Back From G-FEST XXVI

Above, J. D. Lees and yours truly with the "peace pipe". Photo by Reagan Lees.

A day late, but I finally got back home from G-FEST XXVI (the premiere Godzilla/kaiju convention) in Rosemont, Illinois (an outskirt of Chicago and near O'Hare International Airport) at about 1:45 this morning.

I was originally set to fly out Sunday night, but at about 20 minutes before boarding time, my flight was cancelled. So, I ended up leaving last evening. At least it was a nonstop flight to Albuquerque International Airport and The Beast was waiting for me for the 120 mile drive home.

I had a good time at G-FEST, especially for seeing many friends, some for the first time in years.

I will go into deeper detail on the experience later. My main surprise (well, not really a surprise) was seeing how big the convention had grown in 10 years. In years past, when I was involved, we averaged around 1,500 attendees. This year, that number tripled.

With some additions (restaurants, bars, etc.), the old Crowne Plaza looked about the same to me. I think the convention has outgrown the hotel.

Above, the inspiration for the top photo. Former President Gerald Ford and former Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1980.

After arriving at the Crowne Plaza (I stayed at the Candlewood Suites, which worked out great for me as I had my own kitchen to cook breakfast and save some cash), I ran into the Lees family in the Chicago Fire Oven restaurant. I was invited over and we caught up on a few things. I took the opportunity to present J.D. Lees with a Navajo pipe (sort of a peace pipe). This was inspired by a gesture by former Governor Ronald Reagan in presenting a peace pipe to former President Gerald Ford at the 1980 GOP National Convention.

I received a lot of "welcome backs" from old friends during the weekend. Yes, it was nice to be back, although the old stamina wasn't what it used to be 10 years ago. Oh, well.

Yes, it felt great to be back and it also feels good to be back home.

New Betty Ford Biography By Lisa McCubbin

Above, Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin at Book Passage in Corte Madera, California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Lisa McCubbin, who co-wrote the book Five Presidents with former Secret Service agent Clint Hill, has a new book coming out September 11.

It is a biography on former First Lady Betty Ford.

According to McCubbin:

Dear Friends,After two years of research and writing, I am thrilled to announce the publication of my new book, BETTY FORD: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer.  This the inspiring story of an ordinary Midwestern girl thrust onto the world stage and into the White House under extraordinary circumstances. Setting a precedent as First Lady, Betty Ford refused to be silenced by her critics as she publicly championed equal rights for women and spoke out about issues that had previously been taboo—breast cancer, depression, abortion, and sexuality. Privately, though, there were signs something was wrong. After a painful intervention by her family, she admitted to an addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs. Her courageous decision to speak out publicly sparked a national dialogue, and in 1982, she co-founded the Betty Ford Center, which revolutionized treatment for alcoholism and inspired the modern concept of recovery.  Betty Ford was one spunky lady—a real spitfire. Truly a trailblazer. A woman ahead of her time.   In bookstores everywhere September 11. Pre-order your first edition hardcover copy now!  (Makes a great Christmas gift too!)  Fondly, Lisa

Finished "Five Presidents"

Finally, after nine months after getting it, I've finished reading former Secret Service Agent Clint Hill's book, Five Presidents.

I had pre-ordered a personalized autographed book before heading up to Corte Madera in Marin County in early June to attend a talk and book signing at Book Passage by Clint Hill and co-author Lisa McCubbin.

Not that it was a thick or difficult book to read, it seemed that each time I was going to sit and read it, something else would come up or I was just too tired to read. Usually, I can finish a book of this type (non-fiction) in a couple of sittings.

Above, Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin at Book Passage. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was an interesting look at Hill's career as a secret service agent from the Eisenhower years to the early months of Gerald Ford's presidency.

Pretty much everything that occurred during those years are covered in the book including the Kennedy assassination, LBJ's Viet Nam troubles, Elvis Presley's visit with Nixon and Watergate.

For those who are interested in historical events from people who were there and able to give first-hand accounts, Five Presidents is a very satisfying read.

Happy President's Day

Above, the White House in 1982. I am in the background at left. White House Photo.

