National Geographic's Texas Travel

Above, the cattle drive in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

National Geographic is on a Texas kick this week.

They posted two items on the Lone Star State yesterday. One is on the 10 best things to do in Texas and the other is their essential guide to visiting Texas.

My personal experience with Texas is with the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The two cities are 30 miles apart, but they seem like one big city as there has been a lot of growth between the two. My first time there was with the California Reagan Delegation to the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas. A friend and I went back there in January 2021.

In their post on the 10 best things to do in Texas, National Geographic begins it with:

With mountains in west Texas, beaches along its Gulf Coast, and the Hill Country at its heart, the Lone Star State covers such varied terrain that sometimes it feels like a country all its own. And it was, from 1836 until 1845. Today visitors flock to America’s second-largest state to learn about its fight for independence, spot neotropical birds, chow down on barbecue or Tex-Mex food, or hike mountains and deserts.

Here are the best ways to experience it. 

To read more, go here. 

To see the National Geographic essential guide to visiting Texas, go here.

History of Billy Bob's Texas

Above, Billy Bob's Texas last January. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Billy Bob's Texas posted a little history of their building and club on Facebook.

Mitch Geriminsky and I visited it in January during our trip to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. I had been to Billy Bob's back in 1984 with the California Reagan Delegation during the 1984 Republican National Convention. It was everything I remembered about it.

Here's their post:

The building now known as Billy Bob’s Texas was built in 1910 and was once an open-air barn used to house prize cattle for the Fort Worth Stock Show. In 1936, as a Texas Centennial Project, the building was enclosed by the City of Fort Worth at a cost of $183,500, and the tower over the main entrance was added. The “new” structure contained livestock stalls and an auction ring that is now Billy Bob’s Bull Riding arena. Livestock events were held there until the stock show moved to the Will Rogers Memorial Complex in 1943. During World War II, the building was used as an airplane factory, and in the 1950′s the building became a department store so large that the stock boys wore roller skates to make their jobs easier.

On April 1, 1981, Billy Bob Barnett and Spencer Taylor brought their Urban Cowboy themed night club to life when they opened Billy Bob’s Texas.

THE WORLD’S LARGEST HONKY TONK

120,000 Sq. Feet | 6,000 Capacity | 30+ Bar Stations & Two Stages

Texas-Sized Dance Floor | Bull-Riding Arena | Restaurant | Private Event Spaces

At the height of the Urban Cowboy craze, Billy Bob’s enjoyed unrivaled success -- sold out shows, A-list celebrity special guests, and a waitlist for VIP access to members-only Texas Club.

After closing briefly in 1988, the club reopened with a little help from some well-known and respected Fort Worth families. Billy Minick, Holt Hickman, Steve Murrin, and Don Jury shared a love for the Stockyards and were determined to return Billy Bob’s Texas to its status as a premier destination for fans and artists alike.

The ‘Class of 89 - Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, Travis Tritt’ kicked off their meteoric rise to stardom on the main stage and the house band stage, cementing Billy Bob’s amongst the ranks of iconic Texas landmarks. And every weekend for almost four decades, the bulls were real, the neons were bright, the music was good and the beer was cold.

For the last 40 years, Billy Bob's Texas has hosted the biggest names in live music and entertainment. Legendary performers from all genres saw their rise to stardom begin in the hallowed halls of our beloved honky tonk. The road to Red Dirt country runs right through our building. We’ve been honored as ‘Club of the Year’ over a dozen times by the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. Stories from our stage are told and re-told to every new generation of music fans.

But Billy Bob’s Texas is more than a historic entertainment destination. It is a testament to the sights and sounds of the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards and a nod to the traditions of cowboys, cowgirls, and country music.

Above, yours truly enjoying a beer at Billy Bob's. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

 

If one is visiting the Dallas/Fort Worth area, a visit to Billy Bob's Texas is well worth it. 

Today's Agenda: Dealey Plaza and the 6th Floor Museum

Above, the Texas School Book Depository and Elm Street in 1984. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since I went to bed early, I woke up early this morning.

We watched Godzilla: King of the Monsters last evening. Mitch had never seen the movie before and he enjoyed it.

On today's agenda is a trip into Dallas to go see the 6th Floor Museum at the former Texas Book Depository building at Dealey Plaza.

