It was a quiet national news scene last weekall the way through Monday morning. At that point, things began to happen. Former California Governor Ronald Reagan convened his expected press conference at noon E.D.T., then proceeded to stun his party and the nation with the unexpected: his bold, perhaps desperate gamble for needed convention votes by naming liberal Pennsylvania Senator Richard Schweiker as his vice-presidential running mate. By midweek, the word was flowing in by telephone and telex from our correspondents: Reagan had angered conservatives; yet he had failed to attract moderates. His bizarre gamble had not worked. TIME's editors decided...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
