Transcripts For CSPAN Prominent Speakers From Past Republican Conventions 20240712

Sure to join the conversation with your calls, texts, and tweets. Announcer as the Republican National Convention Gets Underway tonight, we will hear from prominent speakers from past conventions. Senator howard baker from 1984. Then pat buchanan in 1992. , retired general colin powell in 1996. And former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice in 2012. Howard baker had already been Senate Majority leader for three years when he addressed the 1984 Republican Convention. He became 18 years, known as the great negotiator, including passage of the Clean Air Act and the clean water act. Senator baker was vice chair of the committee that investigated whitewater, president nixon, and members of his administration. 35 years later during the impeachment trials of president trump, intelligence chair adam schiff asked, where is howard baker . Where the people willing to go beyond their party to look to their duty . Senator baker spoke to delegates in dallas. Sen. Baker thank you very much. Late is and gentlemen, thank you very much. Does anybody here think Ronald Reagan should be reelected president of the United States . [cheers and applause] ici have come to the right place. [laughter] come to amocrats have different conclusion. They say america is waiting for Walter Mondale. [crowd booing] they say america is trembling, despairing, terrorized, greedy, and divided between the lucky and the left out. And for a while, i thought they were talking about themselves. [laughter] [applause] bud, my friends thats america , theyre talking about. And thats why america will reelect Ronald Reagan and a lot more republicans in 1984. [cheers and applause] americas choice this year is not just between Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale. Its between a team that has proven it can succeed and a team that has proven it cant. The cartermondale team gave us doubledigit inflation, 21 interest rates, a punching bag for Foreign Policy, and the misery index. That is because misery has become very important to Walter Mondale. Because, you see when hes in , office, he creates it. And when he is out, he invents it. [applause] because Walter Mondale has nothing to offer to a successful america. [cheers and applause] in Ronald Reagans america, more people are working than ever before, and Walter Mondale cannot stand it. [applause] in Ronald Reagans america, the economy is growing faster than it has in 30 years. And Walter Mondale cant stand it. [applause] inflation is the lowest its been in a dozen years. Interest rates are eight points lower than under carter and mondale. And income taxes have been cut 25 . And Walter Mondale cant stand it. [applause] in Ronald Reagans america, the crime rate is going down. People can buy cars and houses and take vacations again. Small businesses have been started since 1980, and 6. 5 million new jobs have been created in the last 19 months alone, and Walter Mondale cannot stand that either. [applause] religion,every race, gender, and generation are sharing this progress. Money to helpmore people in genuine need than any other government in history. People do not need government to tell them what to do and how to do it. And Walter Mondale cannot stand it. [applause] he is trying to invent another america of trembling and despairing, a miserable america that needs the Democratic Party to come to its rescue. The democrats are doing their best to rebuild the Old Coalition that elected Franklin Roosevelt so many times, but it is not going to work. Walter mondale is running for president this year, and he aint no fdr. [applause] only rescue america has needed lately was from cartermondale in 1980. [applause] fellow delegates mr. Mondale , tells us hes learned from his mistakes. He says hes learned to say no. But listen to what he has learned to say no to already. Organized labor asked if he disagreed with them on anything. And he said, no. [laughter] the limousine liberals asked if hed oppose anything they want. And he said, no. And somebody somewhere asked if hed mind raising our taxes. He said, no to that, too. [applause] delegates, he is not the only one who can say no. 50 million American People said no to Walter Mondale four years ago, and theyre going to say no to him again in 1984. [cheers and applause] and they are going to say yes to Ronald Reagan and the Republican Party in 1984. [cheers and applause] weve shown our fellow citizens that we know how to govern and how not to. Were as united in our purpose as the democrats are divided in theirs. We said wed put america back to work. We did. We said wed get government off peoples backs. And we did. We said wed make america strong again. And we did. We said wed restore americas commitment to freedom and justice in the world, and for starters, we rescued freedom and justice and 1,100 americans on the island of grenada. [cheers and applause] my friends, we have done these things because we have faith in the people and the nation we serve. We dont have to wave the flag to prove we love this country. We were waving the flag when some people were burning it. [applause] we want america to be successful, not miserable. We want america to be a strong, compassionate, peaceful country that believes in itself and builds a Better Future for its people one day at a time. We want the world to remember that the greatest revolution for the rights of mankind began in this country two centuries ago, and its not over yet. [applause] the right to life, the right to liberty, the right to pursue happiness are the gifts of god, not of government. No government on earth should presume to interfere with these fundamental rights of men and women. [applause] we believe that no right is more fundamental than the right to live in peace, free from the harassment of government and free from the haunting specter of war. We long for the day when those who choose to be our adversaries will choose instead to abandon their request for dominion and join us in fighting the real enemies of the world. Hunger, disease, ignorance, want, and war itself. These are the goals worthy of