2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

Nixon Foundation Launches New Nixon Blog

Nixon Foundation Launches New Nixon Blog
Goal: stir up servings of RN policy, politics and culture

With an eye on the upcoming Presidential elections and the nation's dramatically growing interest in politics and government, the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace Foundation will introduce its own blog, The New Nixon, at 9:00 am on Presidents' Day, Monday, February 18.

Noted commentators including Hugh Hewitt, KRLA talk show host and former White House staffer; Jack J. Pitney, Claremont McKenna College Professor of American Politics; and John H. Taylor, executive director of the Nixon Foundation, will be among the inaugural bloggers. 

"Forty years ago, the new Nixon became a catch phrase as the former Vice President prepared to enter primaries," said Taylor.  "Some derided him as, 'supposedly new Nixon," others around the candidate himself took up the concept of a new Nixon as someone having served eight years as Vice President and traveled the world interacting with leaders as he prepared for his run in 1968."

RN won in 1968, becoming America's 37th President.

Nixon fans and critics alike are invited to offer feedback to the blogger's commentary on RN politics, culture and policy --  all with a Nixon spin.  "Those who participate in the dialogue on The New Nixon blog will themselves be part of creating the next new Nixon, the nuanced new Nixon," Taylor predicted.

Iowa Democratic Party Jefferson Jackson Dinner November 15, 2003 Video

First Read On John Kerry's Comeback At The 2003 IDP Jefferson Jackson Dinner

First thoughts: Comeback country

Today, November 09, 2007, 2 hours ago | Domenico Montanaro

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** Four years ago… : As the Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder has smartly noted, John Kerry’s speech at the Iowa Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson dinner -- which took place almost four years ago to this day -- marked the beginning of his comeback. (In fact, Saturday happens to be the four-year anniversary of when he overhauled his campaign team.) In his J-J speech, Kerry said that what Iowans needed was a president (i.e., Kerry), not a message (i.e., Howard Dean). "We need to offer answers, not just anger,” Kerry said. “So Iowa, don't just send them a message next January; send them a president." That speech and another one in New Hampshire were “the two critical message points for us,” says Stephanie Cutter, who served as Kerry’s communications director. Laura Capps, who was the campaign’s Iowa spokeswoman, adds that while Dean had more supporters attend the dinner, the pro-Kerry troops were out in full force. “We definitely felt like we won,” she tells First Read. “J-J solidified it was possible” that Kerry could pull off a win in Iowa, which he did on his way to the Democratic nomination.

Bill Clinton 1992 Announcement Anniversary

Bill Clinton 1992 Announcement Speech at the Old State House, Little Rock, Arkansas on October 3, 1991.

"Thank you all for being here today, for your friendship and support, for giving me the opportunity to serve as your Governor for 11 years, for filling my life full of blessings beyond anything I ever deserved.

I want to thank especially Hillary and Chelsea for taking this big step in our life's journey together. Hillary, for being my wife, my friend, and my partner in our efforts to build a better future for the children and families of Arkansas and America. Chelsea, in ways she is only now coming to understand, has been our constant joy and reminder of what our public efforts are really all about: a better life for all who will work for it, a better future for the next generation. 

All of you, in different ways, have brought me here today, to step beyond a life and a job I love, to make a commitment to a larger cause: Preserving the American Dream ... Restoring the hopes of the forgotten middle class... Reclaiming the future for our children.

That is why today I am declaring my candidacy for President of the United States. Together I believe we can provide leadership that will restore the American dream - that will fight for the forgotten middle class - that will provide more opportunity, Insist on more responsibility and create a greater sense of community for this great country.

This must be a campaign of ideas, not slogans. We don't need another President who doesn't know what he wants to do for America. I'm going to tell you in plain language what I intend to do as President. How we can meet the challenges we face - that's the test for all the Democratic candidates in this campaign. Americans know what we're against Let's show them what we're for.

I believe with all my heart that together, we can make this happen. We can usher in a new era of progress, prosperity and renewal. We can – we must. This is not just a campaign for the Presidency – it is a campaign for the future, for the forgotten hard-working middle class families of America who deserve a government that fights for them. A campaign to keep America strong at home and around the world. Join with us. I ask for your prayers, your help, your hands, and your hearts. Together we can make America great again, and build a community of hope that will inspire the world."

Full Speech Text

John McCain 2000 Announcement Speech Anniversary

Republican presidential candidate U.S. Senator John McCain's announcement speech.

"I have the privilege of beginning my campaign with you here in New Hampshire, but I began this day as I began my career of service to our nation...in the company of United States Naval Academy midshipmen.

