Presidential Announcement Speech of George McGovern at George Washington University at 11 a.m. in Washington, DC on Tuesday, September 13, 1983.
"I have decided to seek the Presidency of the United States. I shall make that effort on a platform of realism and common sense. Fantasy may be good entertainment on the movie screen; it is not good policy for a great nation.
The new realism calls for a revival of the old common sense that has guided our greatest leaders since George Washington who gave this University its proud name.
American Democracy at its best has been undergirded by the spiritual insight of the Hebrew Prophets and the Christian Gospel. Conversely, we have learned again in our time that politics devoid of a moral compass is a destructive enterprise. It is still true that “where there is no vision the people perish.”
And now an exciting and what can be a victorious campaign lies before us. No candidate can protect the public reaction to his appeal. Indeed, as Emerson has written, “None but he knows what he can do, nor does he know until he has tried. “ I don’t know if I can win this campaign, but I do know that with all my heart and strength I am going to try.
But let me remind you: the success of this campaign lies in your hands. Please, those of you at George Washington University and those who watch on television, if you will volunteer send your name, and if you can contribute send your dollars to the McGovern for President campaign. And let us now as Democrats and as Americans join hands around the table of common purpose and then go forward with a strong and active faith."
