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Reagan's unaccustomed role as a healer of political divisions was much in evidence at the convention. After a dozen years of ardently wooing the party, he had the nomination in his grasp, and he was not about to let the party splinter as it did in 1964. During the primary campaign, Reagan complained to reporters that they were incorrectly perpetuating "the notion that [in his films] I never got the girl in the end. In fact, I was usually the steady, sincere suitor—the one the girl finally turned to."
Thus when the G.O.P. turned to him at last, Reagan cautiously avoided Goldwater's mistake of coming on too strong. Instead of extremism, Reagan seemed to be telling the faithful, It is pragmatism that is no vice. At his request, the far-right spokesmen held down their rhetoric. Anti-ERA Leader Phyllis Schlafly was very quiet, unusually so. Fundamentalist Preacher Jerry Falwell, whose Moral Majority organization has registered 2 million new voters, made no ringing speeches. Even former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who is anathema to the extreme right, was welcomed with applause when he appeared on the podium. This time, said Pennsylvania's Thornburgh, the Republicans have no desire to "leave the battlefield littered with the wounded from an ideological tong war."
The convention opened with an outpouring of oratory and patriotic pageantry. Pat Boone led the Pledge of Allegiance. Glen Campbell and Tanya Tucker (whose living arrangements might not please pro-family delegates) sang the national anthem. Billy Graham gave the first evening's invocation. Then the speakers got down to the main order of business: indicting Jimmy Carter for weak leadership, bad judgment and general ineptitude. William Simon, who was Treasury Secretary in the Nixon and Ford Administrations, blamed Carter for high inflation, high interest rates and high unemployment. Said Simon: "Surely, this Administration will go down in history as the worst stewards of the American economy in our lifetime."
The most blistering attack—and the best received by the delegates on opening night—came from Gerald Ford, who accused Carter of having "sold America short" and of having "given up on the presidency." Ford clearly relished getting even with Carter for having attacked Ford in 1976 because of what Carter dubbed the "misery index"—the sum of the inflation and unemployment rates. It was then 12%. Said Ford: "Just two months ago, it was 24%—twice as high. That's twice as many reasons that Jimmy Carter has got to go." Continued Ford: "You've all heard Carter's alibis: inflation cannot be controlled. The world has changed. We can no longer protect our diplomats in foreign capitals, nor our workingmen on Detroit's assembly lines. We must lower our expectations. We must be realistic. We must prudently retreat. Baloney!"