2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

Wes Clark 2004 Announcement

Announcement Speech of Wesley K. Clark  on September 17, 2003 in Little Rock, Arkansas

"My name is Wes Clark. I am from Little Rock, Arkansas, and I'm here to announce that I intend to seek the Presidency of the United States of America.

Well for my family and me, it's been a long journey from Little Rock. From West Point to Vietnam, 34 years in the United States Army, through war in the Balkans, back to Little Rock for business. And I'm proud to have made that journey, proud to have served my country in uniform, and proud to be back home today in Little Rock.

Now we're talking about a new journey. This is a journey I couldn't begin without all of you, friends and family, high school classmates, business colleagues, close personal friends, from all over the state, especially I want to recognize the hundreds of people who are here because of the Draft Clark movement. Thank you.

Let's recognize who we are. We are Americans and we have extraordinary promise and live in a time of extraordinary promise. We're the strongest nation in the world. We don't have to fear. We're the leading economy in the world. We can create jobs. We're a military without peer, and we're proud of our Armed Forces and our Veterans.

We've got a heritage of democracy, the rule of law, the respect for the rights and dignity of each and every individual that makes America the envy of the world. And I think to put it in business terms, we're diverse, energetic, practical and innovative. This 21st century is going to be our American century, just like the 20th century was.

And together, we're going to march forward. Forward with a new vision. Forward to bring our children and grandchildren into a future, brightened by hope, courage, and our determination that we can do better. We will do better. And we will do it together.

So that's our campaign. We're firm in our intent, we're clear in our purposes, we're mustering the resources, building the nucleus, drawing the support of people from all across this great land. We're underway and moving forward, we need your help here in Little Rock. Here in Arkansas and across America. But I want to reach out especially to those in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and everywhere across America. Get ready, we're moving out!"

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John Edwards 2004 Announcement

John Edwards Presidential Announcement Address on Tuesday, September 16, 2003 in Robbins, North Carolina.

"Good morning. Welcome to my hometown, Robbins, North Carolina.

It's great to be home with my family, my parents, my wife Elizabeth, and my children, and with my dearest friends. Thank you for the life you've given me and the example you've set for me. And thank all of you for being here today.

I have come home to stand in the shadow of the mill where my father worked, where I worked and where I learned the value of a hard day's work. We're not far from the post office where my mother worked, the church where we went each week, and the high school where I played football and hoped to be the first in my family to go to college.

I grew up in an American town, and I grew up with America's dream. I owe everything I have to the America I grew up in.

This is where I learned that a job is about more than a paycheck, it is about dignity, responsibility and self-respect.

This is where I learned that credibility is the currency of good people.

This is where I learned that the simple promise of America is the enduring greatness of America: a better life for all who work for it.

And so this is where - today - to make opportunity the birthright of every American, I declare myself a candidate for President of the United States.

I believe in an America where the family you're born into never controls your destiny.

I believe in that America because I've lived it. It's the reason I'm standing here today. I owe everything I am to the America I grew up in.

Everything I believe about our country - every value I learned in this town, every person I have fought for in my life, every idea I have learned along the way, has brought me here.

I am running for president because I have lived in the bright light of the blessing of America. I am running for President because the great gift of an equal chance is the greatest gift I know. I am running for President, because the greatness of America that has come before is nothing compared to the greatness of America that lies ahead.

It's right in front of us. I've seen it in the promise of every city and town I visit. I hear it in the voices of every man and woman I talk to.

Together, we can make their voices heard!!!

Together, we can make opportunity the birthright we all share!!!

Together, we can restore the promise of America!!!

God bless you. God bless the United States of America."

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Pete du Pont 1988 Announcement

Pete du Pont Announcement For The Presidency in Wilmington, Delaware on September 16, 1986.

"I want to talk with you today about the future of our country, and about how together, we might help shape that future.

As a nation we will soon be without the graceful, confident leadership of Ronald Reagan. Under his leadership, we've known what we stood for as a people and where we wanted to go as a nation. Sooner than we realize he will step down from the presidency; so we must begin to think about who will next lead this country, and in what direction.