a great people. And, my fellow delegates, we are a great people. [applause] in the last four years, weve shown the world again just how great we are. Were americans. And were are proud of it. [cheers and applause] and were going to celebrate it in 1984 by reelecting Ronald Reagan president of the United States of america. [cheers and applause] republicanthe 1992 convention was also held in texas. Pat buchanan did not get the nomination that year or when he ran again in 1996, but he was in reform Party Nominee 2000. Mr. Buchanan was White House Communications director for Ronald Reagan and a consultant Richard Nixon and gerald ford. He has appeared on msnbc and fox news and was a cofounder of the american conservative magazine. Mr. Buchanan listen, my friends. We may have taken the long way home, but we finally got here to houston. [cheers and applause] and the first thing i want to do tonight is to congratulate president george bush and to remove any doubt about where we stand. The primaries are over, the heart is strong again, and the buchanan brigades are enlisted, all the way to a great republican comeback victory in november. [cheers and applause] [crowd chanting] friends, likemy many of you, like many of you last month, i watched that giant masquerade ball up at Madison Square garden, where 20,000 liberals and radicals came dressed up as moderates and centrists in the greatest single exhibition of crossdressing in american political history. [cheers and applause] you know, 1 one by one, the prophets of doom appeared at the podium. The reagan decade, they moaned, was a terrible time in america, and they said the only way to prevent worse times is to turn our countrys fate and our countrys future over to the party that gave us mcgovern, mondale, carter, and michael dukakis. [booing] where do they find these leaders . No way, my friends. The American People are not going to go back into the discredited liberalism of the 1960s and the failed liberalism of the 1970s, no matter how slick the package in 1992. [cheers and applause] [chuckles] chanting] thein malcontents, the malcontents of Madison Square garden notwithstanding, the 1980s were not terrible years in america. They were great years. You know it, and i know it. And everyone knows it except the carping critics who sat on the sidelines of history, jeering at one of the great statesmen of modern time, Ronald Reagan. [cheers and applause] you know, out of remember that time, out of jimmy carters days of malaise, Ronald Reagan crafted Ronald Reagan crafted the greatest peacetime economic recovery in history, 3 million new businesses and 20 million new jobs. Under the reagan doctrine, one by one, it was the communist dominos that began to fall. First, grenada was liberated by u. S. Airborne troops and the u. S. Marine corps. [cheers and applause] then, the mighty red army was driven out of afghanistan with american weapons. And then in nicaragua, that , squalid, marxist regime was forced to hold free elections by Ronald Reagans contra army and the communists were thrown out of power. [cheers and applause] fellow americans, we ought to remember, it was under our party that the berlin wall came down and europe was reunited. It was under our party that the soviet empire collapsed and the captive nations broke free. You know, it is said that every american president will be remembered in history with but a single sentence. George washington was the father of his country. Abraham lincoln freed the slaves and saved the union. And Ronald Reagan won the cold war. [cheers and applause] it is time [cheers and applause] and it is just about time it is just about time that my old colleagues, the columnists and commentators, looking down on us tonight from their sky boxes and anchor booths, gave Ronald Reagan the full credit he deserves for leading america to victory in the cold war. [cheers and applause] [crowd chanting] friends,of all, my most of all, Ronald Reagan made us proud to be americans again. We never felt better about our country, and we never stood taller in the eyes of the world than when the gipper was at the helm. [cheers and applause] but we are here tonight, my friends, not only to celebrate, but to nominate. And an american president has many roles. He is our first diplomat, the architect of American Foreign policy, and which of these two men is more qualified for that great role . George bush has been you and ambassador has been you and ambassador, u. N. Director of the cia, envoy to china. As Vice President , george bush coauthored and cosigned the policies that won the cold war. As president , george bush presided over the liberation of Eastern Europe and the termination of the warsaw pact. And what about mr. Clinton . Well, bill clinton bill clinton couldnt find 150 words to discuss Foreign Policy in an acceptance speech that lasted almost an hour. You know, as was said, as was said of another democratic candidate, bill clintons Foreign Policy experience is pretty much confined to having had breakfast once at the International House of pancakes. [laughter] [cheers and applause] let us recall what happened. Let us look at the record and recall what happened. Under president george bush, more human beings escaped from the prison house of tyranny to freedom than in any other fouryear period in history. [cheers and applause] and for any man let me tell you, for any man to call this a record of failure is the cheap , political rhetoric of politicians who only know how to build themselves up by tearing america down, and we dont want that kind of leadership in the United States. [cheers and applause] the presidency, my friends the presidency is also an office that Theodore Roosevelt called americas bully pulpit. Harry truman said it was preeminently a place of moral leadership. George bush is a defender of righttolife and a champion of the judeochristian values and beliefs upon which america was founded. [cheers and applause] mr. Clinton mr. Clinton, however, has a different agenda. At its top is unrestricted unrestricted abortion on demand. , when the irishcatholic governor of pennsylvania, robert casey, asked to say a few words on behalf of the 25 