White House Diaries

Wednesday, July 25, 1984

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Left at 9:35 A.M. for Austin Texas. Sen. John Tower, former Gov’s. Clements, Connally & Shivers, & V.P. George B. joined me there for outdoor rally before 27,000 people. I believe most were Dems. but they behaved like the most enthusiastic Repubs. I’ve ever seen. Cong. Phil Gramm there also. Back stage Bill Clements gave me a diatribe on how our campaign in Texas was a failure. I believe he’s unhappy about Sen. Tower being Chairman & I believe he thinks Tower is slated to be Sec. of Defense & that’s what Bill wants to be. The rally was a tremendous success. At a hotel later I met with a group of “Texans For Reagan Bush”—some Dems. others Repub. Then it was back on the plane & off for Atlanta Ga. There at 5:45 met a meeting of Southern Repub. leaders. Brief speech & up to my room for dinner & bed. Thurs. A.M. departed for the Cumberland Mall where a crowd almost as big as the one in Austin held an outdoor rally in suffocating heat but they were just as enthused as the Texans. In both talks I laid into the D. Convention as not being representative of the rank & file Demos. Then it was on to N.J. In Elizabeth to a large outdoor rally again heavily Democratic I was interrupted by cheers about every line. Then the 20 yr. Dem. Mayor endorsed me for re-election. After that we helicoptered to Hoboken where Frank Sinatra joined us. He was baptized in St. Anne’s Church where they were having the 74th St. Anne Celebration. The crowd was largely female & Italian but they let me know they were for me. In all the appearances in the 2 days there were signs—“Women for Reagan”—plus E.R.A. signs “Elect Reagan Again.” Then back to the W.H. Only 2 days but it seemed like a week we got so much done.