Today is President's Day (for those of you who are unaware).

The first president I saw in person was Richard Nixon in 1972 at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. I attended the opening of the Nixon Library in 1990 in Yorba Linda, California.

Above, President and Mrs Nixon at the Century Plaza Hotel in 1972. I am in the crowd (at arrow).
The Nixons are in SS-100-X, the presidential limousine JFK was riding in Dallas. White House Photo.

Since then, I have seen in person several others:

Gerald R. Ford (in Fresno, Kansas City and Yorba Linda)
Ronald Reagan (I met him in 1977, but have seen him many times, including at the White House)
George H. W. Bush (in Detroit, Dallas and Yorba Linda)
George W. Bush (before he entered politics in Detroit)

Happy President's Day!

Kemper Arena Now

Above, Kemper Arena today. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In 1976, I was a California Delegate for former Governor Ronald Reagan at the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. The contenders for the Republican presidential nomination were President Gerald R. Ford and Reagan.

Above, the Reagans arrive at the Hilton Plaza Inn during the
1976 Republican National Convention. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The convention was held at Kemper Arena. This was the first GOP national convention I attended as a member of the California Delegation. I later attended the 1980 and 1984 GOP national conventions as a member of the California Delegation.

Ultimately, President Ford won the nomination against Reagan, but went on to lose the general election against Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter.

During my return trip from Metropolis, Illinois this month, the route I took had me in Kansas City, Missouri. While there, I decided to stop and take a look at Kemper Arena. This was my first visit to Kansas City, Missouri since 1976.

1979, the arena's roof collapsed due to a design flaw and structural failure. The arena was repaired and reopened within a year. Fortunately, nobody was killed. Recently, it was proposed to tear down the underused arena, but those plans have been withdrawn.

The arena still looks the same to me, 40 years later and after the 1979 roof collapse.

An Inconvenience

Above, The Beast at Deer Creek Valley RV Park in Topeka, Kansas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A little mishap occurred yesterday in St. Louis.

After I had gotten off the freeway downtown, I had to swerve a to the left. In my way was a traffic island. Normally, curbs are rounded, but this one had a sharp corner.

Well, that sharp corner sliced my driver's side front tire and rear driver's side outside tire. Both were torn up beyond repair. I had to get new tires.

I contacted Auto Club for a tow, but my premium RV coverage covers tows on a reimbursement basis. Plus, I would have had to pay an additional $130/hour (for 3 hours they said) for a shop-to-shop tow.

Luckily, I found a local tire dealer who does remote tire repair/replacement for RVs. The tires and all cost me almost $500. That put a major crimp in my pocket money and checking account. That left me with a bit over $350. Well, it could have been worse. As it was, it was just tires.

So, I contacted my bank and asked for an emergency money transfer from my investment account to my checking account. At first, they said the earliest I would have the money is Tuesday. Then "maybe" Monday. Then, I was contacted by the main customer service department and arrangments are being made for a transfer to be completed, hopefully, today. Until it does, I don't have enough money on hand for fuel to get home. So, I am sitting tight in Kansas.

Luckily, I have enough food provisions to last me a week. I went shopping in Springfield, Illinois and stocked up on food. I spent last night in a rest area to save some cash. But, I still need to be able to fill up my water tank other things. I found a nice RV park in Topeka, Kansas, the Deer Creek Valley RV Park. With my AAA or Good Sam discount, the night's stay is only $39.60. If necessary, I can stay here to Monday.

Soon after I registered, I made use of their hot showers.

This is just an inconvenience and the net effect is that my vacation will just be extended a few more days before I can begin heading into Colorado and, later, Arizona and have fun again.

Above, Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missiouri. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Before heading to Topeka, I took a drive to Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, the site of the 1976 Republican National Convention, the first convention I attended. That was the contest between President Gerald Ford and Gov. Ronald Reagan. I was a California Reagan Delegate. The place looked pretty much the same.


UPDATE: I heard from the bank and the earliest I can get the transfer completed is on Monday. It is because today is the Veteran's Day holiday. That's okay, I am comfortable where I'm at.