million unborn children destroyed since roe v. Wade, bob casey was told there was no room for him at the podium at bill clintons convention and no room at the inn. [booing] yet yet a militant leader of the homosexual Rights Movement could rise at that same convention and say, bill clinton and al gore represent the most prolesbian and progay ticket in history. And so, they do. Bill clinton says he supports school choice, but only for staterun schools. Parents who send their children Christian Schools or private schools or jewish schools or Catholic Schools need not apply. [booing] elect me, and you get two for the price of one, mr. Clinton says, of his lawyerspouse. [chuckles] and what does hillary believe . Well, hillary believes that 12yearolds should have the right to sue their parents, and hillary has compared marriage and the family as institutions to slavery and life on an indian reservation. Well, speak for yourself, hillary. [cheers and applause] [crowd chanting] friends this, my friends, is , abortion on demand, a litmus test, the Supreme Court, discrimination against religious schools, women in combat units. It is a change, all right. That is not the kind of change america needs. It is not the kind of change america wants. And it is not the kind of change we can abide in a nation that we still call gods country. [cheers and applause] the president of the United States the president of the United States is also americas commanderinchief. Hes the man we authorize to send fathers and sons and brothers and friends into battle. George bush was 17 years old when they bombed pearl harbor. He left his high school graduation, he walked down to the recruiting office, and he signed up to become the youngest Fighter Pilot in the pacific war. [cheers and applause] and mr. Clinton, and bill i will tell you where he was. I will tell you where he was. I will tell you where he was. Let me tell you where he was. When bill clintons time came in vietnam, he sat up in a dormitory room in oxford, england, and figured out how to dodge the draft. Let me ask the question to this convention. Which of these two men has won the moral authority to send Young Americans into battle . I suggest, respectfully, i suggest respectfully, it is the American Patriot and war hero, Navy Lieutenant j. G. George Herbert Walker bush. [cheers and applause] my fellow americans, my fellow isricans, this campaign about philosophy and it is about , character, and george bush wins hands down on both counts, counts. [cheers and applause] and it is time all of us came home and stood beside him. As his running mate mr. Clinton , chose albert gore. [booing] but just how moderate is Prince Albert . [laughter] well, according to the National Taxpayers union, al gore beat out Teddy Kennedy, two straight years, for the title of biggest spender in the u. S. Senate, and Teddy Kennedy isnt moderate about anything. I am not kidding. I am not kidding about teddy. Do many other 60yearolds you know still go to florida for spring break . [cheers and applause] at that great, Big Costume Party they held in new york, henceforth, albert gore said the central organizing principle of governments everywhere must be the environment. Wrong, albert [cheers and applause] the central organizing principle of this republic is freedom. And from the ancient forests, the the ancient forests of oregon and washington, to the inland empire of california, americas great middle class has got to start standing up to these environmental extremists who put birds and rats and insects ahead of families, workers, and jobs. [cheers and applause] one year ago one year ago, my friends, one year ago, i could not have dreamt i would be here tonight. I was just one of many panelists on what president bush calls those crazy sunday talk shows. [laughter] but i disagreed with the president , and so we challenged the president in the republican primaries, and we fought as best we could. From february to june, president bush won 33 of those primaries. I cant recall exactly how many we won. [laughter] ill get you the figure tomorrow. But tonight, i do want to speak from the heart to the three Million People who voted for pat buchanan for president. I will never [cheers and applause] i will never i will never forget you or the honor you have done me. But i do believe, i do but i do believe, deep in my heart, that the right place for us to be now, in this president ial campaign, is right beside george bush. [cheers and applause] this party is my home, this party is our home, and weve got to come home to it. And dont let anyone tell you different. [applause] yes, we disagreed with president bush, but we stand with him for the freedom to choice religious schools, and we stand with him against the amoral idea that gay and lesbian couples should have the same standing in law as married men and women. We stand with president bush for righttolife, and for voluntary prayer in the Public Schools, and we stand against putting our wives and daughter and sisters into combat units of the United States army. And we stand with president bush in favor of the right of small towns and communities to control the raw sewage of pornography that so terribly pollutes our popular culture. We stand with president bush in favor of federal judges who interpret the law as written, and against wouldbe Supreme Court justices like mario cuomo who think they have a mandate to rewrite the constitution. My friends, this election is about more than who gets what. It is about who we are. It is about what we believe, and what we stand for as americans. There is a religious war going on in this country. It is a cultural war, as critical to the kind of nation we shall be as was the cold war itself, for this war is for the soul of america. And in that struggle for the soul of america, Clinton Clinton are on the other side, and george bush is on our side. And so, to the buchanan brigades out there, we have to come home and stand beside george bush. In these six months, campaigning from concord, New Hampshire to california, i came to know our country better than ever before in my life, and i gathered up memories that are going to be with me