Wed
Feb 20 2008
01:14 am
Ron McMahan
By: Bbeanster

Ron McMahan, editor of the Knoxville Journal in the '80s, passed away Tuesday morning.

Ron was editor during the paper's Gannett ownership, then bought it himself. He was a throwback, old-school newsman who also served as Howard Baker's press secretary during the Watergate years.

He told the best stories of anybody. I wish he'd written a book.

Ron was a big, gruff guy who could sometimes be absolutely infuriating, but working for him was a privilege for which I will always be grateful. It was so much fun I couldn't believe I was getting paid.

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bill young's picture

1980

Submitted by bill young on Wed, 2008/02/20 - 2:26am.

"Blue Smoke & Mirrors"

Germond & Witcover's book about the '80 election.

November 3,1979..Maine Republicans hold a "presidential forum"

A straw poll..Baker goes hard to win..In a "stunning upset"

41 beats Baker 466-446.

Baker tells folks "It may not be possible to recover from this"

"On the flight back to Washington late that night Baker's long time assistant,Ron McMahan,drank six miniatures of Jack Daniels in quick succession and tried out various alibis to explain what had happened,including the suggestion that the Reagan managers had sandbagged them by diverting Reagan votes to Bush to put him over the top"

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