Changes

None of the Ford supporters from Texas were delegates to the national convention in Kansas City. Angelo recalls Tower as having "begged" him to allocate a delegate slot for the Senator. Angelo said that Tower could be a delegate if he were committed to supporting Reagan, an impossible condition for Tower because of his longstanding commitment to President Ford. Tower hence was not a delegate to the 1976 convention because Angelo was mindful that a close convention contest could have been decided by a handful of delegate votes. Angelo said that he always personally liked and admired Tower though they disagreed on some issues: "John was the best extemporaneous speaker and solid as a rock on most issues."<ref name="hathorn"/>  As time passed though, Tower alienated the conservative wing of his party with his support for [[abortion]] and opposition to Reagan's [[Strategic Defense Initiative]].<ref>[[John Tower]], ''Consequences: A Personal and Political Memoir'' ([[Boston, Massachusetts]]: Little Brown and Company, 1991), pp. 42, 118–119.</ref> Tower did not seek a fifth term in 1984 and was succeeded by [[Phil Gramm]], a former [[economics]] [[professor]] at [[Texas A&M University]] in College Station.<ref name="hathorn"/>

None of the Ford supporters from Texas were delegates to the national convention in Kansas City. Angelo recalls Tower as having "begged" him to allocate a delegate slot for the Senator. Angelo said that Tower could be a delegate if he were committed to supporting Reagan, an impossible condition for Tower because of his longstanding commitment to President Ford. Tower hence was not a delegate to the 1976 convention because Angelo was mindful that a close convention contest could have been decided by a handful of delegate votes. Angelo said that he always personally liked and admired Tower though they disagreed on some issues: "John was the best extemporaneous speaker and solid as a rock on most issues."<ref name="hathorn"/>  As time passed though, Tower alienated the conservative wing of his party with his support for [[abortion]] and opposition to Reagan's [[Strategic Defense Initiative]].<ref>[[John Tower]], ''Consequences: A Personal and Political Memoir'' ([[Boston, Massachusetts]]: Little Brown and Company, 1991), pp. 42, 118–119.</ref> Tower did not seek a fifth term in 1984 and was succeeded by [[Phil Gramm]], a former [[economics]] [[professor]] at [[Texas A&M University]] in College Station.<ref name="hathorn"/>

Angelo recalls having attempted to mediate a political dispute between Tower and his 1972 intraparty rival, state Senator [[Henry Grover]] of Houston, the party's gubernatorial nominee against Democrat [[Dolph Briscoe]] of Uvalde. Grover wanted to install Angelo as state party chairman to replace the Tower partisan, George Williford of Austin. Angelo arranged a meeting in a Houston hotel between Tower and Grover, and the two got into a shouting match and nearly came to blows. "Hank was his own worst enemy. He couldn't get along, let personal things interfere in the political realm," recalls Angelo. In retrospect, Angelo theorizes that the 1972 division within the Texas GOP delayed the election of the first Republican governor, Bill Clements in 1978, beyond what otherwismay have been possible.<ref name="hathorn"/>

Angelo recalls having attempted to mediate a political dispute between Tower and his 1972 intraparty rival, state Senator [[Henry C. Grover]] of Houston, the party's gubernatorial nominee against Democrat [[Dolph Briscoe]] of Uvalde. Grover wanted to install Angelo as state party chairman to replace the Tower partisan, George Williford of Austin. Angelo arranged a meeting in a Houston hotel between Tower and Grover, and the two got into a shouting match and nearly came to blows. "Hank was his own worst enemy. He couldn't get along, let personal things interfere in the political realm," recalls Angelo. In retrospect, Angelo theorizes that the 1972 division within the Texas GOP delayed the election of the first Republican governor, Bill Clements in 1978, beyond what otherwismay have been possible.<ref name="hathorn"/>

Angelo's tenure as mayor corresponded partly with that of [[Jim Reese]] in Odessa. When veteran Democratic U.S. Representative [[George H. Mahon]] of [[Lubbock]] retired, an open election developed for the seat in 1978. Reese entered the Republican primary; so did 31-year-old [[George W. Bush]], son [[George Herbert Walker Bush]], the man would become vice president two years later. Bush won the primary and then lost the general election to then Democrat (later Republican) Kent Hance, subsequently a Texas railroad commissioner, the chancellor of [[Texas Tech University]], and a particularly successful [[lobbyist]] but never a governor or U.S. senator. Angelo stayed out of the Reese-Bush primary, for he had developed good relations with both men.<ref name="hathorn"/>

Angelo's tenure as mayor corresponded partly with that of [[Jim Reese]] in Odessa. When veteran Democratic U.S. Representative George Herman Mahon (1900-1985) of [[Lubbock]] retired, an open election developed for the seat in 1978. Reese entered the Republican primary; so did 31-year-old [[George W. Bush]], son [[George Herbert Walker Bush]], the man would become vice president two years later. Bush won the primary and then lost the general election to then Democrat (later Republican) Kent Hance, subsequently a Texas railroad commissioner, the chancellor of [[Texas Tech University]], and a particularly successful [[lobbyist]] but never a governor or U.S. senator. Angelo stayed out of the Reese-Bush primary, for he had developed good relations with both men.<ref name="hathorn"/>

In the 1980 Republican presidential campaign, Angelo again worked for Reagan, having been the deputy Reagan-Bush chairman under Governor Clements as well as campaign manager of the 1980 general election campaign in Texas. At the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Angelo was chairman of the National Advisory Board for Reagan-Bush. He was chairman of the Texas delegation in 1980 and 1984.<ref name=potash>{{cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=46661932&ticker=ICP:CN&previousCapId=45248855&previousTitle=IC%20POTASH%20CORP|title=Ernest Angelo, Jr., B.Sc.|publisher=investing.businessweek.com|accessdate=March 10, 2011}}</ref>

In the 1980 Republican presidential campaign, Angelo again worked for Reagan, having been the deputy Reagan-Bush chairman under Governor Clements as well as campaign manager of the 1980 general election campaign in Texas. At the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Angelo was chairman of the National Advisory Board for Reagan-Bush. He was chairman of the Texas delegation in 1980 and 1984.<ref name=potash>{{cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=46661932&ticker=ICP:CN&previousCapId=45248855&previousTitle=IC%20POTASH%20CORP|title=Ernest Angelo, Jr., B.Sc.|publisher=investing.businessweek.com|accessdate=March 10, 2011}}</ref>