[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 42 (Monday, October 18, 2004)]
[Pages 2311-2312]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Debate Watch Party in Ballwin, Missouri

October 8, 2004

    The President. Thank you all for coming. Thanks for staying up so 
late. Anybody got any questions? [Laughter]
    Audience member. We love Laura!
    The President. Thank you all for coming. Laura said, ``Don't talk 
too long tonight.'' [Laughter] I said, ``Okay.'' [Laughter] But I do 
want to thank you all very much. There's no doubt in my mind, with your 
help, we'll carry Missouri again and win in November.
    So tonight I was telling the people why I think they ought to put me 
back in there for 4 more years, but I didn't get the line I really 
wanted to say, which was that the main reason to put me back in was so 
that Laura would be the First Lady for 4 more years.
    Audience members. Laura! Laura! Laura!
    Audience member. We love you, Laura!
    The President. Tomorrow morning, I'm waking up first thing in the 
morning to help the next Governor of Missouri, Matt Blunt, and the next 
Lieutenant Governor of Missouri, Peter Kinder. I want to thank them 
both. See you in the morning. I'll see you in the morning. Make sure the 
eggs aren't runny. [Laughter]
    Then we're off to Iowa, then Minnesota. I'm fired up. I'm looking 
forward to this.
    I thank all the candidates who are here. I really want to thank 
those of you who are putting up the signs and making the phone calls and 
doing all the work.
    We had a good debate tonight. There's clear differences of opinion. 
One thing I hope you could tell is I know what I believe. I know why I 
need to lead this country to make this world a safer place and a more 
hopeful place for every American--for every single American.

[[Page 2312]]

    Our dream is for America to fulfill its promise for every single 
person who lives here. There's no doubt in my mind, over the next 4 
years this world will be a safer place, that we'll achieve the peace 
that we long for, for our children and grandchildren, and that the great 
promise of America, the great hope of our great country will be extended 
to every corner of this great land.
    I can't thank you all enough for being here.
    Audience member. Thank you!
    The President. May God bless you, and may God continue to bless our 
country. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 10:26 p.m. at the Greensfelder Recreation 
Complex. In his remarks, he referred to Missouri Secretary of State Matt 
Blunt, candidate for Missouri Governor; and Missouri State Senator Peter 
Kinder, candidate for Missouri Lieutenant Governor. A tape was not 
available for verification of the content of these remarks. This item 
was not received in time for publication in the appropriate issue.