[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[August 3, 1992]
[Pages 1297-1299]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 1297]]


Remarks on Arrival in Jacksonville, Florida
August 3, 1992

    The President. What a great rally. What a fantastic Jacksonville 
turnout. Thank you all very, very much. This is good for the soul.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Thank you so very, very much. Senator Mack, Connie, 
my friend, thank you for that warm introduction. Let me just tell you 
something that you must know well: When the going got tough in Desert 
Storm days, you could turn to Connie Mack for success, for trust, for 
conviction. He was right on the ball all the way. And he is right: If 
you really want to change America, change control of the United States 
Congress, and let us get this country moving.
    I want to thank the Mayor for that warm introduction. I'll forgive 
him for being a Democrat; he's a good man, and--[laughter]--I was 
delighted to have him say those pleasant things. To Mark Little: Mark, 
you've got a great voice, you ought to go in radio. [Laughter] Thank 
you. Thank you very much for being here and getting this gang all fired 
up. When I say fired up, I'm talking literally. I saw you when I came by 
on Air Force One--a little warm out there. And may I salute Cliff 
Stearns and Craig James, both great Congressmen. And let me say this: 
Please elect Tillie Fowler and send her to the United States Congress. 
You want to change things; there's a good way to do it. And may I salute 
Minority Leaders Crenshaw and Lombard and our State Treasurer Gallagher 
and so many others that are here with us today. And to the kids, the 
Americakids that kept you entertained, my thanks to them and also to the 
Fletcher High School marching band and the Fletcher High School 
cheerleaders. Don't say I didn't mention them. And Mayor, thanks once 
again for your openmindedness and your warm welcome to your city.
    If you're like me, you're grabbing every spare moment you can to 
keep up with the great Olympic games in Barcelona. My favorite events 
have been in the swimming, for three reasons. Make that four. First, 
Martin Zubero. His backstroke was for Spain, but I bet his heart, with 
his hometown of Jacksonville. And also, your own Gregg Burgess, who took 
home the silver. We're proud of him.
    Here's another guy I like, Pablo Morales, the guy who missed out. 
Remember, he missed out in '84; he didn't make the team in '88; then he 
came back this year to take the gold, and at the ripe old age of 27. I 
don't know why, but I kind of like a guy who proves that youth and 
inexperience are no match for maturity and determination.
    The fourth one was Summer Sanders. How's that for the name of a 
swimmer. Summer was trailing halfway through the 200 meter butterfly, 
then came on strong to win at the finish. Came on strong to win at the 
finish, I like that. We are going to do exactly the same thing to these 
guys coming out of this so-called new team.
    We've heard a lot of talk about change this year; the other side has 
put forth more heat than this Florida sunshine. But don't worry; let's 
see how they can take it. I am going to carry it back to them and take 
my case to you, the American people. They've had their day, 6 months of 
carping and griping and tearing down the United States, and that day is 
over. We're going to take the case to the American people.
    The other side, they talk about change, but when you look at their 
position on the most radical change of all, limiting the tenure of 
Members of Congress, they quietly admit they're against the idea. That's 
change, just changing their tune. [Laughter]
    The other side talks about change, but in a certain 7,000-word 
speech at a convention that I was happy to miss--[laughter]--they 
devoted just 141 words to defense of this country and to our foreign 
policy. Then when they finally get around to it, they propose $60 
billion in defense cuts beyond which my national security experts tell 
me is responsible. They do not mention the fact that these reckless cuts 
will cost a million jobs across America, some right here in

[[Page 1298]]

