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The Vice Presidential Campaign of 1976 (B): Dole on the Trail

In Part 15, we follow Bob Dole as he steps fully into his role as the Republican nominee for Vice President in 1976.

Now campaigning alongside President Gerald Ford, Dole becomes one of the administration’s most visible and aggressive advocates — traveling the country, sharpening the campaign’s message, and taking on the opposition ticket of Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale.

This episode explores:

• Dole’s campaign style and messaging
 • His role as an attack surrogate for the ticket
 • Key moments from the campaign trail
 • The political challenges facing Republicans in a post-Watergate America

As the campaign unfolds, Dole’s national profile grows — and so does the intensity of the race.

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Episode 433 — Bob Dole: The Life That Brought Him There (Part 14)

The Vice Presidential Campaign of 1976 (A): The Convention and the Choice

In Part 14 of our continuing series on Bob Dole, we enter the dramatic political year of 1976 — a moment that would elevate Dole to the national stage.

This episode begins with one of the most intense intra-party battles in modern political history: the showdown between Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan at the Republican National Convention.

With the party deeply divided and the nomination uncertain until the final moments, the stakes could not have been higher. Out of that chaos came a critical decision — President Ford’s selection of Bob Dole as his running mate.

We explore:

• The Ford vs. Reagan convention battle
 • The political calculations behind Dole’s selection
 • What Dole brought to the national ticket
 • How the Republican Party attempted to unify after a bruising primary fight

It was a turning point — not just for Bob Dole, but for the future direction of the Republican Party.

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Episode 432 — Bob Dole: The Life That Brought Him There (Part 13)
Roy vs. Dole for U.S. Senate, 1974: One Tenth of One Percent (C)

In this thirteenth installment of our continuing series on the life and career of Bob Dole, we reach the dramatic conclusion of one of the closest and most consequential elections in Kansas history — the 1974 race for the United States Senate.

As the campaign between Senator Dole and Democratic Congressman William R. Roy entered its final days, the political climate remained extraordinarily difficult for Republicans nationwide. The aftermath of the Watergate scandal had reshaped the national mood, and many believed the Kansas seat was poised to change hands.

But what followed was a finish so close it would become legendary.

When the votes were finally counted, Bob Dole held his Senate seat by one tenth of one percent — a razor-thin victory that preserved his political career and helped shape the next two decades of American politics.

In this episode we walk through the closing days of the campaign, the final strategies, the election night tension, and the stunningly narrow result that decided the race.

We also hear reflections from Dr. Roy himself, drawn from his oral history interviews, as he spoke later in life about the campaign, the outcome, and the path his life took afterward. Dr. Roy passed away in May 2014, leaving behind a legacy not only as a physician and public servant but as one of the central figures in one of Kansas’s most memorable political contests.

The program also features moments from a lecture at the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, where participants revisited the race decades later — including Dr. Roy’s son and Bob Dole’s campaign manager, former Kansas Lieutenant Governor Dave Owen.

Together their reflections provide a rare behind-the-scenes look at a campaign decided by the narrowest of margins — and the respect that endured between opponents long after the ballots were counted.

A race decided by one tenth of one percent…
 and remembered for generations.

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Episode 431 — Bob Dole: The Life That Brought Him There (Part 12)
Roy vs. Dole for U.S. Senate, 1974: The Landscape of 1974 (B)

In this twelfth installment of our long-running series on the life and career of Bob Dole, we turn to one of the most difficult political moments of his career — the 1974 United States Senate race in Kansas.

The political landscape of 1974 was unlike anything modern candidates experience today. The aftershocks of the Watergate scandal had devastated Republican fortunes across the country, and incumbents from the party faced an electorate angry with Washington.

In Kansas, Senator Dole faced a particularly formidable challenger: Democratic Congressman William R. Roy. Roy was well known, highly respected, and enjoying strong popularity as he launched his campaign for the Senate.

Meanwhile, Dole entered the race with declining approval numbers and the weight of a difficult national environment pressing down on his campaign. The contest quickly became one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.

