Candidate for president of the united states. Jim stockdale, by president ial our Vice President ial candidate, and i are few people honored to accept the request. In this country have been able to live the American Dream to the extent that i have. No person never had a finer father, mother or sister then i. No man has ever been blessed with a better wife, margo. Or five more outstanding children, plus six grandchildren too good to be true. I have been extremely fortunate during my Business Career so i, have lived the American Dream. Certainly if anyone in the country should be obligated to serve our country and its people, i should be. The volunteers know this is a critical time in our nations history. Neither Political Party has effectively addressed the issues that concern the American People. They have asked me to run the campaign on the issues and assure the problems the American People are concerned with will be dealt with after this election is over. I know i heard many of the volunteers who work so hard through the spring and summer, when i stepped aside in july. I thought it was the right thing to do. I thought both Political Parties would address the problems that face our nation. We gave them a chance. They did not do it. The volunteers, on their own, forged ahead and put me on the ballot in the final 26 states after july 16. The day we were on the ballot in all 50 states, the volunteers requested i come back in because the Political Parties had not responded to their concerns. My decision in july hurt you, and i apologize. I thought i was doing the right thing. I made a mistake, and i take full responsibility for it. There is only one issue now, starting today, and that is, what is good for our country . Looking forward, looking together, we can fix anything. The American People are concerned about a government in gridlock. Our people our our good, the American People are good, but they have a government that is a mess. The American People are concerned about the government they pay for, that does not produce results. Everybody in washington makes excuses. The woody takes responsibility, even when they have direct responsibility. The American People have figured that out. They want that change. The American People are concerned about a government when people go to washington to cash in and not to serve. They want a government change so that people though as servants of the people back home, and do not use Government Service as a stepping stone to financial success. The people know it is wrong to spend our childrens money. Nothing could be more wrong. We know we cannot consciously pass on a 4 trillion debt to our children. The people want this problem squarely dealt with. They want our financial house put back in order. People are concerned our government is still organized to fight the cold war. They want to reorganize to put america as the highest priority. In order to do that, the highest priority is to rebuild the job base and the Industrial Base and put the people back to work. We have to stop the loss of entire industries to go to other countries. We must make the words made in the usa, once again, the world standard for excellence. Not only is government a mess, politics is also a mess. The way political campaigns are run is a mess. People want a new Political Climate where the system does not attract ego driven, powerhungry people. We will create an environment that attracts the best people to come and serve in the back home and to go back home and go to work. Together, we can solve these problems and make the political process responsible and relevant to selecting the best people in the country. These are the issues we will talk about in the coming weeks. I will let spend one minute answering questions that are not directly relevant to the issues that concern the American People. And now, to the American People, i do not belong to anybody but you. You, the people, only. If you elect me, i go as your servant. I will work night and day to see your priorities are accomplished. To the many young people, and it is a disproportionate number of young people who have called me, written me, and some have driven crosscountry to dallas to visit at their own expense, expressing concern about what kind of country they will live in as adults, wondering whether they will even have a job when they get out of school. This is unthinkable, that they would have a College Degree and not be able to get a job in america. When i think about the sacrifices my parents of the generation who came before the made in the earlier times, for us, to live the American Dream, certainly, we all dedicate ourselves to seeing that you, the young people, have the American Dream passed on to you. Even the very young ones, this little girl, beautiful little girl, adrian. I will leave this picture for you. She says, my name is adrian, i am nine years old, almost 10. I wish you would run for president , and i wish i could vote. I think everybody should be able to say how they would like to see things done. I do not think a small group of people should decide all of these things for a whole bunch of people. This is signed adrian, augusta, kansas. When you are hot and tired and worn out, take a look at this little girl and her sisters. You you will say, whatever it takes to have got to do it, to make the American Dream for them. The retired people who made it through the depression fought and won world war ii. How is that . Grew up in the depression and then had to fight in world war ii. Worked and sacrificed most of their lives. I know you share my commitment that we passed the American Dream two children and grandchildren. One of my most poignant memories is the day Mort Meyerson became president of electronic data system. His 95yearold grandfather was there. His grandfather