Jacksonville. They dry up Mayport to look like a prune, and we are not 
going to do that. We've got to keep our country strong. You talk about 
that change; that's called changing the subject.
    The other side talks about change. Look at the first two ideas of 
the economy. They propose--and Connie knows this, and he's fighting hard 
against it--they propose a $150 billion tax increase now, half of it 
paid by small businessmen and farmers, and then follow it up with a new 
payroll tax of at least 7 percent to pay for a Government-run health 
care scheme. That is change, but change is all you're going to have left 
in your pocket if you listen to them.
    I stand for a change, and here it is, a new approach. Congress has a 
lower rate of turnover than the Soviet Politburo used to have--
[laughter]--36 years with one party holding the power. I am fighting for 
term limits because the only way to break the deadlock in Washington is 
by clearing out a little deadwood on Capitol Hill.
    I know when you have up there in some of these liberal communities, 
if you want people to do something that's politically appealing, yes, 
they want to gut the defense. But I am not going to let that happen. For 
the sake of our children and the economy, I am determined to keep the 
United States of America strong.
    I don't believe the way to jump-start this economy is with a new 
tax-and-spend program. I trust you to spend your hard-earned dollars 
better than any bureaucrat can.
    And so this election is not just about change. It's about something 
else, a flip side of change, and that is called trust. When you get 
right down to it, this election will be like every other. When you pull 
that curtain closed and cast your vote on November 3d, trust really does 
matter.
    Many times in the White House, late at night, the telephone rings. 
Most times it's an aide checking up on the schedule. But sometimes it's 
another voice, more serious, more solemn, bringing news of a coup in a 
powerful foreign country, bringing word of Americans held against their 
will, bringing word of a bully threatening the peace halfway around the 
world. The American people need to know that the man who answers that 
phone has the experience, the seasoning, and yes, the guts to make the 
right decision and to make the tough call. You want a leader you can 
trust. I have worked hard to prove that I am that man.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. The bottom line is, that's trust in the traditional 
sense. That keeps America safe and strong. But that's part of the 
picture. And trust matters when you're looking to someone to build 
strength in the economy of this country, as Connie said, a better 
future. I stake my claim on a simple philosophy: To lead a great nation, 
you must trust the people that you lead. You look at every big issue we 
face, and you'll see a choice between those who put their faith in 
everyday Americans and those who put their faith in Government.
    The other side says they want to put people first. But if you look 
at their ideas real close, the people they put first are all on the 
Government payroll. They remind me of the cartoon of a bus, maybe you 
saw it recently, two donkeys on board. The traffic above says, ``Left 
lane closed; keep right for the next 4 months.'' And one donkey is 
whispering, ``Don't worry, we'll just stay in this lane 'til November.''
    Well, I did not adopt my philosophy 4 months ago, nor did you. I 
adopted it, mine, more than four decades ago, when I first had a job and 
ran a business and tried to meet a payroll. That is a good credential 
for the President of the United States. I learned then not to put my 
trust in the Government but to put it in the people.
    I trust parents, not the Government, to make the decisions that 
matter in life. I trust the parents, not the Government, to choose their 
children's schools, public, private, and religious. I trust parents, not 
the Government, to choose their children's child care. And when the 
other side says, ``Government knows best,'' I say, ``Parents know 
better.'' Parents know better than some bureaucrat way up there in 
Washington, DC.
    I trust the people, not the Government, to decide where and when you 
get a doctor's help. We can control costs. We must and will--and I have 
a plan to do this--make insurance coverage more available to

[[Page 1299]]

everybody that needs it without a Government takeover of health care in 
this country. Frankly, I think we need, Americans deserve a better 
health care system than one that's run with the efficiency of the 
department of motor vehicles and the compassion of the KGB. We do not 
want to go to a nationalized or a socialized plan.
    I know that, look, this is a funny year. You live and die every time 
you turn on the news, you hear some new poll. Let me tell you something 
about that. I know that my stands are not popular in all places. But 
they don't come from the latest poll or a special interest. They come 
from principle. And I make you one promise in this campaign. Others can 
listen to the polls; others can pay attention to the pols. I am going to 
do my level-best to do what is right for the United States of America.
    I am delighted to be with our son here, Jeb, today, my boy--
[laughter]--my little boy. I just wish that Barbara were here. I think 
she's doing a first-class job for this country.
    But let me just close with that in mind, with family in mind, with a 
few words right smack from the heart. We are blessed, Barbara and I, 
blessed to serve at a moment in history when so many of the old fears 
have been driven away, when so many new hopes are within our reach. The 
changes that we've worked for have come to pass: the end of the cold 
war, the collapse of imperial communism, a new birth of freedom from 
Managua to Moscow, a new world of hope for ourselves and for our kids. 
The world we live in, let's face it, is a safer world, safer than it was 
a decade ago, a year ago, safer than it was 2 months ago when the 
children right here walked out of school and off into the summer. We 
have done so much to reduce the threat of nuclear war, and that is good 
for the world and good for the United States.
    The bottom line is this: When we have done so much for the past 4 
years, when we put our faith in the people, we can do anything we want. 
We have changed the world, and we will change America. We will not do 
what is easy or politically appealing. We will do what is right for the 
United States of America.
    Thank you and God bless you all.

                    Note: The President spoke at 12:31 p.m. at 
                        Jacksonville Landing. In his remarks, he 
                        referred to Mayor Ed Austin of Jacksonville; 
                        Mark Little, master of ceremonies; Ander 
                        Crenshaw, Florida State Senate minority leader; 
                        and James Lombard, Florida State House of 
                        Representatives minority leader.