Mr. Chairman, delegates, and my fellow citizens ... I accept your
nomination. Thank you for this honor. Together, we will renew
America's
purpose.
Our founders first defined that purpose here in
Philadelphia ...
Ben
Franklin was here.
Thomas Jefferson. And, of course,
George Washington --
or, as his friends called him, "George W."
I am proud to have
Dick Cheney at my side. He is a man of
integrity and
sound judgment, who has proven that
public service can be noble service.
America will be proud to have a leader of such character to succeed
Al Gore
as Vice President of the United States.
I am grateful for
John McCain and the other candidates who sought this
nomination. Their convictions
strengthen our party.
I am especially grateful tonight to my
family.
No matter what else I do in life, asking
Laura to marry me was the best decision I ever made.
To our daughters, Barbara and Jenna, we love you, we're proud of you, and as
you head off to college this fall ... ... Don't stay out too late, and
e-mail your old dad once in a while, will you?
And
mother, everyone loves you and so do I.
Growing up, she gave me
love and lots of advice. I gave her
white hair.
And I want to thank
my father -- the most decent man I have ever known.
All my life I have been amazed that a
gentle soul could be so strong.
And Dad, I want you to know how proud I am to be your son.
My father was the last president of a great
generation. A generation of
Americans who stormed beaches, liberated
concentration camps and delivered
us from evil.
Some never came home.
Those who did put their
medals in drawers, went to work, and built on a
heroic scale ... highways and universities,
suburbs and factories, great
cities and grand alliances -- the strong foundations of an
American Century.
Now the question comes to the sons and daughters of this
achievement...
What is asked of us?
This is a
remarkable moment in the life of our nation. Never has the promise
of prosperity been so vivid. But times of plenty, like times of
crisis, are
tests of American character.
Prosperity can be a
tool in our hands -- used to build and better our
country. Or it can be a
drug in our system -- dulling our sense of urgency,
of empathy, of duty.
Our opportunities are too great, our lives too short, to waste this
moment.
So tonight we vow to our
nation ...
We will seize this moment of American
promise.
We will use these good times for great goals.
We will confront the
hard issues -- threats to our national security,
threats to our health and retirement security -- before the challenges of
our time become crises for our
children.
And we will extend the promise of
prosperity to every forgotten corner of
this country.
To every man and woman, a chance to
succeed. To every child, a chance to
learn. To every family, a chance to live with
dignity and hope.
For eight years, the
Clinton/Gore administration has coasted through
prosperity.
And the path of least resistance is always
downhill.
But
America's way is the rising road.
This
nation is daring and decent and ready for change.
Our
current president embodied the potential of a generation. So many
talents. So much charm. Such great
skill. But, in the end, to what end?
So much promise, to no great purpose.
Little more than a decade ago, the
Cold War thawed and, with the leadership
of Presidents Reagan and Bush, that wall came down.
But instead of seizing this moment, the Clinton/Gore administration has
squandered it. We have seen a steady
erosion of American power and an
unsteady exercise of American
influence.
Our
military is low on parts, pay and morale.
If called on by the
commander-in-chief today, two entire divisions of the
Army would have to report ... Not ready for duty, sir.
This
administration had its moment.
They had their
chance. They have not led. We will.
This
generation was given the gift of the best education in American
history. Yet we do not share that gift with
everyone. Seven of ten
fourth-graders in our highest poverty schools cannot read a
simple
children's book.
And still this administration continues on the same old path with the same
old programs -- while millions are trapped in schools where
violence is
common and learning is rare.
This administration had its chance. They have not led. We will.
America has a strong
economy and a surplus. We have the public resources and
the public will -- even the bipartisan opportunities -- to strengthen
Social
Security and repair
Medicare.
But this administration -- during eight years of increasing need -- did
nothing.
They had their moment. They have not led. We will.
Our generation has a chance to reclaim some
essential values -- to show we
have grown up before we grow old.
But when the moment for
leadership came, this administration did not teach
our children, it
disillusioned them.
They had their chance. They have not led. We will.
And now they come asking for another chance, another
shot.
Our answer?
Not this time.
Not this year.
This is not a time for third chances, it is a time for new beginnings.
The rising generations of this
country have our own appointment with
greatness.
It does not rise or fall with the
stock market. It cannot be bought with our
wealth.
Greatness is found when American character and American courage overcome
American challenges.
When
Lewis Morris of New York was about to sign the Declaration of
Independence, his brother advised against it, warning he would lose all his
property.
Morris, a plain-spoken
Founder, responded ... "Damn the consequences, give
me the pen." That is the
eloquence of American action.
We heard it during
World War II, when General Eisenhower told paratroopers
on D-Day morning not to worry -- and one replied, "We're not worried,
General ... It's
Hitler's turn to worry now."