I visited Dealey Plaza back in 1984 when I was in Dallas as part of the California Reagan Delegation to the 1984 Republican National Convention. The museum was in the planning stages at the time. Earlier, there was discussion about demolishing the building, but historians and preservationists saved it.

I was outside for a little bit and it is a tad warmer out with little or no frost. There was heavier frost yesterday morning. 

With today's visit to the museum and Dealey Plaza, everything we set out to see would be accomplished. Tomorrow, we're just going to wing it.

Above, lowered flags along the route to Fort Worth from Dallas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We noticed flags in Texas are at half-staff since we've been here and were wondering why. 

The reason (from the office of the Texas governor):

The following Presidential proclamation directing flags to half-staff immediately in honor of the life and public service of United States Capitol Police Officers Brian D. Sicknick and Howard Liebengood. The President's proclamation directs flags to return to full-staff at sunset on Wednesday, January 13, 2021.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day!

To celebrate, I am posting the great Ray Charles rendition of "America the Beautiful" from the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas. The convention closed following this performance.



I had not seen this (or any other video) of this performance until yesterday. I was an alternate delegate from California at this convention.

Above, yours truly at the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas.

It is interesting to note that this kind of performance would never be seen at any Democrat national convention. Wonder why that is?

Vice President George H. W. Bush 1984 Acceptance Speech

After hearing of the passing of former President George H. W. Bush last night, I dug through my photo collection and found several that I took of him at the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas.

They were taken from the convention floor as Bush was delivering his acceptance speech of his re-nomination as Vice President of the United States.

Here's two of them:

Above and below, Vice President George H. W. Bush is framed by two state
delegation standards while delivering his acceptance speech. Photos by Armand Vaquer.

Gov. George Deukmejian Dies At 89

Above, Gov. George Deukmejian at the H. L. Hunt estate in Dallas, Texas in 1984. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Sad news has come from California.

Former Governor George Deukmejian, the last really decent governor of California, has died of age 89. (I was not a fan of Pete Wilson, who succeeded Deukmejian.)

According to the Los Angeles Times:

George Deukmejian, a perennially popular two-term Republican governor of California who built his career on fighting crime, hardening the state's criminal justice stance and shoring up its leaky finances, died on Tuesday. He was 89 years old. 

Deukmejian, who was elected governor in 1982 and 1986, died at his home in Long Beach, according to a statement from his family. 

During his many years of public service, including 16 years as a state legislator and four as state attorney general, Deukmejian sponsored the successful "use a gun, go to prison" bill, oversaw development of a workfare program for welfare recipients and negotiated with the Democrat-controlled Legislature to create an $18.5-billion, 10-year transportation plan.

During the 1984 Republican National Convention, the California Delegation (of which I was a part of) was hosted at a party at the H. L. Hunt estate in Dallas, Texas. Governor Deukmejian was presented with a cowboy hat and a pair of cowboy boots.

To read more, go here. 

32 Years Ago: A Visit To Dealey Plaza

Above, yours truly standing at Elm Street in Dealey Plaza.

Thanks to a reminder from Facebook (and getting the date right from my photo album), I visited Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas 32 years ago today.

I was in Dallas for the 1984 Republican National Convention as a member of the California Reagan Delegation.

Above, the open window marks where Oswald fired the shots. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While in Dallas, I took a cab from my hotel to Dealey Plaza to see for myself the site of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

During my visit, I took photographs from many angles of the site with my Olympus OM-1 35mm camera.

Above, this photo was taken while atop the pedestal where Abraham
 Zapruder filmed the assassination. In the background, the former Texas
 School Book Depository and Dal-Tex Buildings. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The site looked pretty much the same in 1984 as it did during the assassination 21 years earlier. The most noticeable difference was that the street lamps were moved from the sidewalks and re-positioned in grassy areas. Also, newer, modern skyscrapers surrounded (from a distance) the area.

Two months ago, I attended a presentation by former Secret Service Agent Clint Hill on the Kennedy assassination. I shot this video during his presentation:



Still, it was an eerie place to visit.

2016 Republican National Convention

Above, the 1980 GOP National
Convention in Detroit, Michigan.

One of the things I've been considering for next year is to possibly attend the 2016 Republican National Convention.

The last convention I went to, but didn't actually go inside the arena, was in 1996 in San Diego. Amber and I just drove down to San Diego to see about buying some campaign souvenirs.

