Jim Baker: If Reagan Hadn’t Picked Bush for VP, There Never Would Have Been a Bush 41 Presidency or a Bush 43 Presidency

RUSH EXCERPT:

BAKER: “I suppose one of the most vivid memories I have is — is sitting in his suite at the 1980 Republican Convention when it looked like Governor Reagan, who had — who was going to get the nomination, was going to pick Jerry Ford, my old boss. I had — I had been Ford’s chairman in the campaign against Carter in ‘76. Looked like he was going to come back, maybe as vice president for Governor Reagan — for President Reagan. And we were sitting there. But we’re the only — we were the only opponent of Governor Reagan in that primary that had any delegates. And we had — we had a fairly substantial number of delegates. And the phone rang and a voice said, is Ambassador Bush there for Governor Reagan. And I answered the phone and that was — that was the moment that I think that — had that not happened, I really — I really am convinced there would never have been a Bush 41 presidency. And if that hadn’t happened, there probably would never have been a Bush 43 president.”