Gerald R. Ford photo

Remarks Following a Meeting With Southern Republican Leaders.

September 16, 1976

I HAVE some very outstanding leaders of the Republican Party from a very important area of the country. As you will recall, when I was in Vail I said we were going to have a national campaign. Some of you doubted it. I want to repeat it, and I will give you some evidence of what we are going to do to show the good faith of that comment.

On Saturday, September 25, we are going to fly from here to Louisiana, and we will board a Mississippi river boat, the Natchez, and we will go on a riverboat trip from that point in Louisiana down to New Orleans, spend the night in New Orleans. And on Sunday, the 26th, we will drive from New Orleans through Mississippi, through Alabama, and we will get to Florida Sunday night, the 26th. And we will stay overnight in Florida that night, and on the following Monday morning, I will speak to the National Association of Police Chiefs, in Miami, I believe.

I think this is the best evidence that what I said, I meant--that we would have a national campaign; we were going to seek full support from the States in the South. And here, alongside of me, are the Republican State chairmen from those Southern States.

We have with us Paula Unruh, the State chairman of the State of Oklahoma. But before I leave--and Paula and the others will answer questions--let me just say we will see you on the boat.

Note: The President spoke at 4:29 p.m. to reporters assembled in the Briefing Room at the White House.

Following the President's remarks, a news briefing on the meeting was held for reporters by Charles Pickering, Mississippi State Republican chairman, Paula Unruh, Oklahoma State Republican chairman, and Harry Dent, adviser for Southern politics, President Ford Committee.

Gerald R. Ford, Remarks Following a Meeting With Southern Republican Leaders. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/242729

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