The 2016 GOP National Convention will be held in Cleveland, Ohio on July 18–21, 2016. It would be nice to attend as a delegate or alternate delegate (the last convention I attended while on the California Delegation was in 1984 in Dallas, Texas), but it would be fun to take The Beast to Cleveland and see attractions on the way and back. (I'll need to check on RV parks in the the Cleveland area.) I haven't decided on a candidate to back as yet.

We'll see how things develop between now and then.

Joan Rivers

It was sad to hear of the passing of comedienne Joan Rivers at age 81. It was somewhat expected, especially after reports of Rivers being put on life support. But when I heard she was taken out of ICU, I had hoped it meant she was improving.

Rivers was one of the few comediennes who made me laugh. She made me laugh like Rodney Dangerfield and George Carlin made me laugh.

She was a favorite of my late mother's. Rivers was at her funniest before her husband Edgar took his life. His suicide took the wind out of her sails big-time. But, she persevered and bounced back. But, to me, her humor was never the same.

Rivers was Johnny Carson's regular guest host on The Tonight Show before their rift after she accepted an offer for her own show.

Above, Nancy Reagan welcomed by Joan Rivers and others at the National Federation of Republican
 Women luncheon at the 1984 GOP National Convention in Dallas, Texas. Photo: Dallas News.

Rivers appeared at a women's luncheon at the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas. She was hilarious! I recorded her routine from C-SPAN (I still have it). She had the audience in stitches. (One line, “My idea of foreign affairs is a Motel 6 with Julio Iglesias!”) My mom was able to detect First Lady Nancy Reagan's laughs. It was reported by a few in the media that some in the audience were "taken aback." Not from what I heard.

While it is sad that Rivers died the way she did, but at least she was still on top at the end.

Howard Baker Dies At 88

Above, Howard Baker in 1989.

Former U.S. Senator, U.S. Ambassador to Japan and White House Chief-of-Staff Howard H. Baker of Tennessee died at age 88.

According to an article in Japan Today:

Baker, who served in Tokyo from 2001 until early 2005, died Thursday at his home, according to an email distributed at the law firm where Baker was senior counsel. He died as a result of complications from a stroke suffered Saturday, the email said.

Baker was a member of the Senate Select Committee investigating the Watergate break-in and came up with the memorable question, "What did the president know and when did he know it?"

I met Baker at a dinner at the Hollywood Palladium in 1973 and photographed him at the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas as we both stood in line to buy rolls of film. Baker was a well-known shutterbug.

Baker served as President Reagan's Chief-of-Staff during the last two years of the Reagan Administration.

10th Anniversary of Ronald Reagan's Death

Above, Ronald and Nancy Reagan at LAX after returning to Los Angeles following
 the 1980 Republican National Convention in Detroit. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Ten years ago today, the fortieth President of the United States, Ronald Reagan died from complications (pneumonia) of Alzheimer's Disease at his Bel Air home in California. He was 93.

It is hard to believe that ten years have passed.  It was a Saturday and I was watching television when the bulletin of Reagan's passing came on. I put a blank tape into the VCR so the bulletins can be recorded.

Reagan endured the disease for about ten years before passing. The news of his death brought back many memories. They included attending many of his speeches while he was governor of California; working in his 1976, 1980 and 1984 campaigns for president; serving as  a California delegate to the 1976 and 1980 Republican National Conventions and as an alternate California delegate at the 1984 Republican National Convention; meeting him at the opening of the headquarters of his Citizens for the Republic political action committee; and going to a White House reception with fellow members of the California Delegation in June 1982.

I have a collection of photographs and negatives of Reagan that I took over those years. I am debating whether to pass them on to my daughter or donate them to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. I haven't made up my mind on that as yet.

During the days that followed Reagan's death, the outpouring of affection by ordinary citizens was a testiment to the fact that despite the best efforts by the liberal media to downgrade his presidency, the people weren't fooled. They knew then (as they know now) who had their best interests at heart. That is underscored when people compare Reagan's economic policies and foreign policy achievements to those of the current White House occupant's.

Reagan's years shine brighter to people as they endure the failings of the current administration. America can sure use another Reagan to clean up the mess this country's now in.

Just like in 1980.

Blue Bell Ice Cream and Mount Vernon

Back in 1984, I was a member of the Ronald Reagan California Delegation to the Republican National Convention.