Renovated Nixon Library To Open In October

Above, four presidents and first ladies at the July 1990 opening day of the Nixon Library.

It was a hot summer day in 1990 when the Richard Nixon Library and Museum opened. Presidents George H. W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford and the guest of honor, Richard Nixon, attended with 50,000 ordinary people, including myself.

Now, 26 years later, the Library is undergoing a renovation and is set to reveal the new galleries and exhibits in October.

The Los Angeles Times wrote:

When the Richard Nixon Presidential Library first opened 26 years ago, it was dismissed by many historians as more of a whitewash than a faithful retelling of his presidency. 

For years, the museum’s Watergate exhibit, approved by Nixon himself, depicted the scandal as a “coup” orchestrated by Nixon enemies and unethical journalists. Historian and Nixon scholar Stanley Kutler once called the library just “another Southern California theme park” whose reality level was “slightly better than Disneyland.” 

But in 2007, when the library finally entered the official presidential library system under the auspices of the National Archives, the exhibit was torn down and eventually replaced with a much more critical version. The museum’s heavily edited rendition of the “smoking gun” tape that implicated Nixon was replaced with the full recording, and the new exhibit placed the Watergate episode in the context of a larger campaign of presidential secrecy and sabotage. 

Now a $15-million renovation focuses on the rest of the museum’s decades-old galleries, set to reopen in October, with the aim of building an unflinching but well-rounded portrait of a complicated man whose long career has often been overshadowed by his quick and stunning fall from grace.

I am looking forward to visiting the Nixon Library. It has been several years since I was last there. I had worked in the Nixon re-election campaign in 1972 and saw President Nixon at the Century Plaza that year.

Above, President and Mrs. Nixon greet a crowd of supporters at the Century Plaza Hotel. I am at the arrow.

To read more, go here.

National Geographic Magazine: Yellowstone Issue (May 2016)

The May 2016 issue of National Geographic is now out on the newsstands and it is one that lovers of national parks (especially since this is the centennial year of the National Park Service) and, in particular, Yellowstone National Park. The issue is dedicated to Yellowstone and, slightly, to Grand Teton National Park, since they are both part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Above, two Yellowstone bison relax on a hill. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I found a copy of the issue at the local supermarket as I was buying provisions for my camping trip to Ventura. I've been relaxing today at the Ventura Beach RV Resort pouring through it.

The issue is loaded with photographs (as one might expect from National Geographic), posters, maps, statistics and all kinds of information on Yellowstone. It is an issue you'll want to get and keep!

Above, Lower Yellowstone Falls. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One interesting tidbit: Last summer, my daughter Amber and I went to Yellowstone National Park for a father-daughter vacation and we both got ourselves bitten by mosquitoes, Amber more so than I (she must taste sweeter to the critters). According to National Geographic, there are 35 species of mosquitoes that live in Yellowstone. Small wonder we got bitten!

Above, Amber and Armand at Gibbon Falls.

Another tidbit: One half of the world's known geysers are in Yellowstone!

Above, Old Faithful Geyser erupts. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Trivia: Former President Gerald R. Ford served as a park ranger in Yellowstone in the summer of 1936.

Get yourself a copy today!

Above, yours truly working
on this blog post.

Cover price: $5.99 U.S., $6.99 Canada.

1976: When Reagan Almost Won

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

If you think this year's GOP presidential primary contest has been contentious, take a look back at the 1976 Republican National Convention. It is hard to believe that was 40 years ago.

It was my first national convention. I attended as a Ronald Reagan delegate from California at the ripe old age of 22. I also attended the next two Republican national conventions, but the 1976 one was the most exciting.

The Daily Signal has posted an article on the 1976 Republican National Convention.

They begin it with:

The magic number needed to capture the Republican presidential nomination in 1976 was 1,130 delegates, and Ronald Reagan was oh so close as the national convention prepared to convene. 

