OPPORTUNITY:

Raw Data: Excerpts of Bush Speech (September 02, 2004)

Excerpts of President Bush's remarks prepared for delivery at the 2004 Republican National Convention on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2004:

"I am running for president with a clear and positive plan to build a safer world and a more hopeful America. I am running with a compassionate conservative philosophy: that government should help people improve their lives, not try to run their lives. I believe this nation wants steady, consistent, principled leadership and that is why, with your help, we will win this election."

"The times in which we live and work are changing dramatically. The workers of our parents' generation typically had one job, one skill, one career often with one company that provided health care and a pension. And most of those workers were men. Today, workers change jobs, even careers, many times during their lives, and in one of the most dramatic shifts our society has seen, two-thirds of all moms also work outside the home."

"This changed world can be a time of great opportunity for all Americans to earn a better living, support your family, and have a rewarding career. And government must take your side. Many of our most fundamental systems — the tax code, health coverage, pension plans, worker training — were created for the world of yesterday, not tomorrow. We will transform these systems so that all citizens are equipped, prepared and thus truly free to make your own choices and pursue your own dreams."

One of the things to notice tonight will be what he doesn't say. The previous nights have softened up Senator Kerry so much that the President is unlikely to make more than a passing and favorable reference to him and his Vietnam service. Nor is he likely to spend much time worrying over jobs or WMD or whatever else folks think he should be explaining about the past. He probably won't even dwell much on 9-11, which other speakers have pretty well covered, except to salute the host city and to transition from the event that shaped the first term to a brighter future. This is likely to be all about the next four years--and beyond.

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 2, 2004 6:21 PM