The president of the United States [ cheers and applause ] mr. Chairman, delegates to this convention, my fellow americans, four years ago standing in this very place i proudly accepted your nomination for president of the United States. [ cheers and applause ]. And with your help and with the votes of millions of americans we won a great victory in 1968. Tonight, i again, proudly accept your nomination for president of the United States. [ cheers and applause ] and let us pledge ourselves to win an even greater victory this november in 1972. [ cheers and applause ] i congratulate chairman thorn, i congratulate chairman dole and armstrong, the hundreds of others who have laid the foundation for that victory by their work at this great convention. Our platform is the Dynamic Program for progress for america and for peace in the world. [ applause ] and speaking in a very personal sense, i express my deep gratitude to this convention for the tributes that you have paid to the best campaigner in the nixon family, my wife pat. [ cheers and applause ] [ cheers and applause ] in honoring her, you have honored millions of women in america who have contributed in the past and will contribute in the future so very much to better government in this country, and again, as i did last night when i was not at the convention, i express the appreciation of all of the delegates and of all america for letting us see Young America at its best at our convention. [ cheers and applause ] [ crowd chanting four more years ] as i express my appreciation to you i want to say that you have inspired us with your enthusiasm, with your intelligence, with your dedication at this convention. You made us realize that this is a year when we can prove the experts predictions wrong because we can set as our goal winning a majority of the new voters for our ticket this november. [ cheers and applause ] and i pledge to you i pledge to you all of the new voters in america who are listening on television and listening here in this Convention Hall they will do everything that i can over these next four years to make your support be one that you can be proud of, because as i said to you last night and i feel it very deeply in my heart, years from now i want you to look back and be able to say that your first vote was one of the best votes you ever cast in your life. [ cheers and applause ] mr. Chairman i congratulate the delegates to this convention for renominating as my runningmate the man who has just so eloquently and graciously introduced me Vice President ted agnew. [ cheering ] i thought he was the best man for the job four years ago. I think he is the best man for the job today, and im not going to change my mind tomorrow. [ cheers and applause ] and finally, as the Vice President has indicated you have demonstrated to the nation that we can have an open convention without dividing americans into quotas. Let us commit ourselves to rule out every vestige of discrimination in this country of our, but my fellow american, the way to end discrimination against some is not to begin discrimination against others. [ applause ] dividing americans into quotas is totally alien to the american traditions. Americans dont want to be part of a quota. They want to be part of america. [ applause ] and this nation proudly calls itself the United States of america. Lets reject any philosophy that would make us the divided people of america. [ applause ] in that forty, i address you tonight, my fellow americans, not as a partisan of party which would divide us, but as a partisan of principles which can unite us. Six weeks ago our opponents at their convention rejected many of the great principles of the democratic party. To those millions who have been driven out of their home in the democratic party, we say come home. We say come home not to another party, but we say come home to the great principles we americans believe in together. [ cheers and applause ] and i ask you, my fellow americans tonight to join us not in a coalition held together only by a desire to gain power. I ask you to join us as members of a new american majority bound together by our common ideals. I ask everyone listening to me tone, democrats, republicans and independents to join our new majority not on the basis of the party label you wear on your lapel, but on the basis of what you believe in your hearts and in asking of your support i shall not dwell on the record of our administration who has been praised perhaps too generously by others at this convention. We have made great progress in these past four years. It can truly be said. That we have changed america and that america has changed the world. [ applause ] as a result of what we have done, America Today is a better place and the world is a safer place to live in than was the case four years ago. We can be proud of that record, but we shall never be satisfied. A record is not something to stand on. Its something to build on. And tonight i do not ask you to join our new majority because of what we have done in the past. I ask your support of the principles i believe should determine americas future. The choice the choice in this election is not between radical change and no change. The choice in this selection is between change that works or change that wont work. [ applause ] i begin with an article of faith. It has become fashionable in recent years to point out what is wrong with what is called the american system. The critics contend it is so unfair, so corrupt, so unjust that we should tear down and substitute Something Else in its place. I totally disagree. I believe in the american system. [ applause ] i have traveled to 80 countries in the past 25 years and ive seen communist systems. Ive seen socialist systems. I have seen systems that are half socialist and half free. Every time i come home to america i realize how fortunate we are to live in this great and good country. [ cheers and applause ] every time i am reminded that we have more freedom, more opportunity and more prosperity than any people in the world that we have the highest rate of growth of any industrial nation that americans have more jobs and higher wages than any country in the world, that our rate of inflation is less than that of any industrial nation, that the incomparable productivity of americas farmers has made it possible for us to launch a winning war