Delgaudio and Ronald Reagan Forever

Delgaudio Salutes Reagan

June 6, 2004
"America was founded by people who believe that God was their rock of
safety. I recognize we must be cautious in claiming that God is on our
side, but I think it's all right to keep asking if we're on His side
(President Ronald Reagan, January 25, 1984)

"Without God there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the
conscience....without God there is a coarsening of the society; whithout
God democracy will not and cannot long endure...If we ever forget that we
are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under." (President
Ronald Reagan, Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast, Dallas, Texas)

Dear Fellow American and Delegate to the 10th District convention:

One week to go to the 10th district Convention, please allow me to mark the passing of Ronald Reagan, who served our country well with his principles of conservatism and spectacular leadership.

No President has taken on Communism, the entire liberal Establishment and the
federal Government itself as Ronald Reagan did.

He shaped the way conservatives run for public office and proved
conservative philosophies to be popular and durable. The Reagan principles
still are.

Most everyone I speak to has their favorite Reagan story or remembrance.

I have some experiences due to a devotion to Reagan and his principles,
similar to many other "Reaganites" who worked for Reagan.

I met my wife Sheila, married for 34 years, when she interned for now Republican
National Committee Member Morton Blackwell who served as a top Reagan
aide at the White House.

(YES, I married a White House intern.)

Ronald Reagan brought many Americans together and he also brought my wife
and me together back in 1982. Sheila worked in the Reagan White House and I
worked for the Reagan policies prior to his election and during his 8 years.

I first became a supporter of Ronald Reagan in 1972, as part of draft
Reagan group and then in 1976 as national chairman of College Students for
Reagan, traveling to 7 states.

At the same time, in 1976, I took on another major Reagan-related
responsibility, working also with Ronald Reagan's traveling party on a
daily basis as he attempted to win the nomination against then President
Gerald Ford. Reagan and his team counted on me and I never let them down.

I worked day and night for both official and independent efforts to elect
Reagan. Since I did not get paid one penny, it was okay as a pure volunteer.

It took $10,000 to fund mailings, hotel and gas for all the volunteers and
you can imagine that I must leave out a lot.

No matter the daily adventures, Ronald Reagan personally needed a particular chore
done every evening exactly at 10 p.m. by me (cliping New York City papers that were
published at 10 p.m.the night before their distribution but available for sale)
and painsakingly sending them through a now ancient "telecopy machine" which
took hours to where ever the presidential candidate was.

During the Reagan Presidential years, I was involved in every major political battle.

When Reagan arrived at the 1988 Republican national convention, at the end
of his two four year terms, America was not ready to let him retire.

Of course, we know now his health issues, but to all of us he was a robust
energetic fellow who we loved dearly.

I led the almost successful attempt to nominate Ronald Reagan for Vice-President under the
first George Bush. Thank you in advance for allowing me to tell you about it.

EVEN TODAY, THE REAGAN FOR VICE-PRESIDENT DRAFT IS REMEMBERED

Reagan's passing years ago has not changed how much America loved him.

The draft Reagan for Vice-president was launched by surprise and for 72
hours dominated the 1988 convention headlines.

The delegates were overwhelmingly and most publicly in support of Reagan
being nominated.

At every event and in every corner of the convention, delegates hoisted
signs DRAFT REAGAN or held a pre-printed signs by the thousands "REAGAN FOR
VP 1988".

The hope of the Reagan for Vice president effort was to 1. express a devotion
to the man and his policies and 2. prevent a liberal from being nominated for
VP.

A majority of delegates announced they were IN FAVOR on the record during various
functions that, indeed, they were going to vote for Reagan for Vice President.

Only the announcement of Indiana Senator Dan Quayle early Tuesday morning stopped the
formal roll call that would have nominated both Bush, as President and
Reagan, as Vice-president.

I worked with hundreds of people on this at the national convention and it is an example

of conservatives from all over working together at the national convention in unity.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE REAGAN EXPERIENCE, QUOTE OR POLICY?

Here is a link to the official Reagan website.

On the Net: Reagan Library official Web site:

https://reaganlibrary.archives.gov/

Do you have a favorite quote,joke, meeting with Reagan, speech or policy

that you would like for me to pass on? Thank you.

Send it to me at [email protected] and I will send it out and post
it at www.joineugene.com

DELGAUDIO RECEIVES REAGAN AWARD FOR COURAGE, 2001

See the CSPAN VIDEO AS DELGAUDIO REACTS TO REAGAN AWARD.

One more story. I was named in 2001 as an elected official who follows the
Reagan principles. I do not take it for granted.

On February 13, 2001 I received the First Annual Ronald Reagan Award for
Courage from the Conservative Forum of Northern Virginia. Here's what I
wrote subscribers then:

(quote) "....There were 150 supporters crammed into a nearby hotel. There
were many elected officials from around the region. And there were members
of the news media present.....

National C-SPAN TV Channel 3 has broadcast twice the Sunday Conservative
Forum dinner featuring a keynote by former Attorney General Ed Meese, my
acceptance speech, and Delegate Richard Black's riveting speech......

I stressed in my acceptance speech that I will never forget who put me in
as Supervisor and who can take me out.

Voters fed up with the high cost of reckless spending and high taxes. Voters fed up with elected officials who they never hear from. Voters fed up with liberal politicians who believe
there is no government program that they can say "no" to......

It is an honor to have my remarks broadcast to a national audience. My
remarks are possible because of your own continued commitment to sound
principles and open government." (unquote)

I was honored in 2001 along with then-Delegate Dick Black and you
can view both Dick Black and I together for the first time on a Reagan
dinner dais here on C-span.

See the Video online now:

The line up is Jim Taylor, Ed Meese, John Shepard who introduces me, then
me, then Dick Black. I am at the 35 minute mark

http://www.c-span.org/video/?162545-1/ronald-reagan-birthday-dinner