|
Get ready for a new era of Republican leadership!
BUSH
WINS:
Wednesday, December 13, 2000
President-Elect George W. Bush's Acceptance Speech
 Thank
you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Good evening,
my fellow Americans. I appreciate so very much the opportunity
to speak with you tonight.
Mr. Speaker,
Lieutenant Governor, friends, distinguished guests, our country
has been through a long and trying period, with the outcome of
the presidential election not finalized for longer than any of
us could ever imagine.
Vice President
Gore and I put our hearts and hopes into our campaigns. We both
gave it our all. We shared similar emotions, so I understand
how difficult this moment must be for Vice President Gore and
his family.
He has a distinguished
record of service to our country as a congressman, a senator
and a vice president.
This evening
I received a gracious call from the vice president. We agreed
to meet early next week in Washington and we agreed to do our
best to heal our country after this hard-fought contest.
Tonight I want
to thank all the thousands of volunteers and campaign workers
who worked so hard on my behalf.
I also salute
the vice president and his supports for waging a spirited campaign.
And I thank him for a call that I know was difficult to make.
Laura and I wish the vice president and Senator Lieberman and
their families the very best.
I have a lot
to be thankful for tonight. I'm thankful for America and thankful
that we were able to resolve our electoral differences in a peaceful
way.
I'm thankful
to the American people for the great privilege of being able
to serve as your next president.
I want to thank
my wife and our daughters for their love. Laura's active involvement
as first lady has made Texas a better place, and she will be
a wonderful first lady of America.
I am proud
to have Dick Cheney by my side, and America will be proud to
have him as our next vice president.
Tonight I chose
to speak from the chamber of the Texas House of Representatives
because it has been a home to bipartisan cooperation. Here in
a place where Democrats have the majority, Republicans and Democrats
have worked together to do what is right for the people we represent.
We've had spirited
disagreements. And in the end, we found constructive consensus.
It is an experience I will always carry with me, an example I
will always follow.
I want to thank
my friend, House Speaker Pete Laney, a Democrat, who introduced
me today. I want to thank the legislators from both political
parties with whom I've worked.
Across the
hall in our Texas capitol is the state Senate. And I cannot help
but think of our mutual friend, the former Democrat lieutenant
governor, Bob Bullock. His love for Texas and his ability to
work in a bipartisan way continue to be a model for all of us.
The spirit
of cooperation I have seen in this hall is what is needed in
Washington, D.C. It is the challenge of our moment. After a difficult
election, we must put politics behind us and work together to
make the promise of America available for every one of our citizens.
I am optimistic
that we can change the tone in Washington, D.C. I believe things
happen for a reason, and I hope the long wait of the last five
weeks will heighten a desire to move beyond the bitterness and
partisanship of the recent past.
Our nation
must rise above a house divided. Americans share hopes and goals
and values far more important than any political disagreements.
Republicans
want the best for our nation, and so do Democrats. Our votes
may differ, but not our hopes.
I know America
wants reconciliation and unity. I know Americans want progress.
And we must seize this moment and deliver.
Together, guided
by a spirit of common sense, common courtesy and common goals,
we can unite and inspire the American citizens.
Together, we
will work to make all our public schools excellent, teaching
every student of every background and every accent, so that no
child is left behind.
Together we
will save Social Security and renew its promise of a secure retirement
for generations to come.
Together we
will strengthen Medicare and offer prescription drug coverage
to all of our seniors.
Together we
will give Americans the broad, fair and fiscally responsible
tax relief they deserve.
Together we'll
have a bipartisan foreign policy true to our values and true
to our friends, and we will have a military equal to every challenge
and superior to every adversary.
Together we
will address some of society's deepest problems one person at
a time, by encouraging and empowering the good hearts and good
works of the American people.
This is the
essence of compassionate conservatism and it will be a foundation
of my administration.
These priorities
are not merely Republican concerns or Democratic concerns; they
are American responsibilities.
During the
fall campaign, we differed about the details of these proposals,
but there was remarkable consensus about the important issues
before us: excellent schools, retirement and health security,
tax relief, a strong military, a more civil society.
We have discussed
our differences. Now it is time to find common ground and build
consensus to make America a beacon of opportunity in the 21st
century.
I'm optimistic
this can happen. Our future demands it and our history proves
it. Two hundred years ago, in the election of 1800, America faced
another close presidential election. A tie in the Electoral College
put the outcome into the hands of Congress.
After six days
of voting and 36 ballots, the House of Representatives elected
Thomas Jefferson the third president of the United States. That
election brought the first transfer of power from one party to
another in our new democracy.
Shortly after
the election, Jefferson, in a letter titled "Reconciliation
and Reform," wrote this. ``The steady character of our countrymen
is a rock to which we may safely moor; unequivocal in principle,
reasonable in manner.
We should be
able to hope to do a great deal of good to the cause of freedom
and harmony.''
Two hundred
years have only strengthened the steady character of America.
And so as we begin the work of healing our nation, tonight I
call upon that character: respect for each other, respect for
our differences, generosity of spirit, and a willingness to work
hard and work together to solve any problem.
I have something
else to ask you, to ask every American. I ask for you to pray
for this great nation. I ask for your prayers for leaders from
both parties. I thank you for your prayers for me and my family,
and I ask you pray for Vice President Gore and his family.
I have faith
that with God's help we as a nation will move forward together
as one nation, indivisible. And together we will create and America
that is open, so every citizen has access to the American dream;
an America that is educated, so every child has the keys to realize
that dream; and an America that is united in our diversity and
our shared American values that are larger than race or party.
The president
of the United States is the president of every single American,
of every race and every background.
Whether you
voted for me or not, I will do my best to serve your interests
and I will work to earn your respect.
I will be guided
by President Jefferson's sense of purpose, to stand for principle,
to be reasonable in manner, and above all, to do great good for
the cause of freedom and harmony.
The presidency
is more than an honor. It is more than an office. It is a charge
to keep, and I will give it my all.
Back
to the main page...
|