The convention was held in Dallas, Texas that year. But, the month it was held was in August, probably the hottest month of the year in Texas.

One of the activities convention organizers arranged for the California Delegation was a party at Mount Vernon, the home of oilman H. L. Hunt's widow, on the banks of White Rock Lake. As she was a non-drinker, the only beverage that was served that day was lemonade. I don't remember seeing water there. The lemonade would have been fine, except the party was held when the outside temperature was 112 degrees.

Above, H.L. Hunt's Mount Vernon estate in Dallas is an almost exact replica of George Washington's.

We had to endure the temperatures drinking lemonade until a big truck showed up at Mount Vernon. It contained Blue Bell Ice Cream.

Once the truck unloaded the ice cream, we got as many containers (half pints) as we could get away with and consumed them.

What brought this story up was that I saw the ad at the top of this blog post for Blue Bell Ice Cream and that jogged a 30-year-old-memory. I haven't seen Blue Bell Ice Cream in ages.

By the way, Mount Vernon is currently on the for-sale market. The asking price: $29 million.

1984 Dealey Plaza Visit

In 1984, I was an Alternate Delegate of the California Reagan Delegation to the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas. The convention was held in the city in August 1984.

Above, the former Texas School Book
Depository and Dal-Tex Buildings from
Elm Street in Dealey Plaza.  Photo by
Armand Vaquer.

While there, most of my time was taken up in attending the convention sessions, state delegation caucus meetings, social functions (one was at the estate of Mrs. H. L. Hunt, widow of oil billionaire) and tours set up by the host committee (one was to Southfork Ranch, used in the prime-time soap Dallas).

During my stay in Dallas, I elected to go on my own to Dealey Plaza, the site of the assassination of President Kennedy, that occurred fifty years ago today.

I took a taxi over to Dealey Plaza and once I arrived, I proceeded to take photographs of the area from different angles.

Dealey Plaza looked almost as it did in November 1963 with some changes. The Stemmons Freeway sign (that partially obscured the presidential limousine in the Abraham Zapruder film) was gone. The street lamps that were located next to the curbs were moved several feet away into the grassy areas. The Hertz Rent-A-Car clock sign, that was atop the former Texas School Book Depository, was removed in 1979. It is currently in storage. Some overhead signs on Elm Street were added since 1963.

The former Texas School Book Depository building, where Lee Oswald had his sniper's nest, was then owned and operated by the county. The Sixth Floor Museum was still in its planning stages in 1984, but the main lobby of the building was open and had a free publication on the assassination available that also contained an article on the planned museum.

A suspicious fire was started with two separate points of origin in the basement of the Book Depository Building during the time I was there for the convention. Fortunately, the damage amounted to about $250,000 and the Hertz sign, in storage in the basement at the time, was undamaged.

The above photo also includes the Dal-Tex Building where Abraham Zapruder's Jennifer Juniors dress company was located.

While I was in Dealey Plaza, I did get an eerie feeling. I have heard that a lot of visitors to the area get the same feeling.

After the convention was over and after my return home to Hawthorne, California, I had my film developed and began putting the photographs into a photo album devoted to my week in Dallas.

As I was doing so, my mother suggested that I mount several photographs in a montage. Those photos were taken when I stood on the concrete pedestal off of Elm Street where Abraham Zapruder stood and filmed the assassination.

When I completed my photography of Dealey Plaza, I took a cab back to my hotel. I got into the cab at Elm and Houston Streets and rode down Elm Street in the same lane as Kennedy's limousine when the shots were fired.

The distance between the street and the sixth floor window was not that great. Photographs of the scene really don't convey how close the street was to the window. It was a relatively easy shot for Oswald to carry off. He might have been able to do it without a scope, in my opinion.

How did I learn the news of Kennedy's assassination? I wrote this three years ago.

Here are some of the photographs I took in Dealey Plaza:

Above, part of the photo montage from my photo album.  I stood on
the pedestal used by Abraham Zapruder. Photos by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a frame from the Nix film at about the time of the fatal shot.

Above, a view similar to the Nix frame. The photo was taken from Main Street.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the motorcade turns onto Elm St. from Houston St. The image
 was taken from the intersection of Main St. and Houston St.

Above, a similar view from Main and Houston Streets. The Dal-Tex Building is on the right. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the open window marks the Oswald's sniper's next.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Armand on Elm Street with the triple underpass in the background.