Whenever I see those young men and women, and think of their dedication and the purposeful careers on which they will soon embark, I am reminded of how lucky I was to have been one of them. So there is no more appropriate place for me to have begun this mission than Annapolis.

I do not announce my candidacy to satisfy my personal ambitions. My life has already been blessed more than I deserve.

I don't begin this mission with any sense of entitlement. America doesn't owe me anything. I am the son and grandson of Navy admirals, and I was born into America's service. It wasn't until I was deprived of her company that I fell in love with America. And it has been my honor to serve her and her great cause - freedom. I have never lived a day since that I wasn't thankful for the privilege.

It is because I owe America more than she has ever owed me that I am a candidate for President of the United States.

I want to be President to protect, until my life's end, our magnificent dream of freedom - God's great blessing to the world. And with your help I will."

John Kerry 2004 Announcement Speech Anniversary

John Kerry Presidential Announcement Tour, September 2, 2003

"This is no ordinary campaign because this is no ordinary time. We have lived through the most deadly attack on our people in American history, the greatest job loss since the Great Depression, and the greatest loss of wealth and savings ever recorded.  But every time our country has faced great challenges, we have come through --  and come out stronger --  because courageous Americans have done what's right for America.

This is a time for the same kind of courage.

I learned something about service from two people I wish could be here today.  My father, who as a member of the Greatest Generation, enlisted in the Army Air Corps even before Pearl Harbor, and served in the State Department at the height of the Cold War.  And my mother, 50 years a Girl Scout leader, a community activist with a passion for the environment who took me into the woods as a young boy and simply said "listen."

As I look around at my crewmates and the veterans here today, I am reminded that the best lessons I learned about being an American came in a place far away from America -- on a gunboat in the Mekong Delta with a small crew of volunteers.  Some of us had been to college; others were just out of high school.  But we grew up together on that tiny boat.  It was our sanctuary -- and a place for bridging distances between California and South Carolina, Iowa and Massachusetts.  We were no longer the kid from Arkansas or the kid from Illinois.  We were Americans -- together -- under the same flag -- giving ourselves to something bigger than each of us as individuals.

We arrived as strangers; we left as brothers. We didnt think we were special.  We just tried to do what was right.

And when we came home, we had a simple saying: Every day is extra.  I used my extra days to join other veterans to end a war I believed was wrong.  I saw courage both in the Vietnam War and in the struggle to stop it.  I learned that patriotism includes protest, not just military service. But you don�t have to go half way around the world or march on Washington to learn about bravery or love of country. Again and again, in the causes that define our nation, we have seen the uncommon courage that is common to the American people.

Today, with confidence in the courage of our people to change what is wrong and do what is right, I come here to say why I am a candidate for President of the United States.

Your courage can make sure we do what's right for our country.

Your courage can give America back its future, its strength and its soul.

I am honored to join you in this endeavor as a candidate for President of the United States.

Thank you and God bless you all."

Full Speech Text

Betty Ford Dedicates Gerald R. Ford Stamp

Betty Ford Dedicates Gerald R. Ford Stamp
Dedication Ceremonies in Palm Desert, CA, and Grand Rapids, MI

WASHINGTON, DC — Former First Lady Betty Ford joined Postmaster General John E. Potter today to dedicate the Gerald R. Ford commemorative stamp in Palm Desert, CA, at the McCallum Theater. A similar dedication ceremony took place in Grand Rapids, MI, at the President Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. The stamp honoring the Nation's 38th President is available nationwide today, August 31, 2007.

“President Ford would be so grateful for the magnificent honor that the Postal Service has created in tribute to his decades of service to the American people,” said Mrs. Betty Ford. “The stamp wonderfully portrays his strength, warmth, and compassion. My family and I are filled with pride and gratitude for this remarkable tribute to our beloved husband, father, and grandfather.”

Mrs. Ford was joined at the McCallum Theatre ceremony by her children Jack Ford and Susan Ford Bales and by several of her grandchildren.

President and Mrs. Ford's son Michael Ford dedicated the stamp in Grand Rapids with U.S. Postal Service Executive Director Rosa Fulton. President Ford's brother, Richard A. Ford, was present at the Grand Rapids dedication.

“We owe President Ford an immense debt of gratitude,” said Postmaster General Potter, “as a man who put his nation first; as a man who was guided by what he read in his heart, and as a man who succeeded in his goal to make this great government work for the good of all Americans.”

The Postal Service produced 80 million 41-cent stamps in sheets of 20. Award winning stamp artist Michael J. Deas of Brooklyn Heights, NY, created the stamp under the direction of stamp designer Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, MD.

