Episode 349 GEORGE H. W. BUSH 1992 The Changing of the Guard (Part 31) On the trail with Ric Flair and George Bush (and later Gov Mike Huckabee)

This might be the most fun episode we ever produced. As we look back at George H. W. Bush , Pro wrestling fan. With the help of Charleston Post and Courier articles written by their star reporter Mike Mooneyham, we will examine the Bush connection to the world of Professional wrestling and especially his fondness for wrestling's greatest athlete, "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. 

We will hear about Bush's friendship with promoter Paul Boesch, his lifelong connection to "Chief" Ed "Wahoo" McDaniel, and his later friendship with "The Big Cat" Ernie Ladd. We will also hit the trail , in 1992, on the whistlestop tour that took George Bush through the Carolinas, with the biggest sports star of them all, Ric Flair. 

It was at a rally in Spartanburg S.C. where our Host, Randal Wallace, was able to maneuver himself up near the front with a little help from Martha Bishop, the sister of our Senator Strom Thurmond, so he would be nearly front row for the rally at the Train Depot, that would feature not only the President, but Governor Carrol Campbell, Lieutenant Governor Bob Peeler, Senator Strom Thurmond, Congressional Candidate Bob Inglis, and our host's childhood sports hero, Ric Flair. To this day, as you will hear, it remains Wallace's favorite memory of any in his over 45 years in politics. 

Unfortunately, we couldn't find any footage from the Spartanburg rally, but we do have some examples of George Bush out on his 1992 whistle-stop tour, and we do have some later moments from the 2008 Presidential campaign where Ric Flair would return to the trail to campaign for Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. 

It was at the event for Huckabee in Myrtle Beach that our host again became the focus of attention as he stood with a folder full of wrestling magazines hoping to get them autographed by Ric Flair, at the Huckabee rally, while serving as the Rudy Giuliani Horry County Chairman. It made the news, in two articles in the Sun News political blog Poli-tick-Tock. We will look back at that blog too, and feature the Columbia Mike Huckabee Rally with Chuck Norris and Ric Flair. 

As you will hear, Hulk Hogan and Donald Trump were actually not the first Pro wrestler and President to headline a Presidential campaign event!! 

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Chapters

• 0:00 World Wide Wrestling interview with Ric Flair by Johnny Weaver at a TV taping in Myrtle Beach S. C.
• 3:26 Special Theme music "Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling " opening music
• 4:06 Hulk Hogan speaks at the 2024 Republican National Convention
• 5:00 Donald Trump talks about Hulk Hogan at the 2024 Republican National Convention
• 5:44 Host Randal Wallace talks about how Hogan and Trump were not the first Wrestler and Presidential combo in history
• 7:05 President George H. W. Bush was secretly a Pro Wrestling Fan V.A. Secretary says - Military Times by Leo Shane III
• 10:05 Host Randal Wallace talks about Bush being a wrestling fan, and talks about what a huge childhood fan of Ric Flair he was and tells a story from when he was 7 years old and got to meet Ric Flair
• 11:44 Ric Flair interview montage to introduce you to who he was in wrestling history
• 15:24 Host Randal Wallace talks about what a sports icon Ric Flair is in the Carolinas and why
• 15:54 Host Randal Wallace gives out the Ric Flair shop . Com address
• 16:04 Host Randal Wallace talks about how Bush actually had ties to several people in the Professional wrestling business
• 16:17 Host Randal Wallace reads an article from Mike Moonyham of the Charleston Post and Courier "Ric Flair, Wahoo, among George H. W. Bush's many ties to Pro Wrestling"
• 17:19 [Ad] Boundless Insights - with Aviva Klompas
• 18:00 (Cont.) Host Randal Wallace reads an article from Mike Moonyham of the Charleston Post and Courier "Ric Flair, Wahoo, among George H. W. Bush's many ties to Pro Wrestling"
• 18:00 Paul Boesch segment
• 20:00 Host Randal Wallace reads an article from Mike Moonyham of the Charleston Post and Courier "Ric Flair, Wahoo, among George H. W. Bush's many ties to Pro Wrestling"
• 21:19 Wahoo McDaniel promo with Ric Flair for Mid Atlantic Wrestling coming events
• 21:59 Host Randal Wallace reads an article from Mike Moonyham of the Charleston Post and Courier "Ric Flair, Wahoo, among George H. W. Bush's many ties to Pro Wrestling"
• 23:46 Ric Flair section of article our host is reading from Mike Mooneyham , continued
• 28:14 Ernie Ladd, promo for Mid-Atlantic Wrestling coming events
• 28:56 Host Randal Wallace reads an article from Mike Moonyham of the Charleston Post and Courier "Ric Flair, Wahoo, among George H. W. Bush's many ties to Pro Wrestling"
• 31:40 Host Randal Wallace introduces the October 20, 1992 rally - Whistle-Stop event in Spartanburg S.C. that he attended
• 32:36 Host Randal Wallace reads article from WYFF-4 Spartanburg S.C. "Bush's ride through the Upstate"
• 35:45 Host Randal Wallace reads an excerpt from his own book "Always Vote Your Conscience" Chapter 9 "The Leadership Lessons of George H. W. Bush"
• 40:39 Host Randal Wallace talks about his admiration for George Bush and explains how no footage exists that he could find of the October 20, 1992 event. So we used some from the Whistle-stop tour through Michigan
• 42:31 George H. W. Bush Whistle-stop tour of Plymouth , Michigan 1992 - Local News reports
• 47:29 Host Randal Wallace fast forwards us into the 2008 Presidential Campaign and talks about Ric Flair returning to the campaign trail this time for Governor Mike Huckabee
• 50:27 Host Randal Wallace reads an article from Myrtle Beach Online January 17, 2008 "Huck, Chuck, and a Hunk" - The Politick Tock Blog by Jan Igoe and Lisa Fleisher
• 53:10 Host Randal Wallace reads a comment from the article that he posted in 2008, and tells several personal stories about the politick tock blog, Ric Flair and his other meetings with Mr. Flair through the years including giving him the Key to the city of Myr
• 55:01 Host Randal Wallace introduces the Mike Huckabee rally from Columbia S.C.
• 55:47 Rally for Mike Huckabee for President featuring S.C. Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer and his former opponent Mike Campbell who introduces Ric Flair
• 1:00:07 Ric Flair speaks at the Columbia S.C. rally for Governor Mike Huckabee in 2008
• 1:02:30 Governor Mike Huckabee addresses a rally in Columbia S.C. in 2008 (edited segment of speech)
• 1:07:07 Ric Flair promo from WTBS's "World Championship Wrestling" date unknown
• 1:07:42 Host Randal Wallace gives out the Ric Flair Shop .com internet address
• 1:07:47 Special closing theme "World Wide Wrestling closing theme"