The ultimate significance of Billygate may not be fully known for some months, but the impact on his brother’s campaign is starkly apparent. Carter re-election strategists had been counting on the quiet weeks between Detroit and New York to accomplish a critical deck-clearing chore for the fall campaign: cutting Ronald Reagan down to size. As Detroit made clear, the Reagan campaign is behind schedule; it is not yet ready to go national in terms of organization, issues, or media. With a superficially impressive lead in the polls, Reagan would have presented an inviting post-Detroit target for otherwise unoccupied investigative reporters. Even some Reagan aides were expecting the inevitable mid-summer blooper from an ill-prepared candidate. But then along came Billy and his canceled checks and the boys hopped back on the bus.
As we say, Billygate may or may not draw presidential blood. It has already wasted precious time.
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