for the rest of my days. There was that daylong ride through the great state of georgia in a bus Vice President bush himself had used in 1988, called asphalt one. The ride ended in a 9 00 pm speech in a tiny town in southern georgia called fitzgerald. There were those workers at the james river paper mill, in northern New Hampshire in a town called groveton, tough, hearty men. None of them would say a word to me as i came down the line, shaking their hands one by one. They were under a threat of losing their jobs at christmas. And as i moved down the line, one tough fellow about my age just looked up and said to me, save our jobs. Then there was the legal secretary that i met at the Manchester Airport on Christmas Day who came running up to me and said, mr. Buchanan, im going to vote for you. And then she broke down weeping, and she said, ive lost my job, i dont have any money, and theyre going to take away my little girl. What am i going to do . My friends, these people are our people. They dont read adam smith or edmund burke, but they come from the same schoolyards and the same playgrounds and towns as we come from. They share our beliefs and convictions, our hopes and our dreams. They are the conservatives of the heart. They are our people. And we need to reconnect with them. We need to let them know we know how bad theyre hurting. They dont expect miracles of us, but they need to know we care. There were the people of [applause] they were the people of hayfork, the tiny town up in californias trinity alps, a town that is now under a sentence of death because a federal judge has set aside nine million acres for the habitat of the spotted owl, forgetting about the habitat of the men and women who live and work in hayfork. And there were the brave people of koreatown who took the worst of those l. A. Riots, but still live the family values we treasure, and who still deeply believe in the American Dream. Friends, in those wonderful 25 weeks of our campaign, the saddest days were the days of that riot in l. A. , the worst riot in american history. But out of that awful tragedy can come a message of hope. Hours after that riot ended, i went down to the army compound in south los angeles, where i met the troopers of the 18th cavalry who had come to save the city of los angeles. An officer of the 18th cav said, mr. Buchanan, i want you to talk to a couple of our troopers. And i went over and i met these young fellows. They couldnt have been 20 years old. And they recounted their story. They had come into los angeles late in the evening of the second day, and the rioting was still going on. And two of them walked up a dark street, where the mob had burned and looted every single building on the block but one, a Convalescent Home for the aged. And the mob was headed in, to ransack and loot the apartments of the terrified old men and women inside. The troopers came up the street, m16s at the ready. And the mob threatened and cursed, but the mob retreated because it had met the one thing that could stop it force, rooted in justice, and backed by moral courage. Greater love than this hath no man than that he lay down his life for his friend. Here were 19yearold boys ready to lay down their lives to stop a mob from molesting old people they did not even know. And as those boys took back the streets of los angeles, block by block, my friends, we must take back our cities, and take back our culture, and take back our country. God bless you, and god bless america. [applause] announcer general colin powell had retired from the army and served as chair of the joint chiefs of staff before speaking at the 1996 Republican Convention. Educated in new york city Public Schools colin powell later went , to city college of new york where he earned a bachelors degree in geology. He participated in rotc. After graduating, he received the commission as an Army Second Lieutenant and continued his career as a professional soldier for 35 years, rising to the rank of fourstar general. After his Convention Speech in san diego, general powell went on to serve in the george w. Bush administration as the countrys first africanamerican secretary of state. [cheers and applause] powell thank you. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [cheers and applause] thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much. Thank you so very much, ladies and gentlemen, for that very, very warm welcome. My fellow americans, my fellow republicans [cheering] i am honored to be with you this evening. Im especially honored to be here with the distinguished americans that you have just heard from. President gerald ford, a man who at a time of National Despair brought dignity and respect back to the presidency. President george bush, who took us through the end of the cold war and the defeat of communism. George bush, the statesman. [applause] george bush the statesman and my boss, who led us to a great victory in the persian gulf war. [cheering] especially with mrs. Nancy reagan, who has so movingly represented Ronald Reagan here tonight. [applause] president reagan, i know, is in our prayers. President reagan, the great communicator, who gave voice and image to the power of democracy as a way to a Better Future for all the people in the world. He will be remembered for many things, but for me, this soldier, the soldiers like scott oa brady you heard a few moments ago, the one thing that we will remember more than anything else is that it was president reagan who restored the fighting strength and spirit of Americas Armed forces. [cheering] i come before you this evening as a retired soldier. A fellow citizen who has lived the American Dream to the fullest. As someone who believes in that dream and wants that dream to become reality for every american. My parents came to this country as immigrants over 70 years ago. They came here as have millions of others with nothing but hope, a willingness to work hard, and a desire to use the opportunities given them by their new land. A land which they came to love with all their hearts. They found work that enabled them to raise a family, work that allowed them to come home every friday night with the