against hunger in the United States, and that the productivity of our farmers also makes us the best fed people in the world with the lowest percentage of the Family Budget going to food of any country in the world. [ applause ] we can be very grateful in this country that the people on welfare in america would be rich in most of the nations of the world today. Now my fellow americans, in pointing out those things, we do not overlook the fact that our system has its problems. Our administration, as you know, has provided the biggest tax cut in history, but taxes are still too high. That is why one of the goals of our next administration is to reduce the property tax which is such an unfair and heavy burden on the poor, the elderly and the wage earner, the farmer and those on fixed income. [ applause ] as all of you know, we have cut inflation in half in this administration, but weve got to cut it further. We must cut it further so that we can continue to expand on the greatest accomplishment of our new economic policy. For the first time in five years, wage increases in america are not being eaten up by price increases. [ applause ] and as a result of the millions of new jobs created by our new economic policies, unemployment today in america is less than the peacetime average of the 60s, but we must continue the unparalleled increase in new jobs so that we can achieve the great goal of our new prosperity. A job for every american who wants to work without war and without inflation. The way to reach this goal is to stay on the new road we have charted to move America Forward and not to take a sharp detour to the left which would lead to a dead end for the hopes of the American People. [ applause ] this points out one of the clearest choices in this campaign. Our opponents believe in a different philosophy. Theirs is the politics of paternalism where master planners in washington make decisions for people. Ours is the politics of people where people make decisions for themselves. [ applause ] the proposal that theyve made to pay 1,000 to every person in america insults the intelligence of the American Voters. Because you know that every approximately tigzs promise has a price. The taxpayer pays the bill. The American People are not going to be taken in by any scheme where government gives money with one hand and then takes it away with the other. [ applause ] and their platform promises everything to everybody, but at an increase net in the budget of 144 billion, but listen to what it means to you, the taxpayers of the country. That would mean an increase of 50 in what the taxpayers of america pay. I oppose any new spending programs which will increase the tax burden on the already overburdened american platform. [ applause ] and they have proposed legislation which would add 82 Million People to the welfare roles. I say that instead of providing incentives for millions of more americans to go on welfare, we need a program which will provide incentives to get people off of welfare and to get to work. [ applause ] we believe that it is wrong for everyone to receive more on welfare than for someone who works. Let us be generous to those who cant work without increasing the tangs burden of those who do work, and while were talking about welfare, let us quit treating our Senior Citizens in this country like welfare recipients. They have worked hard all their life to build america. And as the builders of america, they havent asked for a handout. What they ask for is what they have earned, and that is retirement and dignity and selfrespect. Lets give that to our Senior Citizens. [ applause ] and now when you add up the cost of all of the programs our opponents have proposed you reach only one conclusion, they will destroy the system which has made america number one in the world economically. Listen to these facts. Americans today pay onethird of all of their income in taxes. If their programs were adopted, americans would pay over onehalf of what they earn in taxes. This means that if their programs are adopted, american wage earners would be working more for the government than they would for themselves and once we crossed this line we cannot turn back because the incentive which makes the American Economic system the most productive in the world would be destroyed. Theirs is not a new approach. It has been tried before in countries abroad, and i can tell you that those who have tried it will live to regret it. We sxnt we will not let them do this to america. Mraurz mrauz [ applause ]c we will not let t this to america. Mraurz mrauz [ applause ]a we will not let t this to america. Mraurz mrauz [ applause ]n we will not let t this to america. Mraurz mrauz [ applause ]n we will not let t this to america. Mraurz mrauz [ applause ]o we will not let to this to america. Mraurz mrauz [ applause ]t we will not let do this to america. Mraurz mrauz [ applause ]a we will not let tm do this to america. Mraurz mrauz [ applause ]n we will not let them do this to america. Mraurz mrauz [ applause ]d we will not let applause ] let us always be true to the principle that has made america the worlds most prosperous nation that here in america a person should get what he works for and work for what he gets. Let me illustrate the difference in our philosophies. Because of our free economic system, what we have done is to build a great building of economic wealth and might in america. It is by far, the tallest building in the world and we are still adding to it not because some of the windows are broken. They say tear it down and start again. We say replace the windows and keep building. Thats the difference. [ applause ] let me turn now to a second area where my beliefs are totally different from those of our opponents. Four years ago crime was rising all over america at an unprecedented rate. Even our Nations Capital was called the crime capital of the world. I pledge to start the rising crime. In order to keep that pledge i promised in the Election Campaign that i would appoint judges to the federal courts and particularly to the Supreme Court who would recognize that the first civil right of every american is to be free from domestic violence. [ applause ] i have kept that promise. I am proud of the appointments i have made to the courts and particularly proud of those that i made at the Supreme Court of the United States. And i pledge again