Announcement Speech of Senator Bob Dole in Russell, Kansas on November 9, 1987.
"I know many of you have come a good distance, and I'm thankful for that. I also recall a time in 1976 when President Gerald Ford joined me here, and that was another great day for Russell. I enjoy showing Russell off, although it doesn't take a whole lot longer now than it did when I was a boy.
When I look out on Main Street this morning, I see the faces of people who know me best -- or their children or grandchildren -- people who have always accepted me, and believed in me.
There are people standing here who long ago put quarters they couldn't spare in this cigar box. That generosity helped reshape my life.
I remember the experience -- many years ago -- that began when I felt a sting in the shoulder. I remember the first thing I thought about was home.
The goodness of the people of Russell over the years has been the source of my inspiration and my strength. The people who settled this community, like so many others across America, were immigrants and frontiersmen and homesteaders who knew that grit and endurance and reliance on one's neighbors were needed to build a better life for their children. They were optimists and builders; they harnessed invention and hard work to carve a life out of the wilderness. I have carried the spirit of this place with me throughout my life.
That is why I have come back home today to announce before family and friends, that I am a candidate for my party's nomination to the office of President of the United States."