One hundred eighty-seven years ago a man named Pierre Samuel du Pont and his two sons left France to find opportunity in a freer world. They and their descendants enjoyed that freedom and prospered with it. Today one of those descendants has been given another extraordinary opportunity. He has been allowed the privilege of dreaming to lead the nation his ancestors risked everything to join.

I'm sure old Pierre is smiling as he looks down from the heavens to hear his namesake say, yes, I am a candidate for the president of the United States of America.

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Tom Harkin 1992 Announcement

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Senator Tom Harkin at the Harkin Steak Fry on September 15, 1991.

"Are you ready?

Are you ready for a new direction in this country?

Are you ready for a president who will declare a peace dividend and turn Star Wars into Star Schools?

Are you ready for a president who will give the middle class a break instead of tax breaks to the rich?

Are you ready for a president who will make America our most favored nation and educated children our most important product?

If that's the kind of leader you want, let me introduce myself: I'm Tom Harkin. And I'm running for President.

I'm running for president because I believe the American people are hungry for a New Vision of America. A New Vision of America based on strong, fundamental, enduring values.

The values that my parents gave to me and your parents gave to you.

You know, the older I get, and the more I learn, the more I realize that all I ever needed to know I learned growing up in the small town of Cumming, Iowa -- population 151, up the dusty road about 20 miles north of here.

I believe there are people in every city and town who share that New Vision, who are ready to roll up their sleeves, put the axe to the grindstone, and make it happen.

If you're ready for that kind of America, then give me your support, and together, we'll put a good, common sense, progressive Democrat in the White House."

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Bill Frist VOLPAC Web Site Redesign

An e-mail was sent to supporters on September 14, 2005 announcing the redesign of the VOLPAC web site.

"Just a quick note to let you know that we recently completed a full redesign of my leadership committee website www.volpac.org.

In the coming weeks and months, many issues of great consequence will come before the Senate:

Judge Roberts' confirmation hearings for Chief Justice;
Confirmation hearings for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's replacement;
Joint Committee review of the response to Hurricane Katrina;
Legislation to improve the security of our borders.
The list goes on.

In an effort to ensure that you have access to the very latest information on these vital issues -- and many more -- we felt it necessary to improve our website.

I encourage you to visit it.

I also hope you will use it as a resource to help advance President Bush's Agenda, confirm his judicial nominees, and elect principled Republican leaders nationwide.

In addition, the site will better enable you to keep up with the political news of the day.

I suggest you begin by taking the "guided" tour of our website and when you finish, complete our website scorecard (information we need from you to improve our website).

We are going to need your help to make this website a success, so please visit www.volpac.org today.

I look forward to your feedback." Bill Frist, M.D.

Upon arriving at the web site, the user was greeted with this welcome message:

"Welcome to www.Volpac.org, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist?s leadership committee website.

We built this website as a resource to help you support President Bush?s Second Term Agenda, his judicial nominees and Republican Senate candidates.

We are committed to making this the best website that we can.  Your support and involvement is critical.

We encourage you to visit the five parts of the website we have highlighted below and when you are done looking at the website, return to this page and complete the VOLPAC WEBSITE SCORECARD.

To begin our tour of www.Volpac.org, we would like you to visit:

The Meet the Chairman section of our website, and read the letter Dr. Thomas Frist, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist?s father, wrote for his children and grandchildren.

A biography is one way to learn about someone, but we asked Senator Frist?s wife Karyn and his three sons Harrison, Jonathan and Bryan to tell us 12 Things About Senator Frist you wouldn?t read or hear anywhere else.

How did a heart transplant surgeon end up running for the Senate?

Senator Frist likes to email his supporters directly. Many of the articles on this website are from his emails.

The Legislative Priorities Project is an online and direct mail effort to collect the opinions of over 1,000,000 Americans on the important issues of the day. Each week we will update our survey, with a set of new questions on a different issue.