fruits of their labor, a decent wage that brought sustenance and more important brought dignity into our home. [applause] they raised two children to whom they gave a precious gift. A set of core beliefs, a value system founded on a clear understanding of the difference between right and wrong and a belief in the almighty. [applause] integrity, kindness and godliness they taught us were right. Lying, violence, intolerance, crime, drugs were wrong. And even worse, in my family they were shameful. [cheering] we were taught that hard work and education were the keys to success in this country. My sister and i were taught to believe in ourselves. We might be considered poor but we were rich in spirit. We might be black and treated as secondclass citizens but stick with it, because in america, justice will eventually triumph. [cheering] justice, justice will eventually triumph and the powerful, searing promise of the Founding Fathers will come true. We were taught by my parents to always, always, always believe in america. My parents found her a compassionate land and a compassionate people. They found a government that protected their labor, educated their children and provided help to those of their fellow citizens who were in need. They found their dream in america. And they passed that dream on to their children. Here tonight, over seven decades after they landed on these shores, their son has been given the privilege of addressing the Republican Party, assembled in convention to present to the American People our vision of how that dream can be passed on to future generations. [cheering] our vision first and foremost rests on values. Values because values are the conscience of a society. Values which must be lived and not just preached. Children learn values by watching their parents in their homes, values which are then reinforced in their coaches churches and their places of worship, in the schools and communities in which they live. [applause] and values fuel families. Families that are bound together by love and commitment, families that have the strength to withstand the assaults of contemporary life to resist the images of violence and vulgarity that flood into our lives every day. Families that come together as communities to defeat the scourge of instability that threatens us. Thats why we believe that families with values must be restored to the Central Place in American Life if we are to keep the dream alive [cheering] families cannot thrive and pass on these beliefs if parents cannot bring home a decent living wage from a hard days work. We republicans believe that the good jobs needed to sustain families come from a faster growing economy where the Free Enterprise system is unleashed to create wealth, wealth which produces more good jobs [cheering] in this richest nation on earth, we still have not solved the problems of poverty, of hunger, poor health care, of inadequate housing, all of which tear away at the roots of Strong Families and for which government assistance is a poor substitute for good jobs. [applause] so thats why we are the progrowth party. We are the party committed to lessening the burden of taxes, cutting government regulations and reducing Government Spending, all for the purpose of generating the higher Economic Growth that will bring better jobs, wages and Living Standard to all our people [cheering] at the same time, let us never step back from compassion. The message we must convey to the American People is that we fight for health care reform, we fight for welfare reform and other reforms, not just to save money but because we believe there are better ways to take care of americans in need than the exhausted programs of the past. [cheering] we must be firm but we must also be fair. We have to make sure that reduced Government Spending doesnt single out the poor and the middle class, corporate welfare, welfare for the wealthy, must be first in line for elimination. All of us, all of us, my friends, all of us must be willing to do with less from government if we are to avoid condemning our children and grandchildren with the crushing burden of debt that will deny them the American Dream. [cheering] my friend start s [cheering] let me put it to you. Let me put it to you. We all need to understand it is the entitlement state that must be reformed and not just the welfare state. [cheering] and we must do in a way that does not paint all of government as the enemy. Ineffective government, excessive government, wasteful government, that is the kind of government we republicans intend to defeat. [cheering] a nation as great and diverse as america deserves leadership that opens its arms not only to those who have already reaped the rewards of the American Dream but to those who drive and struggle each day against daunting odds to make that dream come true. The Republican Party [applause] the Republican Party must always be the party of inclusion. The hispanic immigrant [cheering] the hispanic immigrant who became a citizen yesterday must be as precious to us as a mayflower descendant, must find as much appeal in our party as in any other party or [cheering] of the descendent of a slave or someone in appalachia must find as much appeal in our party as any other party. It is our diversity that has made us strong. Yet our diversity has sadly, throughout our history, also been the source of discrimination. Discrimination that we as guardians of the American Dream must rip out, branch and root. It is our party [applause] it is our party, the party of lincoln, that must always stand for equal rights and fair opportunity for all. [applause] and where discrimination still exists, or where the scars of past discrimination still contaminate and disfigure the present, we must not close our eyes to it, declare there is a level Playing Field and hope that it will go away by itself. It did not in the past. It will not in the future. Let the party of lincoln be in the forefront, leading the crusade, not only to cut off and kill discrimination, but to open every avenue of educational and Economic Opportunity to those who are still denied access pause of their race, ethnic background or