This episode also examines a major social and political issue shaping the debate in 1974 — the aftermath of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. With abortion newly legalized nationwide, the issue had suddenly entered American politics in a profound way, influencing voters, campaigns, and the evolving positions of political leaders.

In this episode we explore:

• The political environment of Kansas in 1974
 • Why Congressman William Roy was such a strong challenger
 • The struggles Senator Dole faced in public opinion
 • How the national political climate shaped the race
 • The emerging role of the abortion debate in American politics

It was a campaign fought in the shadow of national crisis — and one that would prove pivotal in shaping the future career of Bob Dole.

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In 1974, Bob Dole was up for re-election. He could not have picked a worse moment to be on the ballot as a Republican. Watergate had just unraveled the Presidency of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford had just pardoned Nixon, and Bob Dole had the added problem of having just gotten a divorce. To make matters worse a popular an effective United States Congressman announced he was going to challenge Dole for his Senate seat. 

That man was Congressman Bill Roy, a Topeka physician. He was a very effective Congressman. He was also an Obstetrician and that meant that at various times he had performed a limited number of legal abortions. This was just on the heels of the Roe vs Wade Decision that legalized abortion. This election would turn out to be the first such election where abortion would take center stage. It would lead to a brass knuckles type brawl to win the Kansas Senate seat, a race still talked about to this day in Kansas. Bob Dole would barely hold off the challenge. This is the first installment of that story. In this episode, we set the stage and we introduce you to the challenger, Dr. Bill Roy. 

If this election had gone the other way, Bob Dole would  most likely have faded into time and his historic career, that put him on two national tickets, and led to so many accomplishments in the halls of Congress would never have happened. Such is history, swinging, as we will learn, on one tenth of one percent of the vote in the 1974 United States Senate race in Kansas. 

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Welcome to the fourth installment of our special tribute series honoring the life and legacy of the Reverend Jesse Jackson — a minister, civil rights leader, presidential candidate, and one of the most recognizable voices in American public life for more than half a century.

Over the course of this series, we’ve revisited the moments that defined Reverend Jackson’s remarkable journey — his speeches, his activism, and the powerful moral language he brought to the national conversation about justice, opportunity, and human dignity.

Today’s episode brings you a montage drawn from two memorial gatherings held in his honor — one in Columbia, South Carolina, and another in Chicago, Illinois, the city where Reverend Jackson built much of his life’s work and where his influence on American politics and civil rights was deeply felt.

From these ceremonies, you will hear remarks from Congressman James Clyburn, longtime leader in the U.S. House of Representatives and a close friend of Reverend Jackson. You’ll also hear from Greenville, South Carolina Mayor Knox White, reflecting on Jackson’s roots in South Carolina and the lasting imprint he left on the state and the nation. And we include words from former President Bill Clinton, who spoke about Jackson’s role in shaping a generation of political leaders and expanding the boundaries of democratic participation.

We do regret that we are unable to include the remarks delivered by Ambassador Andrew Young, former Mayor of Atlanta and former United Nations Ambassador. His words in Columbia were deeply meaningful, but unfortunately they were delivered without a microphone and could not be captured clearly enough for broadcast.

We also want to note that Reverend Jackson’s family asked that these memorial ceremonies remain moments of remembrance rather than political rallies. Out of respect for that request, we made an editorial decision in producing this program. Several speakers — including some very prominent figures — turned their remarks into overtly political speeches. Even when those speakers included former Presidents or a former Vice President, we chose not to include those portions of the program. Our goal here is to honor the spirit of the occasion and the wishes of the family.

What you will hear instead is a carefully assembled tribute — voices remembering Jesse Jackson’s life, his faith, and his commitment to lifting others.

And woven throughout the program, you’ll also hear Jesse Jackson in his own words — excerpts from speeches across the decades, reminding us of the conviction, rhythm, and hope that defined his voice.

From Columbia and Chicago, this is our fourth tribute episode honoring Reverend Jesse Jackson.

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Welcome to this special tribute edition of the podcast.

Four years after his groundbreaking 1984 campaign, Reverend Jesse Jackson returned to the Democratic National Convention — this time in Atlanta, in 1988 — having achieved something extraordinary.