Thank you for visiting our website. We plan on adding new, exciting, interactive features very soon. 

Tell your friends, family and co-workers about this website and come back and see us sometime"

Doug Wilder 1992 Announcement

Remarks made to the People of the Commonwealth at 12:30 P.M. on September 13, 1991 at the State Capitol in Richmond, Virginia by Governor L. Douglas Wilder.

"I want to talk to you today about the future .... your future; your children's future; Virginia's future; America's future; and --- yes --- my future. Perhaps most importantly, I want to talk about the future of those Americans and Virginians who have continued to wait to enjoy the opportunities of those basic freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.

After many months of deliberation and hours of private thought and reflection on my commitment to Virginia and my obligation to my country...

I have decided to run for President of the United States in 1992.

I ask for your patience, support and---above all---your prayers in this effort for Virginia and the nation.

The most wrenching and prayerful consideration in my decision has been my commitment and promise to Virginia.

Twenty months ago, I committed and promised Virginians that I would work to solve the pressing problems of Virginia and position Virginia for the future. I will not shirk from that commitment one iota, nor fall short on my promise one scintilla.

In seeking the Presidency, I recognize that I am the longest of long shots. I may not win. I may not get but a few votes.

But I would not be doing my job as Governor---indeed, I would not deserve to be who I am---if I failed to step forward at this critical juncture in our nation's history.

For if we fail to heal this nation in 1992, it may not be healed in my lifetime. If we fail to put this country on a sound fiscal posture in 1992, then order may not be restored in my lifetime.

If elected, I pledge to all of you that I will do everything in my power to heal the growing divisions among us; to restore economic vitality....so that more people can enter the middle class....and to secure peace around the world through American economic and military strength.

I want my legacy to be that I expanded the economic and political rights of all men and women;

.... and that --- as we enter the next century --- America will have secured peace and prosperity for those Americans who will work for it .... and for all countries who will join us in this quest.

May God bless you, the Commonwealth ... and may God bless America."

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George McGovern 1984 Announcement

Presidential Announcement Speech of George McGovern at George Washington University at 11 a.m. in Washington, DC on Tuesday, September 13, 1983.

"I have decided to seek the Presidency of the United States. I shall make that effort on a platform of realism and common sense. Fantasy may be good entertainment on the movie screen; it is not good policy for a great nation.

The new realism calls for a revival of the old common sense that has guided our greatest leaders since George Washington who gave this University its proud name.

American Democracy at its best has been undergirded by the spiritual insight of the Hebrew Prophets and the Christian Gospel.  Conversely, we have learned again in our time that politics devoid of a moral compass is a destructive enterprise.  It is still true that “where there is no vision the people perish.”

And now an exciting and what can be a victorious campaign lies before us.  No candidate can protect the public reaction to his appeal.  Indeed, as Emerson has written, “None but he knows what he can do, nor does he know until he has tried. “ I don’t know if I can win this campaign, but I do know that with all my heart and strength I am going to try. 

But let me remind you: the success of this campaign lies in your hands. Please, those of you at George Washington University and those who watch on television, if you will volunteer send your name, and if you can contribute send your dollars to the McGovern for President campaign. And let us now as Democrats and as Americans join hands around the table of common purpose and then go forward with a strong and active faith."

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Podcasting as Political Communication

Matt Slutsky, who worked on the John Kerry Campaign during the Iowa and Minnesota Caucuses and in the Kerry-Edwards Washington, DC Office during the 2004 General Election, talks about his use of the iPod in this Los Angeles Times article.

Link: Politicos embrace podcasting - Los Angeles Times.

Politicos embrace podcasting By Cynthia H. Cho, Times Staff Writer WASHINGTON ? Like many 24-year-olds, Matthew Slutsky keeps his iPod close at hand. He listens to it going to work, doing errands, walking down the street ? whenever he is "on the go," he says. But some of the most listened-to names in Slutsky's iPod are not today's hottest bands; they're politicians and political pundits. Every morning, he downloads the latest "AfterNote," a politics newscast from ABC, and listens to it on his way to his job at a political consulting firm.

