White House Diaries

Thursday, October 23, 1986

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Off to Wisconsin, Mo., Okla. & Fla. with an overnight in Okla. This was a most successful trip & very rewarding personally. It began with a take off statement to 2,000 people on the S. Lawn. Then it was off to the General Mitchell Field in Milwaukee WI. From there we motored to the Expo Center of Waukesha Co. with Sen. Kasten & his wife. The large arena was jammed—an estimate of 9 or 10,000 very enthusiastic people. Following my speech we went to another room where I did the receiving line photos with top donors. Then it was on to Springfield MO. Met by Carolyn & Kit Bond—Sen. cand. Also Sen. Danforth, and several of our Cong.men. We motored to Southwest Mo. St. U.—again the field house was jammed and part of the audience was U. Students & several high school bands. My 20 min. talk became 34 min. and I was interrupted 49 times. Here the after rally was different—no receiving line, about 30 or 40 donors in a horseshoe arrangement & I visited with them & took Q’s. Then it was on to Okla. We landed at Tinker Air Force base—met by Sen. Don Nickles & wife & former Gov. & new cand. for Gov. Henry Bellman. We went directly to Sheraton for an overnight. At 8 P.M. I phoned Randy Patchett & the audience at his rally in Vienna Ill. He is our Cong. cand. Dinner & Bed. A touch of home. Our advance people had brought 2 framed photos of Nancy one in the living room of my suite & one at bedside.

Fri. morning joined the Nicols [Nickles] for a hand shake & photo session with his major supporters. Then a 30 min. drive with Nicols to the U. of Okla. at Norman. In the U. field house went on the stage before what Senator Nicols said was the largest pol. rally in the history of Okla. Crowd was estimated at 16,000 and they were the most enthusiastic 16,000 I ever saw. It’s wonderful to see these college kids cheer the mention of our “young men & women” in uniform. I think Don Nicols is safe as a cand. I hope Henry Bellman is. Then it was back to A.F.1 & on to Tampa Fla. & the Uni. of South Fla. Sen. Paula Hawkins was on board for the flight. In Fla. we helicoptered to the U. picked up Gov. cand. Mayor (of Tampa) Martinez. Started off with the photo reception for high donors then in to the field house for another rally like the ones in Okla. & Mo. A huge crowd & just as enthusiastic as the others. A couple of demonstrators in the crowd with signs against S.D.I. I had a couple of pages in the speech on S.D.I. that just destroyed them.

Finally A.F.1—Home & Mother. Arrived at Andrews 8:10 P.M.