After losing six straight primaries to President Gerald Ford early in the year, Reagan had come roaring back, attacking Ford for his weak foreign policy and deficit spending and winning the crucial North Carolina primary with help from Sen. Jesse Helms. Reagan achieved a political resurrection and posed the most serious challenge to an incumbent Republican president since 1912 when Theodore Roosevelt had taken on William Howard Taft.

To read more, go here. 

Jane Barnett, Former L.A. County GOP Chair, Passes Away

The Northridge-Chatsworth Patch reported today that Jane Barnett, former chairperson of the Los Angeles County Republican Party passed away this morning.

They wrote:

Former Chairman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County, Jane Barnett, passed away this morning at approximately 8:00am. 

Jane Barnett had an extensive political career.  She was, most recently, the Chairman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County from 2009 - 2011.   

Prior to that she was a candidate for the 43rd Assembly District in Los Angeles County and she was chair of the 43rd Assembly District Republican Central Committee. 

She also served as the First Vice President of the Glendale-Burbank Republican Club and was a member of several Republican Women Federated clubs.

I knew Jane back in the 1970s when I was chairman of the Young Republicans of El Camino College and first V.P. of the Los Angeles County Young Republicans. I got along fine with Jane, but we (those of us of the conservative faction of the California Young Republicans) had some political differences with her husband Lou back in those days, especially when former Gov. Ronald Reagan challenged President Gerald Ford for the 1976 GOP presidential nomination (in which he did all he could to prevent a Reagan endorsement from the California Young Republicans and disruptions at L.A. County YR meetings) and when he led a splinter group in the Los Angeles County Young Republicans. That rift lasted years.

According to my sources, the cause of death was cancer. Condolences go out to the Barnett family.

To read more, go here.

Nixon Library & Birthplace Celebrates 23 Years

Above, four presidents and first ladies gather for the opening of the Nixon Library & Birthplace.

It was a hot day on July 19, 1990 in Yorba Linda, California.  

I was there for the opening ceremonies of the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace.  Along with former President Nixon, President George H. W. Bush, former Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan were on hand.  I even caught a glimpse of comedian Bob Hope.

The Nixon Foundation posted:

On July 19, 1990, more than 50,000 people accompanied President and Mrs. Nixon and three U.S. Presidents to dedicate his Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda, California. 

“Nothing we have ever seen matches this moment – to be welcomed home again so warmly by our friends in California,” Richard Nixon said at the dedication. 

“It’s a long way from Yorba Linda to the White House,” he added, referring to his tremendous journey. 

The Nixon Library has been telling his story for 23 years – the story of a man who rose from humble beginnings to become the 37^th President and one of the important statesmen of the 20^th century.

I have a home video (taken with a bulky Zenith VHS camcorder) of the proceedings.

For more on the Nixon Foundation, go here.

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?

Betty Ford Dies At 93

I just received this:

Betty Ford, 93, a self-proclaimed "ordinary" woman who never cared for political life but made a liberating adventure out of her 30 months as first lady, died Friday, The Washington Post has confirmed.

For more go here.

Remembering Lyn Nofziger

It is hard to believe it is almost five years (March 27, 2006) since Ronald Reagan aide Lyn Nofziger passed away.

Matt Lewis & The News posted a tribute to Nofziger today in commemoration.

In it, Lewis wrote:

Nofziger, the rumpled old reporter turned Reagan aide, was the man who addressed the press – and kept Americans calm – after the assassination attempt on President Reagan (Reagan’s press secretary, James Brady, was shot in the attempt).

I remember those times. I also sent Nofziger a letter thanking him for the job he did during those hectic hours following the shooting of President Reagan. Somewhere in my file cabinet, I have the reply letter from Nofziger (on White House stationery) thanking me for mine.

Lewis posted a collection (or, "greatest hits" as Lewis called them) of Nofziger's quotes in his article.

There is one Nofziger "greatest hit" that I witnessed and remember with fondness.

It happened during the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri when former Governor Reagan challenged President Gerald Ford for the GOP presidential nomination. Every morning during the convention, the California Delegation (I was a California Delegate at age 22) would hold a delegation meeting for strategy and information from the officials of the Citizens For Reagan campaign as we were the home delegation for Reagan.