tonight as i did four years ago that whenever i have the opportunity to make more appointments to the courts i shall continue to appoint judges who share my philosophy that we must strengthen the peace forces as the criminal forces in the United States. [ applause ] we have launched an allout offensive against crime, narcotics and permissive business in our country and i want the peace officers across america to know that they have the total backing of their precedent in their fight against crime. My fellow americans as we move toward peace abroad, i ask you to support our programs which would keep the peace at home. And now i turn to an issue of overwriting importance not just for this election, but for generations to come, the progress we have made in building a new structure of peace in the world. Peace in the world is too important for partisanship. There have been five president s in our political lifetime, franklin d. Roosevelt, and and Lyndon Johnson had differences on some issues, but they were united in their belief that where the security of america and the peace of the world is involved we are not republicans and we are not democrats. We are americans first, last and always. [ applause ] these five president s were united in their total opposition to isolation for america and in their belief of the United States and in the interest of world peace require that america be Strong Enough and intelligent enough to assume the responsibilities of leadership in the world. They were united in the conviction that the United States should have a defense second to none in the world. They were all men who hated war and were dedicated to peace, but not one of these five sxhen no president in our history believed that america should ask an enemy for peace on terms that would betray allies and destroy help for the United States all over the world. [ applause ] and as your president i pledge that i shall always uphold that proud bipartisan tradition. Standing in this Convention Hall four years ago, i pledged to seek an honorable end to the war in vietnam. More will be coming home. We have ended americas Ground Combat role. No draftees are being sent to vietnam. We have reduced our casualties by 98 . Weve gone the extra mile. In pafact, weve gone tens of thousands of miles to seek a negotiation in the war and we have a ceasefire in exchange for all prisoners of war, internationally supervisedy from elections with the communists participating in the elections and in the supervisions. There are three things we have not and will not offer. We will never abandon our prisoners of war. [ cheers and applause ] [ applause ] and second, we will not join our enemies in imposing a communist government on our allies of the 17 Million People of South Vietnam. [ applause ] and we will never stain the honor of the United States of america. [ applause ] now i realize that many particularly in this Political Year wonder why we insist on an honorable peace in vietnam. From a political standpoint they suggest that if iowa is not in office when over half a million american men were sent there, that i should end the war by agreeing to impose a communist government on the people of South Vietnam and just blame the whole catastrophe on my predecessors. This might be good politics, but it would be disastrous to the cause of peace in the world is that at this time we betray our allies it would discourage our friends abroad and it will encourage our enemies to engage in aggression in areas like the mideast which are danger areas, small nations who rely on the friendship and support of the United States would be in jeopardy. To our friends and allies in europe, aeshsia, the middle eas and latin america, i say the United States will continue its bipartisan decision to stand by our friends and never to desert them. [ applause ] now in discussing vietnam i have noted that in this Election Year theres been a great deal of talk about providing amnesty for those few hundred americans who chose to desert their country rather than to serve in vietnam. I think its time that we put the emphasis where it belongs. The real heroes our 2. 5 million Young Americans who chose to deserve their country rather than desert it. [ cheers and applause ] [ applause ] and i say to you tonight in these times when there is so much of a tendency to run down those who have served america in the past and who serve it today, lets give those who serve in our armed forces than those who have served in vietnam the honor and the respect that they deserve and that theyve earned. [ applause ] finally, in this connection, let one thing be clearly understood in this Election Campaign. The American People will not tolerate any attempt by our enemies to interfere in the cherished right of the American Voter to make his own decision with regard to what is best for america without outside intervention. [ applause ] now it is understandable that vietnam would be a major concern in foreign policy, and we have not allowed the war in vietnam to paralyze our capacity to initiate historic new policies to construct the lasting and just peace in the world and when the history of this period is written, i believe it will be recorded that our most significant contributions to peace resulted from our trips to peking and to moscow. The dialogue we have begun with the booms republic of china has increased the chance for peaceful cooperation between two great peoples and within the space of four years in our relations with the soviet union we have moved from confrontation to negotiation and then to cooperation in the interest of peace. We have taken the first step in limiting the nuclear arms race. We have laid the foundation for further limitations on Nuclear Weapons and eventually reducing the armaments in the nuclear area. We can thereby not only reduce the enormous cost of arms for both our countries, but we can increase the chances for peace. More than on any other single issue, i ask you, my fellow americans, to give us the chance to continue these great initiatives that can contribute so much to the future of peace in the world. [ applause ] and it can truly be said that as a result of the initiatives issue the dangers of war less today than it was that the chances for peace are greater, but a note of warning needs to be sounded. We cannot be complacent. Our opponents have proposed massive cuts