We heard it in the civil rights movement, when
brave men and women did not
say ... "We shall cope," or "We shall see." They said ... "
We shall
overcome."
An American president must call upon that
character.
Tonight, in this hall, we resolve to be, not the party of
repose, but the
party of
reform.
We will write, not footnotes, but chapters in the American story.
We will add the work of our hands to the
inheritance of our fathers and
mothers -- and leave this nation greater than we found it.
We know the tests of
leadership. The issues are joined.
We will strengthen Social Security and Medicare for the greatest generation,
and for generations to come.
Medicare does more than meet the needs of our
elderly, it reflects the
values of our society.
We will set it on firm
financial ground, and make
prescription drugs
available and affordable for every senior who needs them.
Social Security has been called the "
third rail of American politics" -- the
one you're not supposed to touch because it shocks you.
But, if you don't touch it, you can't
fix it. And I intend to fix it.
To seniors in this
country ... You earned your benefits, you made your
plans, and President
George W. Bush will keep the promise of Social Security
... no changes, no reductions, no way.
Our opponents will say
otherwise. This is their last, parting ploy, and
don't believe a word of it.
Now is the time for
Republicans and
Democrats to end the politics of fear
and save Social Security, together.
For younger workers, we will give you the option -- your choice -- to put a
part of your payroll taxes into sound,
responsible investments.
This will mean a higher return on your money, and, over 30 or 40 years, a
nest egg to help your
retirement, or pass along to your children.
When this money is in your name, in your
account, it's not just a program,
it's your
property.
Now is the time to give American workers security and
independence that no
politician can ever take away.
On
education ... Too many American children are segregated into schools
without standards, shuffled from grade-to-grade because of their age,
regardless of their
knowledge.
This is
discrimination, pure and simple -- the soft
bigotry of low
expectations.
And our nation should treat it like other forms of
discrimination ... We
should end it.
One size does not fit all when it comes to educating our children, so
local
people should control local schools.
And those who spend your
tax dollars must be held accountable.
When a
school district receives federal funds to teach poor children, we
expect them to learn. And if they don't, parents should get the
money to
make a different choice.
Now is the time to make
Head Start an early learning program, teach all our
children to read, and
renew the promise of America's public schools.
Another test of leadership is
tax relief.
The last time taxes were this high as a
percentage of our economy, there was
a good reason ... We were fighting World War II.
Today, our high taxes fund a
surplus. Some say that growing federal surplus
means Washington has more money to spend.
But they've got it
backwards.
The surplus is not the
government's money. The surplus is the people's
money.
I will use this moment of opportunity to bring common sense and fairness to
the
tax code.
And I will act on
principle.
On principle ... every family, every farmer and small
businessperson, should
be free to pass on their life's work to those they love.
So we will
abolish the
death tax.
On principle ... no one in America should have to pay more than a third of
their income to the
federal government.
So we will reduce tax rates for everyone, in every
bracket.
On principle ... those in the greatest
need should receive the greatest
help.
So we will lower the bottom rate from 15 percent to 10 percent and double
the
child tax credit.
Now is the time to reform the tax code and share some of the surplus with
the people who pay the
bills.
The world needs America's
strength and leadership, and America's armed
forces need better
equipment, better training, and better pay.
We will give our military the means to
keep the peace, and we will give it
one thing more ... a commander-in-chief who respects our men and women in
uniform, and a commander-in-chief who earns their
respect.
A generation shaped by
Vietnam must remember the lessons of Vietnam.
When America uses
force in the world, the cause must be just, the goal must
be clear, and the victory must be
overwhelming.
I will work to reduce
nuclear weapons and nuclear tension in the world -- to
turn these years of influence into decades of
peace.
And, at the earliest possible date, my administration will deploy
missile
defenses to guard against attack and
blackmail.
Now is the time, not to defend outdated treaties, but to defend the
American
people.
A time of
prosperity is a test of vision. And our nation today needs
vision.
That is a fact ... or as my opponent might call it, a "risky truth scheme."
Every one of the proposals I've talked about tonight, he has called a "
risky
scheme," over and over again.
It is the sum of his message -- the
politics of the roadblock, the
philosophy of the
stop sign.
If my opponent had been there at the
moon launch, it would have been a
"risky rocket scheme."
If he'd been there when
Edison was testing the light bulb, it would have
been a "risky anti-candle scheme."
And if he'd been there when the
Internet was invented well ...
I understand he actually was there for that.
He now leads the party of
Franklin Delano Roosevelt. But the only thing he
has to offer is fear itself.
That outlook is typical of many in Washington -- always seeing the
tunnel at
the end of the light.
But I come from a different place, and it has made me a different leader.
In
Midland, Texas, where I grew up, the town motto was "the sky is the
limit" ... and we believed it.