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

At one meeting, Nofziger was addressing the delegation and during the question and answer portion, he was asked, "What should our demeanor be towards the Ford people?"

Without missing a beat, Nofziger replied, "Da meaner, da better!" The whole delegation broke out in laughter.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/25/lyn-nofziger-a-reagan-aide-remembered/#ixzz1HeeIb7a7

Sarah Palin Moving Towards Presidential Run In 2012

ABC News is reporting that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is considering a presidential run in 2012.

According to ABC:

Sarah Palin says she is seriously considering a run for the White House, and she believes she could beat President Obama in 2012, the former Alaska governor told ABC News' Barbara Walters.

"I'm looking at the lay of the land now, and ... trying to figure that out, if it's a good thing for the country, for the discourse, for my family, if it's a good thing," Palin said in an interview scheduled to air in full Dec. 9 on ABC as part of Walters' "10 Most Fascinating People" of 2010.

Asked Walters: "If you ran for president, could you beat Barack Obama?"

"I believe so," Palin said.

This brings me back to 1975 when former California Governor Ronald Reagan was making noises about challenging President Gerald Ford for the 1976 GOP nomination. At first, Reagan was coy. But he eventually threw his hat into the ring and came within arm's length to beat Ford at the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. I was a California Reagan delegate at that convention and at the 1980 GOP Convention in Detroit, Michigan and the 1984 GOP Convention in Dallas, Texas.


Above, President Reagan signs invitations for the 1980 California Delgation at a White House reception in June, 1982. I am in the background at left just above someone's white shoulder.

Palin's statement goes much further than Reagan's position and it is much earlier.

Ford, of course, was defeated by Jimmy Carter. Here we have somewhat a similar parallel. Carter became unpopular due to his policies and his handling of the Iranian hostage situation. Obama's election in 2008 has been described as being "Jimmy Carter's second term." While their policies have some similarities, Obama is a pure ideologue (he believes in his policies), whereas Carter was a bungling buffoon. Reagan beat Carter in 1980 in a landslide.

While I am not saying that Sarah Palin is the "second coming of Ronald Reagan," but she also has a way of speaking over the heads of the media like Reagan did to connect with voters. She uses Twitter and Facebook extensively.

At the end of the 2008 campaign, I wrote "To Governor Palin" on this blog. In it, I made some suggestions:

1. Continue to be an excellent governor of Alaska. Build up your record of accomplishment and reform.

2. Travel. When possible, keep connected to the Republicans around the country. Visit foreign countries and meet with foreign leaders. Build up your foreign policy credentials.

3. Follow the Reagan Model: Start a political action commmittee similar to Reagan's Citizens For The Republic to express your views and as a platform for supporting mid-term candidates. Start a weekly radio commentary program. Raise funds.

On number one, we all know that Palin resigned as governor due to harassing lawsuits (she had to pay her own legal expenses out-of-pocket). While I feel that resigning was a mistake, I do understand why. Initially, she may have hurt herself politically, but seems to have bounced back.




On number three, she formed Sarah PAC to raise funds for her political travels and to support candidates during the mid-term elections. Most of candidates she supported won their races and she has accumulated a number of political I.O.U.s. She is a commentator at Fox News and her show, "Sarah Palin's Alaska" (above, right) was a record-setting ratings draw for the network carrying it.

On number two, Palin still needs to travel abroad to meet world leaders and educate herself on foreign policy. She has plenty of time to accomplish this. Reagan, during his pre-presidential years, traveled abroad frequently, sometimes as a personal envoy for President Nixon. Palin needs to build up her foreign policy credentials. I am pleased to see she has started doing so. Palin delivered world-affairs speech fourteen months ago in Hong Kong.*

At present, I am inclined to support Palin. Her views are a close match with Ronald Reagan's and she has a deft way of turning a phrase almost as well. Reagan's son Michael decribed Palin as a "reincarnation" of his father in 2008.

If Palin avoids any gaffes in the next several months, she has a good shot at the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. We'll wait and see what transpires.

To read the full ABC News article, go here.


*Source: New York Times.