1976 REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

In 1976 the Republicans held their convention in Kansas City
in the Kemp Arena. A friend of mine obtained two passes from an Akron TV station that didn't have reporters covering the conventionm so my friend Dave Seffens and I went to the convention as TV reporters.

In fact 6 of use went to the Convention. Dave Seffens had a cousin who had an apartment in Kansas City and he would be on vacation that week. He allowed all six of us to stay in his apartment that week.

This is NOT a polical story, but it is about the humor behind the scenes at the convention. The rules were that reporters could be on the convention floor for 15 minutes at a time and then had to relinquish his time on the floor to another reporter.

One time when I was on the floor interviewing a delegate from Mississippi, Dan Rather (the famous newscaster) was interviewing another delegate right behind me (back to back). My wife called me and asked "who was that guy behind you?" That was funny, because millions of people were asking "who was that guy behind Dan Rather?"

After our time on the floor, Dave Seffens and I left the floor to go up the steps to our seats. Dave was ahead of me when Henry Kissinger was coming down the steps. Dave Seffens shook his hand and I ignored Mr. Kissinger. Imagine, an average American ignoring the Secretary of State!

Our seats were about 5 rows behind Mrs Ford, Gerald Ford's wife. She was sitting with Tony Orlando, the singer from Tony Orlando andd Dawn! Behind her was Governor Connelly, the Governor of Texas and the guy in the front seat of the limo when President was assassinated!

As we sat down, music started playing the song "California here I Come" as Mrs. Reagan entered the Arena at the other  end. Mrs. Ford was a show girl at one time, so she wanted the cameras focused on her. She grabbed Tony Orlando by the end and went to the aisle and started to dance a swing dance with Tony, so the cameras switched away from Mrs. Reagan and over to Mrs. Ford at our side of the arena.

Shortly after that Vice President Rockefeller entered the convention floor surrounded by the Secret Service. He was carrying a can of beer in his hand and as he walked by the West Virginia delegation, he grabbed a Reagan sign from one of the delegates and though it on the floor. That delegate looked like he was about to punch the V.P., when the Secret Service jumped in and protected Rockefeller.

As the Convention progressed, it finally came time to nominate a candidate to run for President. The voting started and by the time the vote came to the Texas delegation, Ford had enough votes to secure the nomination. Texas was a Reagan state, so the chairman of the delegate said "The Great State of Texas casts its votes for Roger Staubach"

Laughter and cheers broke out because Roger Staubach was the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys!

Across from the Arena, President Ford's Limo was parked and guarded by the Secret Service. Notice that the Limo was parked in front of a Porno Movie Shop. We thought that was quite humorous!

Politics can be humorous some times. Only in America!