gender. [cheering] i have been asked many times why i became a republican. I became a republican because, like you, i believe our party best represents the principles of freedom, opportunity and limited government upon which our nation was founded. [cheering] i became a republican because i believe the policies of our party will lead to greater Economic Growth, which is the only real solution to the problems of poverty that keep too Many Americans from sharing in the wealth of this nation. [cheering] i became a republican because i believe, like you, that the federal government has become too large and too intrusive in our lives. We can no longer afford solutions to our problems that result in more entitlements, higher taxes to pay for them, more bureaucracy to run them and fewer results to show for it. [cheering] i became a republican because i believe america must remain the leader of the free world. Republican leadership or republican president will bring greater conviction and coherence to our Foreign Policy and will guarantee that our armed forces remain the strongest and most capable on earth. [cheering] i became a republican [cheering] a became a republican i became a republican because i want to help build the big tent that our party has raised to attract all americans. You all know that i believe in a womans right to choose and i strongly support affirmative action and i was invited here by my party to share my views with you, because were a big enough party and big enough people to disagree on individual issues and still Work Together for our common goals, restoring the American Dream [cheering] thank you. I am a republican because i believe in that dream. And i believe that we are the ones to keep it alive. Later this week, we will nominate our leader. He is a man of proven courage. He showed his courage on the battlefield. He showed even greater courage in overcoming the wounds of war. He too has lived the American Dream. My family began its american odyssey on the sidewalks of new york. His story began half a continent away. And yet, it is a story with common threads, one shared by millions of americans from every state, from every generation, from every race and creed. Our candidates life began in the wheat fields of kansas, who was born to poor, struggling parents who believed in him. The values they bred in him led him to a distinguished career that took him to the leadership of the United States senate. Thats where i met him. We worked together closely for years on matters that were vital to war and peace with respect to this nation. I worked with him closely when i was National Security advisor and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. We could always count on him. I know this man. In an era of too many salesmanship and too much smooth talking, bob dole is a plain spoken man. [cheering] he is a man of strength, maturity and integrity. He is a man who can bring trust back to government and bring americans together again. He is a fighter possessed of endless energy, drive and commitment. Bob dole is a candidate most qualified by virtue of his belief, his character and confidence to be the next president of the United States of america [cheering] ant you to know [cheering] and i want you to know how pleased i am and how pleased i know you are that bob dole had the great wisdom to pick as his running mate an incredible american. A man of passion and conviction, a caring man, my friend, your friend, jack kemp, the next Vice President of the United States of america [cheering] yes. We republicans have principles worthy of our aspirations. But to stake our case to our fellow citizens with are pt to with their intelligence and fair mindedness. Lets debate with the civility and absence of acrimony that the American People long for in our political debate. [applause] we stand on the air of change in opportunity. Many of the most important things in our lives remain constant. The pride of bringing home that first paycheck, the thrill you cannot help feeling each time the band strikes up the starspangled banner, and another american wins olympic gold. Today, the challenges and joys raising a family, the tremendous Ripple Effect of family, friends, and neighbors, acting cooperating in ways that make homes, neighborhood, and bases better for us all. These are the things that remain constant. These are the things that unite us. There are other eternal truths, other eternal constants in our lives. Our constant devotions to the principles of freedom, democracy, and the Free Enterprise system. Our constant belief in the promise of this country, a country where the best is always yet to come. A country that exists by the grace of a Divine Providence, a Divine Providence that gave us this land, told us to be good stewards of it, and to be good stewards of each other, a land that god has truly, truly blessed and we are proud to call america. Thank you. [cheers and applause] announcer colin powell went on to serve as secretary of state in the george w. Bush administration. Asdoleezza rice followed him secretary of state and became the first black woman to be National Security advisor. Earlier, ms. Rice worked in the state department in the Carter Administration and served on the National Security council as an advisor to george h. W. Bush. By the time Condoleezza Rice spoke at the 2012 Republican Convention, she was teaching Political Science at stanford university. She is currently a fellow at the Hoover Institution and is slated to become director of the think tank next month. