, Reagan answered a hypothetical question about quelling racial violence in the African nation of Rhodesia. He suggested American troops might be used. Facing criticism, Reagan changed "troops" to "mediators."

The Ford campaign's ad wing was in disarray, having fired one team only to be displeased the new firm's product. Indeed, Ford had instructed his staff to ease its criticism of Reagan as he weighed the importance of California and Ronald Reagan against his general election strategy. Handed this new issue, however, Ford quickly pivoted. His campaign produced a new ad highlighting Reagan's remarks and his retreat from "troops" to "advisors." It asked viewers, "What does [Reagan] think happened in Vietnam? When you vote Tuesday, remember: Governor Ronald Reagan couldn’t start a war. President Ronald Reagan could."

The ad ran in California and Ohio, and Reagan spent precious time defending himself rather than attacking Ford. It was, Ford said, "an albatross around [Reagan's] neck;" another "ninety-billion-dollar plan," said a Ford advisor.

Ford won easily in New Jersey and Ohio. Though he lost California, his strategy worked. "It was a very good day," Ford told the press the next morning. He now believed he was within 150 of the 1,130 delegates needed to secure the nomination. The primary contest was finished. Each candidate now turned his attention to the remaining convention states, where Ford admitted he was less well prepared to fight than was Reagan.