Bill Bradley 2000 Announcement

Speech by Bill Bradley in Crystal City on September 8, 1999

"Today, I want to be as clear as that glass about who I am and why I am running for President of the United States.

I have come back to my hometown because for me, this is where the world of possibility and hope all began, a world I want to open for all Americans.

I believe America should be made whole, but I don't want to erase our differences. It's those differences that give us our uncommon energy and wonderful creativity. The beautiful paradox of America is this:

I still see an America of endless possibility. An America that is as generous as it is prosperous, that is as decent as it is strong. An America that is, as Abraham Lincoln said, "The last best hope of mankind."

We may be at the end of a millennium, at the end of two centuries of American history, but we still have it in our power, as Thomas Paine said, "To begin the world [all] over again."

The leadership that is called for at this moment goes beyond a presidency, and into every home and heart. The renewal of the American Dream has to shine so bright that we can dream dreams we never thought possible before.

I have confidence in this Dream because it is the theme of my life - because without a famous family name or great wealth, I was given the encouragement and love and the opportunity that enabled me to forge a path on my own.

I've never forgotten the people who were my support, many in this town to whom I will always be grateful. They were ordinary Americans who did extraordinary things for me.

Americans are like that - ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

They inspired me and gave me hope and confidence. And I want that hope, that encouragement, that sense of possibility to be a reality for everybody.

I want the American Dream for all of us - at last.

Ladies and gentlemen, it can happen.

Come with me.

Let us walk toward that dream together."

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George W. Bush 2004 Convention

In his Acceptance Speech on Thursday, September 02, 2004 , President Bush Shared His Plan for a Safer World & More Hopeful America at the Republican National Convention in New York, New York.

"Mr. Chairman, delegates, fellow citizens: I am honored by your support, and I accept your nomination for President of the United States.

When I said those words four years ago, none of us could have envisioned what these years would bring. In the heart of this great city, we saw tragedy arrive on a quiet morning. We saw the bravery of rescuers grow with danger. We learned of passengers on a doomed plane who died with a courage that frightened their killers. We have seen a shaken economy rise to its feet. And we have seen Americans in uniform storming mountain strongholds, and charging through sandstorms, and liberating millions, with acts of valor that would make the men of Normandy proud.

Since 2001, Americans have been given hills to climb, and found the strength to climb them. Now, because we have made the hard journey, we can see the valley below. Now, because we have faced challenges with resolve, we have historic goals within our reach, and greatness in our future. We will build a safer world and a more hopeful America -- and nothing will hold us back.

In the work we have done, and the work we will do, I am fortunate to have a superb Vice President. I have counted on Dick Cheney's calm and steady judgment in difficult days, and I am honored to have him at my side.

I am grateful to share my walk in life with Laura Bush. Americans have come to see the goodness and kindness and strength I first saw 26 years ago, and we love our First Lady.

I am a fortunate father of two spirited, intelligent, and lovely young women. I am blessed with a sister and brothers who are also my closest friends. And I will always be the proud and grateful son of George and Barbara Bush.

My father served eight years at the side of another great American -- Ronald Reagan. His spirit of optimism and goodwill and decency are in this hall, and in our hearts, and will always define our party.

Two months from today, voters will make a choice based on the records we have built, the convictions we hold, and the vision that guides us forward. A presidential election is a contest for the future. Tonight I will tell you where I stand, what I believe, and where I will lead this country in the next four years.

To everything we know there is a season -- a time for sadness, a time for struggle, a time for rebuilding. And now we have reached a time for hope. This young century will be liberty's century. By promoting liberty abroad, we will build a safer world. By encouraging liberty at home, we will build a more hopeful America. Like generations before us, we have a calling from beyond the stars to stand for freedom. This is the everlasting dream of America -- and tonight, in this place, that dream is renewed. Now we go forward -- grateful for our freedom, faithful to our cause, and confident in the future of the greatest nation on earth.

God bless you, and may God continue to bless America."

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