There was a restless energy, a basic conviction that, with
hard work,
anybody could
succeed, and everybody deserved a chance.
Our sense of
community was just as strong as that sense of promise.
Neighbors helped each other. There were dry wells and
sandstorms to keep you
humble, and lifelong friends to take your side, and
churches to remind us
that every soul is equal in value and
equal in need.
This background leaves more than an
accent, it leaves an outlook.
Optimistic. Impatient with
pretense. Confident that people can chart their
own course.
That background may lack the polish of
Washington. Then again,
I don't have a lot of things that come with Washington.
I don't have
enemies to fight. And I have no stake in the
bitter arguments
of the last few years. I want to change the
tone of Washington to one of
civility and respect.
The largest
lesson I learned in Midland still guides me as
governor ...
Everyone, from
immigrant to
entrepreneur, has an equal claim on this
country's promise.
So we improved our schools,
dramatically, for children of every accent, of
every background.
We moved people from
welfare to work.
We strengthened our
juvenile justice laws.
Our
budgets have been balanced, with surpluses, and we
cut taxes not only
once, but twice.
We
accomplished a lot.
I don't deserve all the
credit, and don't attempt to take it. I worked with
Republicans and Democrats to get things done.
A
bittersweet part of tonight is that someone is missing, the late Lt.
Governor of Texas
Bob Bullock.
Bob was a
Democrat, a crusty veteran of Texas
politics, and my great friend.
He worked by my side, endorsed my re-election, and I know he is with me in
spirit in saying to those who would malign our state for political gain...
Don't mess with Texas.
As governor, I've made difficult decisions, and stood by them under
pressure. I've been where the buck stops -- in
business and in government.
I've been a
chief executive who sets an agenda, sets big goals, and rallies
people to
believe and achieve them.
I am
proud of this record, and I'm prepared for the
work ahead.
If you give me your trust, I will honor it ... Grant me a
mandate, and I
will use it... Give me the opportunity to lead this nation,
and I will lead ...
And we need a leader to seize the opportunities of this new century -- the
new cures of
medicine, the amazing technologies that will drive our
economy
and keep the peace.
But our
new economy must never forget the old, unfinished
struggle for human
dignity.
And here we face a challenge to the very
heart and founding premise of our
nation.
A couple of years ago, I visited a juvenile jail in
Marlin, Texas, and
talked with a group of young inmates. They were
angry, wary kids. All had
committed
grownup crimes.
Yet when I looked in their eyes, I realized some of them were still little
boys.
Toward the end of conversation, one young man, about
15, raised his hand and
asked a
haunting question... "What do you think of me?"
He seemed to be asking, like many Americans who struggle ... "Is there
hope
for me? Do I have a chance?" And, frankly ... "Do you, a white man in a
suit, really care what happens to me?"
A small voice, but it speaks for so many.
Single moms struggling to feed the
kids and pay the rent.
Immigrants starting a hard life in a new world.
Children without fathers in
neighborhoods where gangs seem like friendship,
where
drugs promise peace, and where
sex, sadly, seems like the closest
thing to belonging. We are their country, too.
And each of us must
share in its promise, or that promise is
diminished for
all.
If that boy in Marlin believes he is trapped and
worthless and hopeless --
if he believes his life has no
value, then other lives have no value to him
-- and we are ALL diminished.
When these
problems aren't confronted, it builds a wall within our nation.
On one side are wealth and technology, education and
ambition.
On the other side of the wall are
poverty and prison, addiction and
despair.
And, my fellow Americans, we must
tear down that wall.
Big government is not the answer. But the alternative to
bureaucracy is not
indifference.
It is to put
conservative values and conservative ideas into the thick of
the
fight for justice and opportunity.
This is what I mean by
compassionate conservatism. And on this ground we
will govern our nation.
We will give
low-income Americans tax credits to buy the private health
insurance they need and deserve.
We will transform today's
housing rental program to help hundreds of
thousands of low-income families find
stability and dignity in a home of
their own.
And, in the next bold step of welfare reform, we will support the
heroic
work of homeless shelters and
hospices, food pantries and crisis pregnancy
centers -- people
reclaiming their communities block-by-block and
heart-by-heart.
I think of Mary Jo Copeland, whose
ministry called "Sharing and Caring
Hands" serves 1,000 meals a week in
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Each day, Mary Jo washes the feet of the
homeless, then sends them off with
new socks and shoes.
"Look after your
feet," she tells them ...... "They must carry you a long
way in this world, and then all the way to
God."
Government cannot do this work. It can feed the body, but it cannot reach
the
soul. Yet government can take the side of these groups,
helping the
helper, encouraging the
inspired.
My administration will give taxpayers new incentives to donate to
charity,
encourage
after-school programs that build character, and support
mentoring
groups that shape and save young lives.
