Whistlestop: Presidential History and Trivia

Ford, Reagan, and the Halloween Massacre

Thumbing his nose at both courtesy and convention, Ronald Reagan challenged incumbent Gerald Ford for the GOP presidential nomination in 1976. But why would Reagan run against a sitting president of his own party? On this episode of Whistlestop, Slate's political correspondent John Dickerson gives the background of the Gipper's ascendency to hero status in the conservative movement.
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John Dickerson of Slate’s Political Gabfest revisits a moment from the American carnival of politics. Hear about the grand speeches, emergency strategies, baby kissing, and backstabbing that make each presidential cycle so fascinating.