Ronald Reagan, the statesman....

Leslie Carbone is a fellow ODBA member, a respected writer and lecturer living in the D.C. area, and a fellow conservative who was one of the Bloggers 4 Sayre.

Leslie posted a remembrance of how Ronald Reagan handled defeat during the Republican Convention in 1976 when he lost the nomination by only 70 votes to the more moderate Gerald Ford.

In Spirit of 76, she recounts how Gerald Ford invited Ronald Reagan to address the delegates at the Republican Convention. If we use history as our guide we often find a template to follow and words of wisdom to help us weather the storms.

To what could have been a divided Party, Governor Reagan concluded his remarks with:

"We must go forth from here united, determined that what a great general said a few years ago is true: There is no substitute for victory, Mr. President."

Those who wish to split the Republican Party are mistaken if they think they're going to accomplish that through the Sayre supporters. A Republican victory in November is the goal for the 24th District.

Ronald Reagan met with his supporters before heading back to California. Disappointed at their loss, he reminded them:

"The cause goes on. It's just one battle in a long war and it will go on as long as we all live."

Quoting St. Barton's Ode, he added:

I will lay me down and bleed a while. Though I am wounded, I am not slain. I shall rise and fight again.

His final words to his disappointed campaign volunteers were the following:

"Don't get cynical ... look at yourselves and what you were willing to do, and recognize that there are millions and millions of Americans out there that want what you want, that want it to be as we do, who want it to be a shining city on a hill."

Almost half the voters in Tuesday's Republican Primary voted for Scott Sayre. Now is the time for both sides to work together for the betterment of the Party.