had to we russia flee russia many years ago because he happened to be a jew. He lived in an attic in brooklyn working at the taylor so he could get together enough money to buy a train ticket to fort worth, texas. He raised a son, who was Mort Meyersons father. At the end of the meeting, mr. Meyerson came forward with tears in his eyes and said son, three through you, i have fulfilled all the dreams i had as a young man coming to america. That is what this is all about. Fair share and sacrifice will be necessary to solve the problem. Last time we all sacrifice together with world war ii. Was in world war ii. Everyone participated in a sacrifice. We won and can win again if each person in this country will care kerry has part of the burden. The Largest Single Group of people who have urged me to run are in our military forces, and veterans. You have written and called and volunteered your time, urging me to run. I do this for you primarily, because you have fought and won in the hot wars and the cold war. In many cases nobody even said thank you. This is my tiny little way of saying, thank you. You deserve a country for yourselves and your children that fulfills the ideals you fought for on the battlefield. Some of you paid your lives. I do this for the widows and children. Many of you bear the scars of the war. I do it for you. I received a purple heart through the mail yesterday and a letter. Here is a next her excerpt. Dear ross, i was awarded this purple heart for wounds received during the vietnam ambush in 1968. Over the years, its value to me has grown significantly, and like my family, it is priceless. I would be honored if you would accept the loan of my purple heart to keep with you throughout the campaign. I believe it serves as a compelling reminder that the hard battle ahead can and must be one. Let it remind you of the army of ordinary citizens that has mustered to your call and looks to you to stop the hemorrhaging of the american spirit, tune unite once and for all our diverse citizenry under a single american banner, and to restore honesty, integrity and responsibility to our government. Like you, i firmly believe if we stand united, we will win. Good luck, ross. Dennis, thank you. I will keep it with me during the campaign. I understand it is on loan. I will get it back to you. Never forget everyone listening today, i cannot do this job without your continued support. One person is nothing in the task this large. If millions of you will come together, there is nothing we cannot do. It is up to you, it is up to all of us. I promise you i will give it everything i have. The final results are in your hands, because you on this country and you are the voters. I look forward to presenting these issues day in and day out to the American People. I would like to thank the American People. By choosing me, youre have given me the highest honor i could ever receive. In closing, let me say this, id love this country, the American People. I love the principles on which this country was founded, and i do not like to see the principles violated and there are millions of people out there just like me that a second tired that are sick and tired of it. Our Vice President shall candidate, and his wife. Jim stockdale is a heros hero. Recipient of the medal of honor of honor. In addition to that, he is a scholar. He is a retired admiral. Suffered as a prisoner of war in vietnam as few people have. He provided leadership that caused our government to award him the medal of honor. In order to receive it, his fellow prisoners had to recommend the ultimate compliment. He is a man of steel. He has been hammered on the forge of brutality. He was able to reach outside himself to provide strength to others. I cant tell you how many pows told me when i came home that they would not be alive had it not been for Jim Stockdale. He gave them the courage to continue to go forward. That is leadership. That is the kind of person that build our country. We are very fortunate to have a man of his quality to serve us. She is one of the great women in our country. She and a handful of dedicated wives and mothers were out there trying to get someone to do something so that their husbands can survive this very long war. She finally broke through. She got our government to change its policies from not saying anything about it to one embarrassing the north the enemies and changing the treatment so more men would survive that ordeal area there are few women during the period of my life of 62 years, who have shown more strength, more courage, more commitment, and mortification. Who have been more brutally tested than mrs. Stockdale. , two pieces ofn steel. It is my privilege to introduce Jim Stockdale and his great wife thomas civil. Great wife cibil. We are in our 46th year of marriage. Have four sons and five grandchildren and another on the way. The love of my life. She saved my life if you ever read the book we wrote. To be my oldr friend ross perots running mate in this great effort to give the American People an independent way to go. I have a personal reputation for being independent. This role gives me added satisfaction. Ross perot, extraordinary man. A word used in a popular biographical article by his recent director of medications, jim squires. This article is on the newsstands now. A good man. A selfless man. These additives come from the heart. Sybil has known him for 23 plus years. Ever since i got off a plumbing plane from hanoi in 1973. The toast of american modern Age Technology and entrepreneurship a Public Education authority. Yesterday, iampus was stopped by the chairman of the education department. The department does not train teachers into the theory of education. He said you are having quite a life. I have been a 12 years. I know well. He said i have read