George W. Bush 2000 Announcement Anniversary

George W. Bush For President Announcement in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Saturday, June 12, 1999.
 
"I have come here today to tell you this: I am running for President of the United States. There's no turning back, and I intend to be the next President of the United States.

I'm running because our country must be prosperous. But prosperity must have a purpose. The purpose of prosperity is to make sure the American dream touches every willing heart. The purpose of prosperity is to leave no one out, to leave no one behind. I'm running because my party must match a conservative mind with a compassionate heart. And I'm running to win.

It feels to me like an old era of American politics is ending -- like Americans are waiting for new hopes, new energy, new idealism. We will prove that someone who is conservative and compassionate can win without sacrificing principle. We will show that politics, after a time of tarnished ideals, can be higher and better. We will give our country a fresh start after a season of cynicism.

We have a long way to go, but we start today. And I hope you'll join me."

Full Speech Text

New Presidential Timeline Web Site Highlights Pivotal Events In 20th Century American Presidencies

New Presidential Timeline Web Site Highlights Pivotal Events in 20th Century American Presidencies

AUSTIN, Texas - A Web-based Presidential Timeline (www.presidentialtimeline.org) filled with digitized artifacts and historical archives from all of the U.S. presidential libraries has been created through the efforts of the 12 presidential libraries of the National Archives and Records Administration, the Learning Technology Center of The University of Texas at Austin's College of Education and the UT Library system.

The interactive Web-based Timeline is based on the administrations of 20th century American presidents and is unique in giving educators, archivists and the public one spot where the 12 presidential libraries' impressive array of digitized assets can be accessed.

"We realized early on that this Timeline would be of interest to a very broad user base, says Dr. Betty Sue Flowers, director of the LBJ Library and Museum, "from K-12 educators in the U.S. to an international audience that can use the Web to learn about U.S. history in an engaging, entertaining way.

"We drew upon the expertise of individuals at each of the presidential libraries, K-12 teachers, university faculty, archivists, education specialists and top technology professionals nationwide to accomplish two very important goals - we wanted to exhibit the digitized assets in an educational, compelling way as well as develop educational activities that actually use the Timeline and enhance teachers' various curricula.

The presidential libraries contributed primary and secondary source materials, many of which previously were available only to serious scholars. Contributions include audio and video clips, photos and documents, such as diaries, that offer a rare and fascinating glimpse into the daily life of an American president.

"One of the most interesting features of the Timeline is that it is built around key events in each presidency, says Dr. Paul Resta, director of the College of Education's Learning Technology Center. "These are major historical decision points at which a particular president faced a crisis or other momentous event. We have designed the Timeline so that users can essentially assume the role of president for a moment and figuratively step behind the desk in the Oval Office, accessing audio files of President (Lyndon B.) Johnson's phone conversations regarding the Gulf of Tonkin incident, for example. This is an exceptionally effective tool for encouraging students to analyze what they're learning in history classes and is a great way of using technology to make history leap to life.

The Presidential Timeline Project was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as funding from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation and UTOPIA, a digital gateway to The University of Texas at Austin's educational resources. The College of Education's Learning Technology Center and Terra Incognita Productions designed the Timeline to be fluid and dynamic, with additional resources and curriculum material to be added along with the assets of new presidential libraries.
To view the Presidential Timeline, please visit www.presidentialtimeline.org. For a list of links to all 12 presidential libraries, visit www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/contact/libraries.html.

RNC Statement On The Passing Of Former President Gerald Ford

Statement From RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman On The Passing Of Former President Gerald Ford

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following is a statement from RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman on the passing of former President Gerald Ford.

“Gerald Ford was an American hero whose integrity and honesty helped lead our nation through times of uncertainty and skepticism.  He was a football star, a war hero, a Congressional leader, and a Vice President before the country called upon Gerald Ford to help mend the wounds of a divided nation.  Through all of his accomplishments and all of his accolades, President Ford lived his life with modesty, integrity, and love for his family and the United States of America.

“We will never forget President Ford’s contributions to the country.  He was a leader who expected results, but never demanded the credit.  From his childhood in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to his Presidency in the Oval Office, Gerald Ford lived with an air of humility while he made everything around him a little bit better than it was before he found it.

“President Ford’s loving family continues his legacy through Betty’s incredible work on behalf of victims of breast cancer and substance abuse.  Our heartfelt condolences go out to Betty, Michael, Jack, Steven, Susan and the entire Ford family as we thank them for sharing the life of President Gerald Ford, with the American people.”