Word: podium
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...defeated Reagan had much to do with the reconciliation. About an hour after he was nominated, Ford at 1:30 a.m. visited Reagan's suite, where the challenger promised to campaign for the President in the fall. Then, after his acceptance speech, Ford brought his opponent down to the podium to have the last word?a wise peacemaking gesture...
...reserve in case the Reaganites flooded the floor with red and yellow hats to confuse the Ford floor operation. Nor had the Reagan plotters ever been able to unleash their "S.T.P." operation, in which any ruling from the chair that seemed unfair would be challenged by a "storm the podium" deluge of fist-waving protests and jeers, in an effort to turn the delegates against Ford's controlling convention officials...
...fittingly, one of the President's finest hours. The ovation that greeted his appearance on the podium carried a rousing ring of enthusiasm. Speaking with unaccustomed fervor and a punchy delivery, the President effectively assailed, by biting implication, his Democratic opponent, Jimmy Carter. "We will build on performance, not promises; experience, not expediency; real progress instead of mysterious plans to be revealed in some dim and distant future." At another point he jabbed: "My record is one of specifics, not smiles...
After his speech, Ford motioned to his vanquished foe in the guest galleries to join him and Betty on the podium. When Reagan and Nancy had entered the hall earlier to a resounding ovation, there were rhythmic cries of "Speech! Speech! Speech!" Invited to the podium by Chairman Rhodes, Reagan initially declined. "This is someone else's night," he said to friends. But now he responded to Ford's beckoning. As he moved through the packed arena with Nancy, then took the microphone at Ford's bidding, the eyes of many delegates shimmered with tears...
JOHN RHODES, 59, House Minority Leader, who, as permanent chairman of the convention, will have the power to recognize delegates and make rulings that could prove decisive. Rhodes will thus be the most powerful figure on the podium-until the nominee mounts it to deliver his acceptance speech. A genuine intellectual and the first Republican elected to the House from Arizona, he will rule on any disputes that may arise between the forces supporting President Ford and Challenger Ronald Reagan. The most crucial one could be over whether delegates must vote for the candidate they were chosen to support...