76-01-A1
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Convention # 1
TranscriptThis is the first of what I hope will be a great many chances to visit with you in the days ahead, and I'll begin with where I've been these last nine months. I'll be right back. Roughly nine months ago, I signed off on one of these broadcasts and the next day announced I'd be a candidate for my party's presidential nomination. For nine months, I've been meeting many of you all over this country. Starting in the snows of New Hampshire, through the South, the Midwest and the West. The trail ended in Kansas City on August. I have no regrets, only a great feeling of gratitude toward millions of my fellow citizens and memories that'll warm my heart all the years of my life. In campaigning, you meet people in a way that's unique and different. Just traveling, whether on business or pleasure, even out on the speaking circuit, doesn't compare to a campaign where people gather together to exercise their responsibility as citizens. The candidate is the job hunter, the people are the prospective employers, and you find the great majority take their responsibility very seriously and are truly conscientious. Only the world's worst scoundrel could intentionally let them down. The campaign trail is no place for the cynic. I am more than ever convinced of the greatness of our people and their capacity to determine their own destiny. It's been an inspiring experience and at the same time a humbling one. To see young people come to California, from all over the country and then at their own expense, ride 48 hours in busses to Kansas City with no assurance they can even get into the convention hall, simply because they want to help in any way they can. They man telephones, drive cars, run errands, all for a candidate or a cause they believe in, and then when victory doesn't come, they stand with tears streaming down their cheeks, as if somehow they hadn't done enough. You stand looking at those faces and hope you can say something to ease their grief and reward their dedication. Among the memories will be those of landing at airports in the middle of hot steamy days or cold icy nights to find crowds of people, young and old, patiently waiting to greet you and bid you welcome to their state, their town. Sure, there are other memories, not so pleasant, of some states where machine politics prevail, where delegates to the convention say you'd be their choice but they have to go along with the organization. There's less of that than in the past and hopefully more than there will be in the future. My belief has been strengthened that if government would someday quietly close its doors, if all the bureaucrats would tiptoe out of the marble halls, it'd take the people of this country quite a while to miss them or even know they were gone. I'm going to continue talking about the issues and problems confronting us tomorrow and possibly the next day. I'd like to tell you about the choice the two major parties have given us. I'm not talking about candidates, obviously that wouldn't be proper or permitted. I'm talking about platforms adopted by the parties—two different ways to solve the problems we're faced with. In the past, platforms were platitudinous, bland generalities. We've made progress. Today they make specific proposals as they should and I'm going to tell you about them. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening. |
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