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to the former u. S. Secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. [cheers and applause] sec. Rice thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening, distinguished delegates. Good evening fellow republicans. Good evening, my fellow americans. [cheers and applause] we gather here at a time of significance and challenge. This young century has been a difficult one. I can remember as if it were yesterday, when my young assistant came into my office at the white house to say that a plane had hit the world trade center, and then a second plane, and then a third plane, the pentagon. Later, we would learn that a plane had crashed into a field in pennsylvania, driven into the ground by brave souls who died so that others might live. [applause] from that day on, from that day on, our sense of vulnerability and our concepts of security were never the same again. Then, in 2008, the Global Financial and economic crisis would stun us, and it still reverberates as we deal with unemployment, economic uncertainty, and bad policies that cast a pall over the american recovery that is desperately needed at home and abroad. And we have seen we have seen that the desire for liberty and freedom is, indeed, universal, as men and women in the middle east rise up to seize it. Yet, the promise of the arab spring is engulfed in uncertainty, internal strife and hostile neighbors are challenging the young, fragile democracy in iraq, dictators in iran and syria butcher their own people and threaten the security of the region, russia and china prevent a response, and everyone asks, where does america stand . [applause] indeed. Indeed, that is the question of the hour. Where does america stand . You see, when friends or foes alike do not know the answers that question clearly and unambiguously, the world is likely to be a more dangerous and chaotic place. Since world war ii, the United States has had an answer to that question. We stand for free people and free markets. We will defend and support them. [applause] we will sustain a balance of power that favors freedom. Now, to be sure, the burdens of leadership have been heavy. I know as you do the sacrifice of americans, especially the sacrificed of many of our bravest in the ultimate sacrifice, but our armed forces are the sure shield and foundation of liberty, and we are so fortunate that we have men and women in uniform who volunteer, they volunteer, to defend us on the front lines of freedom, and we owe them our eternal gratitude. [cheers and applause] i know, too, that it has not always been easy, though it has been rewarding to speak for those who otherwise would not have a voice, the religious dissident in china, the Democracy Advocate in venezuela, the political prisoner in iran. It has been hard to muster the resources to support fledgling democracies and to intervene on behalf of the most desperate the. The aids orphan in uganda, the refugee fleeing zimbabwe, the young woman who has been trafficked into the sex trade in southeast asia. It has been hard. Yet, this assistance, together with the compassionate work of private charities, people of conscience and people of faith, has shown the soul of our country. And i know, too [applause] and i know, too, that there is a weariness. I know that it feels as if we have carried these burdens long enough. But we can only know there is no choice, because one of two things will happen if we do not lead. Either no one will lead and there will be chaos, or someone will lead that does not sure i will values our values and foster chaos. We do not have a choice. We cannot be reluctant to lead, and you cannot lead from behind. [cheers and applause] mitt romney and paul ryan understand this reality. Our wellbeing at home and leadership abroad and our well are inextricably linked. They know what to do. They know our friends and allies must again be able to trust us, from israel to poland to the philippines to colombia and our friends have to know that we will be reliable and consistent and determined, and our foes, our foes, can have no reason to doubt our resolve, because peace really does come through strength. [cheers and applause] our military capability and our technological status will be safe in mitt romneys hands. We must look at a Global Economy and pursue free and fair trade to grow our influence and exports abroad. If you are worried about the rise of china, just consider this. The United States has ratified only three trade agreements and the last few years, and those were negotiated in the bush administration. China, china, has signed 15 free trade agreements and is in the process of negotiating as many as 18 more. Sadly, we are abandoning the field of free and fair trade, and it will come back to haunt us. [cheers and applause] we must not allow the chance to attain Energy Independence to slip from our grasp. We are blessed with a gift of oil and Gas Resources here in north america, and we must develop them. We can develop them sensitively. We can develop them securing our environment, but we must develop them. [cheers and applause] and we have the ingenuity to develop alternative sources of energy, too. Most importantly, mitt romney and paul ryan will rebuild the foundation of our strength, the american economy, stimulating privatesector growth and stimulating smallbusiness entrepreneurship. [cheers and applause] when the world looks at us today, they see an American Government that cannot live within its means. They see an American Government that continues to borrow money, that will mortgage the future of generations to come. The world knows that when a nation loses control of its finances, it eventually loses control of its destiny. That is not the america that has inspired people to follow our lead. [applause] after all, when the world looks to america, they look to us because we are the most successful economic and political experiment in human history. That is the true basis of american exceptionalism. The essence of america, what really unites us is not ethnicity or nationality or religion. It is an idea, and what an idea it is, that you can come from humble circumstances, and you can do great things, that it does not matter where you came from. It matters where you are going. [cheers and applause] my fellow americans, ours has never been a narrative of grievance and entitlement. We have never believed that i am doing poorly because you are doing well. We have never been jealous of one another and never envious of each others successes. [cheers and applause] no. No. Ours has been a belief in opportunity, and it has been a constant struggle, long and hard, up and down, to try to extend the benefits of the American Dream to all, but that american ideal is, indeed, endangered