We must give our children a spirit of
moral courage, because their character
is our destiny.
We must tell them, with
clarity and confidence, that drugs and alcohol can
destroy you, and
bigotry disfigures the heart.
Our schools must support the ideals of parents, elevating character and
abstinence from afterthoughts to urgent goals.
We must help protect our children, in our schools and streets, by finally
and strictly enforcing our nation's
gun laws.
Most of all, we must teach our children the values that
defeat violence.
I will lead our nation toward a culture that values
life -- the life of the
elderly and the sick, the life of the young, and the life of the
unborn.
I know good people
disagree on this issue, but surely we can agree on ways
to value life by promoting
adoption and parental notification, and when
Congress sends me a bill against
partial-birth abortion, I will sign it into
law.
Behind every goal I have talked about tonight is a
great hope for our
country.
A hundred years from now, this must not be remembered as an age
rich in
possessions and poor in ideals.
Instead, we must usher in an
era of responsibility.
My generation tested
limits -- and our country, in some ways, is better for
it.
Women are now treated more
equally.
Racial progress has been steady, if
still too slow. We are learning to protect the
natural world around us.
We will continue this
progress, and we will not turn back.
At times, we lost our way. But we are coming
home.
So many of us held our first
child, and saw a better self reflected in her
eyes.
And in that family love, many have found the sign and
symbol of an even
greater love, and have been touched by
faith.
We have discovered that who we are is more
important than what we have.
And we know we must renew our values to
restore our country.
This is the vision of America's
founders.
They never saw our nation's greatness in rising
wealth or advancing armies,
but in small, unnumbered acts of caring and
courage and self-denial.
Their highest hope, as
Robert Frost described it, was "to occupy the land
with character."
And that, 13 generations later, is still our
goal ... to occupy the land
with character.
In a
responsibility era, each of us has important tasks -- work that only we
can do.
Each of us is responsible ... to
love and guide our children, and help a
neighbor in need.
Synagogues, churches and
mosques are responsible ... not only to
worship but
to serve.
Corporations are responsible ... to treat their workers fairly, and leave
the
air and waters clean.
Our nation's
leaders are responsible ... to confront problems, not pass them
on to others.
And to lead this nation to a responsibility era, a
president himself must be
responsible.
And so, when I put my hand on the
Bible, I will swear to not only uphold the
laws of our land, I will swear to uphold the
honor and dignity of the office
to which I have been elected,
so help me God.
I believe the
presidency -- the final point of decision in the American
government -- was made for great purposes.
It is the office of
Lincoln's conscience and
Teddy Roosevelt's energy and
Harry Truman's integrity and
Ronald Reagan's optimism.
For me, gaining this office is not the
ambition of a lifetime, but it IS the
opportunity of a lifetime.
And I will make the most of it. I believe great decisions are made with
care, made with
conviction, not made with
polls.
I do not need to take your
pulse before I know my own mind. I do not
reinvent myself at every turn. I am not running in borrowed clothes.
When I act, you will know my reasons ...When I speak, you will know my
heart.
I believe in
tolerance, not in spite of my faith, but because of it.
I believe in a
God who calls us, not to judge our neighbors, but to love
them.
I believe in
grace, because I have seen it ... In peace, because I have felt
it ... In
forgiveness, because I have needed it.
I believe true
leadership is a process of addition, not an act of division.
I will not
attack a part of this country, because I want to lead the whole
of it.
And I believe this will be a tough race,
down to the wire.
Their
war room is up and running ... but we are ready. Their attacks will be
relentless ... but they will be answered. We are facing something
familiar,
but they are facing something new.
We are now the party of ideas and
innovation ... The party of idealism and
inclusion.
The party of a simple and powerful
hope ...
My fellow citizens, we can
begin again. After all of the shouting, and all
of the
scandal. After all of the bitterness and
broken faith. We can begin
again.
The
wait has been long, but it won't be long now.
A
prosperous nation is ready to renew its purpose and
unite behind great
goals ... and it won't be long now.
Our nation must renew the hopes of that boy I talked with in
jail, and so
many like him... and it won't be long now.
Our country is ready for
high standards and new leaders ... and it won't be
long now.
An era of
tarnished ideals is giving way to a responsibility era ... and it
won't be long now.
I know how
serious the task is before me.
I know the presidency is an
office that turns pride into prayer.
But I am
eager to start on the work ahead.
And I believe America is ready for a
new beginning.
My friend, the artist Tom Lea of
El Paso, captured the way I feel about our
great land.
He and his wife, he said, "live on the east side of the
mountain ...
It is the
sunrise side, not the
sunset side.
It is the side to see the day that is coming ... not the side to see the day
that is gone."
Americans live on the sunrise side of mountain.
The
night is passing.
And we are ready for the
day to come.
Thank you. And
God bless you.