His second presidential run was stronger, broader, and even more disruptive to conventional politics. Jackson won primaries and caucuses across the country, built a multiracial coalition of working-class voters, and demonstrated that progressive populism could compete nationally.

But it was his convention speech that became the enduring moment.

Measured, gracious, and deeply unifying, Jackson spoke not as a rival, but as a statesman. He urged Democrats to reject fear, to embrace compassion, and to recognize the interconnected fate of all Americans. His words carried themes that resonate decades later: dignity, opportunity, fairness, and the belief that the country is strongest when no one is left behind.

The address is remembered not only for its eloquence, but for its tone — reconciliation without retreat, idealism grounded in realism.

In this episode, we honor that legacy by revisiting the full speech.

From the 1988 Democratic National Convention:

Reverend Jesse Jackson.

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I had the honor of appearing on the show "Tripp and Graham have Issues" this past week. It is a new podcast in Myrtle Beach. I was thrilled to do it and we talked pretty extensively on the history of our show and the entire Wallace Podcast Network (WPN). We hope you enjoy this special edition. Here is the write up from their podcast and we encourage you tune into their show too. 

Here is their link: 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2590218/episodes/18782174

Tripp and Graham uncover the issues of Randall Wallace: author, podcaster, local political figure.  We discuss presidents like Nixon and Dole, American and Myrtle Beach History and other topics.

RandallWallace.com

The Nixon Conspiracy: Watergate and the Plot to Remove the President by Geoff Shepard

The Real Watergate Scandal: Collusion, Conspiracy, and the Plot That Brought Nixon Down by Geoff Shepard

Podcast: The Richard Nixon Experience by Randall Wallace

                 BOB DOLE: The Life That Brought Him There by Randall Wallace

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Today’s episode is a special rebroadcast and tribute — a return to one of the defining voices of modern American political history.

In 1984, at the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, Reverend Jesse Jackson stepped onto the national stage not simply as a candidate, but as a movement leader. His campaign had galvanized millions — expanding the electorate, registering new voters, and bringing together what he called the Rainbow Coalition: Black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, young, old, urban, rural — Americans whose voices too often went unheard.

Jackson’s speech that night was more than rhetoric. It was a moral argument about inclusion, economic justice, peace, and the unfinished promise of democracy. He spoke of common ground rather than division, of hope rather than cynicism.

For many listeners then — and many historians now — it marked a turning point. It broadened the language of coalition politics and challenged the party, and the country, to imagine a larger “we.”

In this tribute episode, we revisit that historic address — not as a relic, but as a living document of aspiration and courage.

Here now, from the 1984 Democratic National Convention:

Reverend Jesse Jackson.

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Welcome to a special edition of the program.

Today we focus on what may prove to be one of the most consequential military operations of the 21st century — Operation Epic Fury — the coordinated action undertaken by the United States and Israel against the Iranian regime.

President Donald J. Trump has described this operation as decisive and necessary — aimed at dismantling what he and his administration have long called the world’s leading state sponsor of terror and ending Iran’s pursuit of nuclear capability. Standing alongside him, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has framed the action as essential to Israel’s survival and to the broader security of the Middle East.

Supporters of the operation see this as a historic turning point — the possible end of a regime they believe has destabilized the region for decades through proxy warfare, threats against Israel, suppression of its own people, and hostility toward the West.

This episode includes editorial commentary from me, Randal Wallace. I want to be clear with our audience at the outset: I strongly support this operation and the leadership shown in carrying it out. Throughout this program, I will offer my analysis and perspective on why I believe this action was justified, necessary, and long overdue.

At the same time, we will examine the strategic implications, the global reaction, and what the potential end of the Iranian regime could mean for the people of Iran, for Israel, for the United States, and for the future balance of power in the Middle East.

This is a serious moment in history. The stakes are enormous. The consequences — geopolitical, economic, and humanitarian — will unfold in real time.

Thank you for joining us for this important conversation.

Questions or comments at  , [email protected] ,  https://twitter.com/randal_wallace   , and http://www.randalwallace.com/
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