THE V.P. CANDIDATE: The Dote Decision

In his selection of Robert Dole as his running mate, Gerald Ford accomplished a tour de force of political theater: he surprised almost everyone (Dole included), and offended almost no one in the party's mainstream. Liberals in general and some moderate Republicans were disappointed by the choice. But even they acknowledged that Ford's problem was choosing someone who would appease the Reaganites without blatantly antagonizing other Republicans. Thus, once Ford unveiled his choice, politicos who only hours before had been touting "short lists" on which...

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