Above, a view of Elm Street.  The white area on the sidewalk marks a streetlight's former location.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

SS-100-X

Above, President and Mrs. Nixon in the SS-100-X limousine in 1972 at the Century Plaza Hotel.
National Archives photo.

Since this year marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, there will be many articles and stories in the major news media.

One such story appeared yesterday in the Dallas Morning News (I first saw it in the Los Angeles Daily News). It is on the 1961 Lincoln Continental that the President was riding in when he was shot.

The article has many interesting facts about the car:

...the open-top car that President John F. Kennedy waved from on a sunny day in Dallas, Nov. 22, 1963, could not have been more different. That car was fashioned from a stock 1961 Lincoln Continental four-door convertible — retail price $7,347 — that had rolled off the assembly line at parent company Ford’s plant in Wixom, Mich.

The White House leased it from Ford for a token $500 a year and sent it off for $200,000 in modifications by elite custom coachbuilder Hess and Eisenhardt in Cincinnati, Ohio. (The firm’s other high-profile clients included the Queen of England.) In the process, the car gained Secret Service codenames — SS-100-X and X-100 — and the grille of a 1962 model, so it appeared right up to date.

Kennedy’s Lincoln, sensationally dubbed the “Death Car” in a 1964 Associated Press story, was hastily rebuilt after the assassination. Project name? The Quick Fix. The logic was straightforward, according to Henry Ford [Museum] curator Anderson. “It takes four years or so to get one of these done, from the original planning to its delivery to the White House. They simply didn’t have the time to build a new car.

 The final price tag for project Quick Fix was an estimated $500,000.

Improbably, the car stayed in service through President Richard Nixon’s administration and into 1977, Jimmy Carter’s administration’s first year. It was retired late that year and returned to Ford. The automaker donated it to The Henry Ford museum, where curator Anderson says it remains one of the museum’s most popular exhibits.

Above, President Nixon shakes hands from the roof opening.  I am at the arrow.
National Archives photo.

I saw the car in 1972 when President Nixon arrived at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles for a fundraising dinner.  I was in the parking lot near where the President was driven alongside the crowd of supporters.  It didn't occur to me that the limousine was the Kennedy SS-100-X until I saw photos of it on display at the Henry Ford Museum and compared them to the photos I have of the Nixon Century Plaza visit.

In 1984, I was a member of the California Reagan Delegation to the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas.  While there, I stopped by the assassination site in Dealey Plaza and took photographs of the scene from several angles.  I will post a detailed article on this in November.

To read the full article, go here.

Dallas, Texas 1984

Next November will mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy.  I was going through my photo album of my visit to Dallas, Texas where I was on the California Delegation to the 1984 Republican National Convention.

Here's a couple of photos (I will likely post more next year):

Above, on the convention floor with Gardena City Councilwoman Gwen Duffy.

Above, in Dealey Plaza on Elm Street with the triple underpass in the background.  I am being
shaded by the tree (in front of the former Texas School Book Depository) that deflected the first bullet.

GOP National Conventions

The Republican National Convention will be held next week (Monday-Thursday) in Tampa, Florida.

It appears that the tropical storm/hurricane will just skirt Tampa. So things should go well, one hopes.

Above, Ronald and Nancy Reagan arrive at the Hilton Plaza Inn during the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Each time the GOP National Convention is held, it reminds me of the times I was a California Delegate for Ronald Reagan.  Do I miss going?  You bet!

My first was in 1976 in Kansas City, Missouri when Reagan challenged President Gerald R. Ford for the nomination. Reagan barely lost, but it was a memorable convention (it was probably the last time a presidential nomination came down to the wire at a national convention).

My next national convention was in 1980 in Detroit, Michigan. Reagan won the nomination before the convention, so all there was to do is go through the formalities and nominate a vice-presidential candidate. Reagan decided on George Herbert Walker Bush.

Above, a welcome home rally after the 1980 GOP National Convention at LAX for the Reagans. Flanking them are Johnny Grant and Hugh O'Brien.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As we were just across the Detroit River from Windsor, Canada, we rented a car and drove under the river into Windsor. We toured Fort Malden while there.

We also toured the General Motors X-car assembly plant. What I saw there made me decide not to buy an American car. Two weeks later, I bought a Toyota pick-up truck.