the reports of mr. Perraults work, both in in preschool experience 1968, and the work with the high schools later. He said he really had some original approaches. He said it is not a teacher bashing operation. He sat there for four months in those classrooms and asked questions and talk to his students and the teachers before he made any moves. He is a benefactor of the poor. Perhaps apocryphal. I heard from one of his close dallas friends. She said ross is the only man who would or could phone the Salvation Army headquarters and ask how far short are you this year . The guardian of the American Fighting man, he put our plates in hanoi on page one in the world. Today, gulf war veterans thank him for his the sponsorship of the private hospitalization and cure of wounds too expensive for normal pa care. For me, this is a great experience and a great opportunity. When ross phoned me last march to be his running mate, i was in the early stages of writing a book about my patron saint in prison. A First Century is stoic a story philosopher. He is a man who inspires people with tough jobs to do like ross and me now, starting this campaign as underdogs. Yesterday at stanford, i looked me the quote that would give power in this clutch. I settled for this. A life not put to the test is not worth living. Lifenk providence for this with all its trials, and for this opportunity. I wrote this article in the anteroom. We got on the plane. Off, the pilot somehow found out who we were. She came to the door. He stuck out his hand and said i want to thank you he was the captain of the plane. A man in his 40s. I want to thank you for all of the things you do over there in hanoi. I respect you and i were. They generations get away from it. He said the gulf war was my work. That is before we got off. He grabbed me and said tell ross im going to vote for him. They are all over the country. Thank you, very much. [applause] ternate podium over. Turn the podium over to the national coordinator. [applause] i want to get my family safely out of here. I have it taken care of. Startsfore everybody yelling lunch, i cant see you at all because it is so dark area i will try. There would be a heavy emphasis on media and television. Does this mean you will not be traveling around the country . Give us an idea. Lets assume you own invesco team and i am an eskimo team. I would expect you to ask me for my strategy. Would you expect me to give you my strategy . We will not lay it out for you. It will be unconventional. It doesnt make any sense to lay out our strategy. Will you highlight your issues or will this be a strategy to win . How do you do that with over a month to go before the election . We will win by highlighting our issues. Are you campaigning in certain areas or will you do commercials . Now you are getting into our strategy. I just feel it is not wise to tell you. Nobody would tell his opponents a strategy in any sort of competition. I dont think we should. Tell use not going to what your template plans are. What you tell us where you will appear and when . Our strategy. Ll we will have it on full day after day. Here is the one thing you can bet on. It will be serious, it will focus on the issues. I will be. Exactly how we run a Serious Campaign focusing on the issues, that one full day after day. That will unfold day after day. Plan drafted by a former advisory former advisor to president carter of the economy was not widely praised. One else would yell, try that again. I got part of it. It was not crafted largely by that person. That person participated on the team, made an important contribution. That person is a very bright, wise, able person. I had absolute control over the plan. I was deeply involved in it, myself. A very talented team made up of a number of people participated. Is itur question has a bad premise. Income tax rate it falls to have a leon the middle class. A re you and to refine of that . You would respect your poems to twist. I wouldnt dignify that answer with a comment. I know that comes from, i know where it comes from. These added it so many times. I will at the proper time. The point is does everybody here have can you explain to us what interest it is for the ever average american to have his or her gasoline go go up by an average of 300 a year to solve the deficit when richer americans will have to undergo that similar type of burden . Explain why it is in their interest. If you look at the cost of gasoline around the world, in italy it is up to five dollars a gallon. Our other industrial competitive nations, it is 3. 85. The cost of gasoline is roughly the same all over the world. The variation is in the tax. Those nations take that tax and build infrastructure. Our infrastructure is falling apart. Our purpose in collecting . 10 a gallon increase per year over five years will put us way at the bottom of the industrialized world. We need to get money to create infrastructure which will create jobs and make our country stronger and get the Multiplier Effect from having a modern infrastructure as opposed to a decaying infrastructure. When you look get jerked us what germany is spending to prevent infrastructure, when japan is spending, little taiwan is spending to improve its infrastructure. The tiny amount we are spending, we wont be in the game in 15 years. Nobody will be able to afford a car. We have to do that sort of thing. I am here about to announce, i am here to have a positive, good time. Everything here is the usual hostile negative yelling, screaming. I will take two more. You said you were making a rational decision. I can hear anyone. Mr. Perot, when you dropped out to you only care about winning do you only care about winning . Talked about you young people and i you are interested in young people in your campaign. Many young people