in our Defense Budget which would have the inevitable effect of making the United States the second strongest nation in the world. For the United States unilaterally to reduce its strength with the naive hope that other nations would do likewise would increase the danger of war in the world. It would completely remove the incentive of other nations to agree to a reduction of arms and the promising initiatives we have undertaken, to limit arms, and the security of the United States and all the nations in the world who depend upon our friendship and support would be threatened. Lets look at the record on defense expenditures. We have cut spending on our administration, it now takes the lowest percentage of our National Product in 20 years. We should not spend more on defense than we need, but we must never spend less than we need. [ applause ] what we must understand is spend what we need on defense will cost us money. Spending less than we need could cost us our lives or our freedom. And so tonight, my fellow americans, i say let us take risks for peace, but let us never risk the security of the United States of america. [ applause ] and it is for that reason that i pledge that we will continue to seek peace and the mutual reduction of arms. The United States during this period will always have a defense second to none. There are those who believe that they can entrust the security of america to the good will of our adversaries and those who hold this view do not know the real world. We can negotiate limitation of arms and we have done so. We can make agreements to reduce the danger of war and we have done so, but one unchangeable rule of International Diplomacy that ive learned over many, many years is that negotiations between great powers, you can only get something if you have something to give in return, and that is why i say tonight let us always be sure that when the president of the United States goes to the conference table he never has to negotiate from weakness. [ applause ] there is no such thing as a retreat to peace. My fellow americans, we stand today on the threshold of one of the most exciting and challenging eras in the history of relations between nations. We have the opportunity in our time to be the peacemakers of the world because the world trusts and respects us, and because the world knows that we shall only use our power to defend freedom, never to destroy it. To keep the peace, never to break it, a Strong America is not the enemy of peace. It is the guardian of peace. The initiatives that we have begun can result in reducing the danger of arms as well as the danger of war which hangs over the world today. Even more important, it means that the enormous Creative Energies of the russian people and the Chinese People and the American People and all of the great peoples of the world can be turned away from production of war and turned toward production for peace and in america it means that we can undertake programs for progress at home that will be just as exciting as the great initiatives we have undertaken in building a new structure of peace abroad. My fellow americans, the peace dividend that we hear so much about has too often been described solely in monetary terms. How much money we can take out of the arms budget and apply to our domestic needs . By far the biggest dividend, however, is that achieving our goal of a lasting peace in the world would reflect the deepest hopes and ideals of all of the American People. Speaking on behalf of the American People, i was proud to be able to say in my television address to the russian people in may, we covet no one elses territory. We seek no dominion over any other nation. We seek peace not only for ourselves, but for all the people of the world. [ applause ] this dedication to idealism runs through americas history. During the tragic war between the States Abraham lincoln was asked whether god was on his side. He replied, my concern is not whether god is on our side, but whether we are on gods side. [ applause ] may that always be our prayer for america. We hold the future of peace in the world and our own future in our hands. Let us reject, therefore, the policies of those who lie and whimper about our frustrations and calling us to turn inward. Let us not turn away from greatness. The chance america now has to lead the way to a lasting peace in the World May Never come again, with faith in god and faith in ourselves and faith in our country, let us have the vision and the courage to seize the moment and meet the challenge before it slips away. On your Television Screen left night you saw the cemetery in leningrad i visited on my trip to the soviet union where 300,000 people died if the siege of that city during world war ii. At the cemetery i saw the picture of a 12yearold girl. She was a beautiful child. Her name was tania. I read her diary. It tells the terrible story of war. In the simple words of a child she wrote of the deaths of the members of her family, xenia in december, granny in january and then jacob, and then uncle pastia and then uncle liosh and then mama in may. And finally, these were the last words in her diary. All are dead. Only tania is left. Let us think of tania and of the other tanias and their brothers and sisters everywhere in russia, china, in america as we proudly meet our responsibilities for leadership in the world in a way worthy of a great people. I ask you, my fellow americans, to join our new majority. Not just in the cause of winning an election, but in achieving a hope that mankind has had since the beginning of civilization. Let us build a peace that our children and all the children of the world can enjoy for generations to come. [ applause ] weeknights this month on American History tv were featuring the contenders, our series that looks at 14 president ial candidates who lost the election, but had a lasting effect on u. S. Politics. Tonight, we feature former texas businessman ross perot who was an independent candidate in the 1992 and 1996 president ial elections. That starts at 8 00 p. M. Eastern and enjoy American History tv this week and every weekend on cspan3. Youre watching American History tv. Every weekend on cspan3, explore our nations past. Cspan3, created by americas Cable Television company as a Public Service and brought to you today by your television provider. In 1968 Many Americans thoug