today. There is no country, no, not even a rising china, that can do more harm to us that we can do to ourselves if we do not do the hard work before us here at home. [cheers and applause] more than at any other time in history, greatness is built on mobilizing Human Potential and ambition. We have always done that better than any country in the world. People have come here from all over because they have believed our creed of opportunity and limitless horizons. They have come from the worlds most impoverished nations just to make a decent wage, and they have come here from advanced societies as engineers and scientists that fuel the knowledgebased revolution in Silicon Valley in california, in the Research Triangle of north carolina, along route 128 in massachusetts, and across this great land. [cheers and applause] we must continue to welcome the worlds most ambitious people to be a part of us. In that way, we stay young and optimistic and determined. We need immigration laws that protect our borders, meet our economic needs, and yet show that we are a compassionate nation of immigrants. [applause] we have been successful, too, because americans have known that ones status at birth was not a permanent condition. Americans believe that you might not be able to control your circumstances, but you can control your response to your circumstances. [cheers and applause] and your greatest ally in controlling your response to your circumstances has been a quality education. But today, today, when i look at your zip code, and i can tell whether you are going to get a good education, can i honestly say that it matters not where you come from, it matters where you are going . The crisis in k12 education is a threat to who we are. [cheers and applause] my mom was a teacher. I respect the profession. We need great teachers, not poor ones and not mediocre ones. We have to have high standards for our kids, because selfesteem comes from achievement, not from lax standards and false praise. [cheers and applause] and we need to give parents greater choice, particularly, particular poor parents, whose kids, most often minorities, are trapped in failing neighborhood schools. This is the civil rights struggle of our day. [cheers and applause] if we do anything less, we will condemn generations to joblessness and hopelessness and life on the government dole. If we do anything less, we will endanger our global imperative for competitiveness, and if we do anything less, we will tear apart the fabric of who we are and submit the turn towards entitlement and grievance. Mitt romney mitt romney and paul ryan will rebuild us at home, and they will help us lead abroad. They will provide an answer to the question, where does america stand . The challenge is real, and the times are hard, but america has met and overcome hard challenges before. Whenever you find yourself doubting us, just think about all of those times that america made the impossible seem inevitable in retrospect. Our revolutionary founding against the greatest military power of the time, a civil war, brother against brother, hundreds of thousands dead on both sides, but we emerged a stronger union, a second founding, as impatient patriots fought to overcome the birth defect of slavery and the scourge of segregation, a long struggle against communism, with the soviet union eventually in collapse in the emergence of europe, free and at peace, and in the aftermath of 9 11, making the hard decisions that secured the willingness to take really hard decisions that secured us and prevented the followon a that everyone thought preordained. Followon attacks that everyone thought preordained. [applause] and on a personal note, a little girl rose up in jim crow birmingham, the segregated city of the south, where her parents cannot take her to a Movie Theater or to a restaurant, but they have her absolutely convinced that even if she cannot have a hamburger at the woolworths lunch counter, she can be president of the United States if she wanted to be, and she becomes the secretary of state. [cheers and applause] yes, yes. [cheers and applause] yes. Yes, america. America has a way of making the impossible seem inevitable in retrospect. But we know it was never inevitable. It took leadership. And it took courage, and it took believe in our values. Mitt romney and paul ryan have the integrity and the experience and the vision to lead us. They know who we are. They know who we want to be. They know who we are in the world and what we offer. That is why, that is why, this is a moment and election of consequence, because it just has to be that the freest and most compassionate country on the face of the earth will continue to be the most powerful and a beacon for prosperity and liberty across the world. God bless you, and god bless this extraordinary country, this exceptional country, the United States of america. [cheers and applause] announcer cspan has covered every minute of every Political Convention since 1984. Our Video Library includes those and many more hours of archival conventions. As the Republican Convention is underway, watch more historical conventions at cspan. Org rnc. Tonight, kick off of the Republican National convention. Here their vision for the future years. Featured speakers are South Carolina 10 senator tim scott, former u. S. Ambassador to the United Nations nikki haley, and the eldest son of president trump, donald trump, jr. 8 30coverage begins at p. M. Listen with the free cspan radio app. Watch the start of the Republican National convention tonight at 8 30 p. M. Eastern only on cspan. Your unfiltered view of politics. Cspans washington journal Tuesday Morning, we will take your calls on the first night of the Republican National convention with the christian laura. Monitors also, the family judiciary. Tony perkins discussing the effect of the evangelical voters on campaign 2020. Washington journal live at 7 00 eastern Tuesday Morning and, be sure to join the discussion with your phone calls, facebook comments, texts, and tweets. President today, trump delivered remarks at the Republican National convention in charlotte. After securing enough votes for his