Remarks During a Visit to the President Ford Committee Headquarters in Charlotte

Let me just take a minute, if I could. First, let me thank every one of you. I have tried to do it personally, but let me reiterate it and reemphasize it to all of you as a group.

We won in New Hampshire because of the tremendous effort of the people like yourselves. You did the phoning and did all of the other difficult chores. We won, coming from behind. It was a total effort, the basis coming from people like yourselves who were volunteers. We had a great many other people, Members of the Congress, that went up there on their own. We had others who volunteered from various walks of life to go up and give us a hand.

Then, of course, was Massachusetts, where we did extremely well; Vermont, where we were entered and the opposition was not. It all helped to accumulate the position where we are in.

Then we went to Florida and again, according to the campaign manager for our opponent, we were behind 2 to 1--33 percent to 66 percent. But because so many people in Florida--and I literally mean this--gave their time and made the effort as volunteers, they turned it all around. We again had a broad spectrum of help and assistance. I went down twice. The momentum got going, and we had a very significant win.

Then we went to Illinois last week, and the momentum that had begun in New Hampshire, that had carried through, really gave us--well 59 to 40 percent. That is not bad.

Now, we've got a real test here in North Carolina. Again, the initial forecast was that we were going to lose. I don't think we are going to lose. I think we are going to win. You know, five is great, but six would look even better. [Laughter]

But the momentum is definitely in our direction. I can foresee nothing but a real victory in Kansas City as a steppingstone, as a clincher for the victory in November. In the meantime, we have to maximize our individual efforts. We are trying to do that, but as we proceed along, let's make sure, let's make positive we keep the party structure so that we can all work together after Kansas City.

That is of maximum importance. We are the minority party, and we have to solidify ourselves. I think we can, and I think we will. And the net result will be a real triumph on November 2. And that will all come about because you and many like you all over this country have been so generous with your time and so self-sacrificing with every other aspect of your life. We just thank you.

Sorry Betty is not here, but she is up in New York City trying to--well, she called Mayor Beame on his birthday. [Laughter] She is trying to get my votes up to her poll. [Laughter] But she asked me to say hello to all of you and thank you, as I have, for everything you have done.

Thank you very, very much.