[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 44 (Monday, November 8, 1993)]
[Page 2256]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Exchange With Reporters in Lexington, Kentucky

 November 4, 1993

Elections and NAFTA

    Q. Mr. President, isn't it going to be a lot tougher to get NAFTA 
votes from Democrats after the election results?
    The President: No.
    Q. Why not?
    The President. What in the world would that have to do with 
anything?
    Q. Well, Members are going to say that you can't get the numbers.
    The President. That's ludicrous. That's just a Washington story. 
That's ridiculous. What about all the mayors that walked in with no 
opposition that were active in my campaign in the primaries? That's 
ridiculous. I'm proud of the showing that those two guys had, Florio and 
Dinkins. They came back from the dead. Everybody wrote them off. Besides 
that, NAFTA wasn't an issue in any of those races. I just think it's 
ridiculous. The only thing they need--[inaudible]--is doing the right 
thing for America. And I think they will.
    The real evidence is that if people think you're for change you get 
elected, and if they think you're for the status quo that's not working, 
you're--[inaudible]--and the proper change this time is to support 
NAFTA.

Note: The exchange began at approximately 1:30 p.m. at Lexmark 
International, Inc. A tape was not available for verification of the 
content of this exchange.