The Nation: FORD: CONCILIATORY AND CONFIDENT

The two men had so much in common—Midwestern origins, conservative instincts, self-made careers—and yet seemed so far apart. Now that they were down to the climactic moment, what were the moods and attitudes of the Republican contenders? To find out, TIME asked its correspondents who have followed them most closely in the campaign. Strobe Talbott reported on Gerald Ford and Dean Fischer on Ronald Reagan (see box next page).

Jerry Ford, conscientious but not herculean, competent but not brilliant, solid, self-confident, good-natured and decent but not at all spellbinding, the same old Jerry...