Changes

==Working to nominate Reagan==

==Working to nominate Reagan==

Staff was the president of a group called the Council of Republican Women's Clubs of Dallas County, from which position she launched a successful membership program known as "I Believe."<ref name=calhoun>Ron Calhoun, "Reagan forces gearing for North Texas campaign," the defunct ''Dallas Times Herald'', December 21, 1975, p. F1.</ref> In December 1975, Staff, Angelo, and Ray Barnhart attended the two-day Southern Republican Conference in [[Austin]], hosted by state party chairman Ray Hutchison of Dallas. Then [[U.S. President]] [[Gerald Ford]], himself absent from the gathering, was represented by his first campaign manager, former U.S. Representative Howard Hollis "Bo" Callaway, Sr. (1927-2014) of [[Georgia]], [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Nelson Rockefeller]], [[U.S. Senator]] [[John  Tower]] of Texas, and two Cabinet secretaries [[Earl Butz]] and William E. Simon. Also present at the conference was the uncommitted [[John Connally]], the former Democratic [[governor]] of Texas who switched parties in 1973. Connally had been expected to enter the 1976 race as a dark horse contender,<ref>Dave Montgomery, "Ford-Reagan tug-of-war expected at conference," ''Dallas Times Herald'', December 7, 1975, p. A-37.</ref> but he did not run until 1980, when he was compelled to withdraw after losing the [[South Carolina]] [[primary]].

Staff was the president of a group called the Council of Republican Women's Clubs of Dallas County, from which position she launched a successful membership program known as "I Believe."<ref name=calhoun>Ron Calhoun, "Reagan forces gearing for North Texas campaign," ''Dallas Times Herald'', December 21, 1975, p. F1.</ref> In December 1975, Staff, Angelo, and Ray Barnhart attended the two-day Southern Republican Conference in [[Austin]], hosted by state party chairman Ray Hutchison of Dallas. Then [[U.S. President]] [[Gerald Ford]], himself absent from the gathering, was represented by his first campaign manager, former U.S. Representative Howard Hollis "Bo" Callaway, Sr. (1927-2014) of [[Georgia]], [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Nelson Rockefeller]], [[U.S. Senator]] [[John  Tower]] of Texas, and two Cabinet secretaries [[Earl Butz]] and William E. Simon. Also present at the conference was the uncommitted [[John Connally]], the former Democratic [[governor]] of Texas who switched parties in 1973. Connally had been expected to enter the 1976 race as a dark horse contender,<ref>Dave Montgomery, "Ford-Reagan tug-of-war expected at conference," ''Dallas Times Herald'', December 7, 1975, p. A-37.</ref> but he did not run until 1980, when he was compelled to withdraw after losing the [[South Carolina]] [[primary]].

Staff accused President Ford of having "deviated from the conservative mold and had surrounded himself with liberal advisors."<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Mayor Ernest Angelo, Jr., of Midland and the 96-0 Reagan Sweep of Texas, May 1, 1976," ''West Texas Historical Association Yearbook'' Vol. 86 (2010), p. 81.</ref> Staff said that "Ford has deviated more and more from Republican party principles while Reagan stands up for those principles. ... I don't know if it's as much Ford's fault as it is the advisors he has surrounded himself with."<ref name=calhoun/>

Staff accused President Ford of having "deviated from the conservative mold and had surrounded himself with liberal advisors."<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Mayor Ernest Angelo, Jr., of Midland and the 96-0 Reagan Sweep of Texas, May 1, 1976," ''West Texas Historical Association Yearbook'' Vol. 86 (2010), p. 81.</ref> Staff said that "Ford has deviated more and more from Republican party principles while Reagan stands up for those principles. ... I don't know if it's as much Ford's fault as it is the advisors he has surrounded himself with."<ref name=calhoun/>