My last national convention (as a member of the California Delegation) was in Dallas, Texas in 1984. This was to re-nominate Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. While there, I attended a bar-b-que at the H. L. Hunt Estate (in 112 degree heat) and went over to Dealey Plaza, where President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

My daughter Amber and I did go to San Diego for the 1996 Republican National Convention. We didn't get any passes for the convention itself, but managed to get some souvenir campaign buttons.

Next week's GOP National Convention will be Florida's first since the 1972 Democratic and Republican National Conventions in Miami.

It will be fun to watch.

The Good Ol' Days

Above, Ronald Reagan at the 1976 Republican National Convention. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This year's GOP primary season is different for me.

In past election cycles, I've always had a clear favorite candidate. This year I don't, although all of the Republican contenders would be light years better than the Marxist incumbent in the White House.

This year also brings me back to days of yesteryear when Ronald Reagan was running and I was heavily into political activism.

At the "ripe old age" of 22, I was a California area chairman in my congressional distict (the Hawthorne-Lawndale-Gardena area of Los Angeles County) for Reagan when he ran against President Gerald Ford. I was also a Reagan delegate to the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

Although Reagan lost the nomination to Ford, I still wouldn't trade that experience for anything. After the convention, as we were being bused to the airport for our flight home, we passed a business that had a sign that read, "Goodbye, Republicans. You blew it!" Sure enough, Ford lost to Jimmy Carter in the general election.


Right, actor Michael Landon with Ronald Reagan at the 1980 California Primary Victory Party at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In 1980, I again was the area chairman for Reagan as well as a delegate to the 1980 Republican National Convention in Detroit, Michigan. That year, it was plainly obvious that Carter was an incompetent president (much like Obama this year) and that he should be defeated.

Thankfully, Reagan won the GOP nomination and general election.




In 1984, I served as the area chairman for Reagan's re-election campaign and served as an alternate delegate to the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas.


Above, a "welcome home" rally was held for Ronald and Nancy Reagan at Los Angeles International Airport following the 1980 GOP National Convention. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After that year, I ended up getting married and had a daughter (now age 25). That pretty much ended my years of hardcore political activism. But I remain somewhat involved here and there. Once it gets into your blood, it's hard to completely quit.

It will be interesting to see how this year's campaign turns out. This country is at the crossroads. Will it return to being the country that we grew up with or will it be permanently transformed into a socialist mess if Obama wins re-election?

Reagan Bumperstickers

For something to do, I was going through some of my political collection and came upon a bunch of Ronald Reagan presidential campaign bumper stickers. (It is amazing what stuff one accumulates over the years!)

Back in 1976, when Reagan ran against President Gerald Ford for the GOP nomination at the Republican National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, I was an area chairman for the Citizens For Reagan campaign. Once the primary campaign was over, I served as a California Reagan delegate to the national convention.

Right, actor Michael Landon joins former Governor Reagan at a private reception on the night of the 1980 California Primary at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In 1980 and 1984, I also served as a Reagan campaign area chairman and attended the 1980 GOP National Convention in Detroit, Michigan as a California delegate. I also attended the 1984 GOP National Convention as a Reagan California alternate delegate in Dallas, Texas.

In those roles, I received shipments of campaign materials from the national campaign headquarters. These are some of the "leftovers." I am going by memory (which may be a little faulty) on what years and when they were used.

Repubican groups and individuals independent of the official Reagan campaigns would also produce bumperstickers.

1976

Above, the official Citizens For Reagan bumpersticker for the 1976 primary campaign.

1980

Above, several bumperstickers were issued during the 1980 primpary campaign. The bottom one may be from the 1984 general campaign (didn't I say I was going by memory?).

Above, more from the 1980 primary campaign.

Above, the top sticker is definitely from the 1980 general election campaign. The one in the middle was a metallic sticker produced by the Young Overseas Americans for Reagan and Friends, an "independent voluntary work group." They were based in New Mexico. The sticker was printed in Hong Kong.

Above, these are from the 1980 general election campaign.

1984

Above, this 1984 Reagan-Bush sticker is the the large one issued by the campaign. It is longer than the scanner bed so some of the image's edges were cut off.

Above, this 1984 Reagan-Bush sticker is the smaller of the two and was able to fit within the scanner bed.

Above, the top two stickers were produced in 1984 by an organization called Freedom's Ring. The bottom one was produced by the California Republican Party.