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This detail is often ignored by deceitful [[progressive]] historians including [[Princeton University]] professor Kevin M. Kruse who spew some inaccurate portrayals of civil rights history by ignoring certain contexts.<ref>https://twitter.com/KevinMKruse/status/1384152012011409417</ref>

This detail is often ignored by deceitful [[progressive]] historians including [[Princeton University]] professor Kevin M. Kruse who spew some inaccurate portrayals of civil rights history by ignoring certain contexts.<ref>https://twitter.com/KevinMKruse/status/1384152012011409417</ref>

He was considered for years as one of the most [[conservative]] members of the Senate. But in 1976, Tower began to alienate many conservatives by his support of [[Gerald Ford]], rather than [[Ronald Reagan]] in the 1976 Republican presidential primaries. Reagan won every Texas delegate in the Texas Republican presidential primary and four at-large delegates chosen at the state convention, but he narrowly lost the party nomination to Ford at the convention held that year in [[Kansas City]], [[Missouri]] though Ford was ultimately unseated by [[Jimmy Carter]]. [[Ernest Angelo, Jr.]], one of three co-chairmen of the 1976 Reagan campaign in Texas and a former mayor of [[Midland]], recalls a visit with Tower in 1975, when Angelo informed Tower that he would be working in the Reagan campaign. Angelo recalls Tower as having told him that supporting Reagan would be a "dumb thing to do".<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) (since known as the ''West Texas Historical Review''), p. 85.</ref> At the time, all Republican U.S. senators except [[Jesse Helms]] of [[North Carolina]] and [[Paul Laxalt]] of [[Nevada]] were committed to Ford. Tower blamed Ford's defeat in Texas on "[[Dixiecrat]]s ... the Reagan organization, aided by former [[George Wallace]] leaders, made a concerted and obviously successful effort to get the Wallace vote in the Republican primary. In addition, some section of Ford's defense and foreign policy alienated some voters who may otherwise have cast their ballot for the president."<ref>''The Laredo Morning Times'', May 2, 1976.</ref>

He was considered for years as one of the most [[conservative]] members of the Senate. However, Tower began to alienate many conservatives in 1976 with his support of [[Gerald Ford]] rather than [[Ronald Reagan]] in the Republican presidential primaries that year. Reagan won every Texas delegate in the Texas Republican presidential primary and four at-large delegates chosen at the state convention, but he narrowly lost the party nomination to Ford at the convention held that year in [[Kansas City]], [[Missouri]] though Ford was ultimately unseated by [[Jimmy Carter]]. [[Ernest Angelo, Jr.]], one of three co-chairmen of the 1976 Reagan campaign in Texas and a former mayor of [[Midland]], recalls a visit with Tower in 1975, when Angelo informed Tower that he would be working in the Reagan campaign. Angelo recalls Tower as having told him that supporting Reagan would be a "dumb thing to do".<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) (since known as the ''West Texas Historical Review''), p. 85.</ref> At the time, all Republican U.S. senators except [[Jesse Helms]] of [[North Carolina]] and [[Paul Laxalt]] of [[Nevada]] were committed to Ford. Tower blamed Ford's defeat in Texas on "[[Dixiecrat]]s ... the Reagan organization, aided by former [[George Wallace]] leaders, made a concerted and obviously successful effort to get the Wallace vote in the Republican primary. In addition, some section of Ford's defense and foreign policy alienated some voters who may otherwise have cast their ballot for the president."<ref>''The Laredo Morning Times'', May 2, 1976.</ref>

By virtue of their primary defeat, the Texas Ford supporters, including former state Senator [[Cyndi Taylor Krier]], were shut out of the national convention in Kansas City. Angelo recalls Tower as having "begged" for a delegate slot because he was a U.S. senator and was supposed to be the Ford floor leader at the convention. Angelo said that Tower could have been a delegate if he were to support Reagan, an impossible stipulation. Tower hence was not a delegate to the 1976 convention because Angelo was mindful that a close convention showdown 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." Tower had campaigned for Angelo in the latter's unsuccessful race in 1968 for the Texas State Senate. As time passed though, Tower alienated the conservative wing of his party with his support for legalized [[abortion]] and opposition to Reagan's [[Strategic Defense Initiative]].<ref>Hathorn, "Mayor Ernest Angelo", pg. 86.</ref> Barbara Staff, the Reagan co-chairman for Dallas County and North Texas, recalls that Tower spent much of his time at the convention with the closely divided [[Mississippi]] delegation and did not address the phalanx of Reagan backers in his own state's delegation. Among the Reagan backers was Betty Andujar of Fort Worth, the first Republican woman to serve in the State Senate.<ref>"Convention Notes: No love lost between Texans, [[Betty Ford]]", ''Dallas Morning News'', August 19, 1976, pg. 6A.</ref>

By virtue of their primary defeat, the Texas Ford supporters, including former state Senator [[Cyndi Taylor Krier]], were shut out of the national convention in Kansas City. Angelo recalls Tower as having "begged" for a delegate slot because he was a U.S. senator and was supposed to be the Ford floor leader at the convention. Angelo said that Tower could have been a delegate if he were to support Reagan, an impossible stipulation. Tower hence was not a delegate to the 1976 convention because Angelo was mindful that a close convention showdown 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." Tower had campaigned for Angelo in the latter's unsuccessful race in 1968 for the Texas State Senate. As time passed though, Tower alienated the conservative wing of his party with his support for legalized [[abortion]] and opposition to Reagan's [[Strategic Defense Initiative]].<ref>Hathorn, "Mayor Ernest Angelo", pg. 86.</ref> Barbara Staff, the Reagan co-chairman for Dallas County and North Texas, recalls that Tower spent much of his time at the convention with the closely divided [[Mississippi]] delegation and did not address the phalanx of Reagan backers in his own state's delegation. Among the Reagan backers was Betty Andujar of Fort Worth, the first Republican woman to serve in the State Senate.<ref>"Convention Notes: No love lost between Texans, [[Betty Ford]]", ''Dallas Morning News'', August 19, 1976, pg. 6A.</ref>