Interview With April Ryan of American Urban Radio - Interview

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Nov 6, 2000

November 1, 2000

Ms. Ryan. We're in the Oval Office, sitting with President William Jefferson Clinton on this historic occasion. We're sitting at the desk that John Kennedy, Jr., used to run through or crawl through as a child.

Mr. President, thank you so much for this time, for this post-election interview.

The President. I'm glad to do it, April. Thank you.

African-American Voter Turnout

Ms. Ryan. There is a get-out-to-vote effort, a major effort right now. African-Americans, in particular, are said not to be as energized about going to the polls, particularly for your second in charge. Why is it so important that African-Americans go to the polls this time, especially since they came out in big numbers for you, and there's such a difference right now?

The President. I think, first of all, it's important because the election is terribly close. You know, President Garter won by one percent. President Kennedy won by less than one-half of one percent. This promises to be that kind of election, so every vote will count.

Secondly, it's important because the differences between the two candidates for President and the two parties are so great. If you think about where we were 8 years ago, we had an economy in trouble; we had a society that was divided; we had a political system that was paralyzed and generally thought not to be very favorable to African-Americans and other minorities in our country.

Now, 8 years later, we've got the strongest economy we've ever had; we've got a lower crime rate, a cleaner environment, and the number of people without health insurance is going down; the number of people doing well in school and going on to college is going up. Things are moving in the right direction. And the American people are being given a chance to keep building on that progress or to embrace a completely different approach that would reverse it.

So I think if you care about health care, education, a strong economy, if you care about civil rights, human rights, and all these appointments to the Supreme Court and the other courts that are going to come up, there's more than enough reason to vote in this election.

And Al Gore has a lifetime record of support for civil rights and for policies--economic, education, health care, environmental policies--that help ordinary citizens. So I think it's a clear choice. And I think that, frankly, his role in this administration in the last 8 years and the ideas he's put before the American people should command the support of the African-American community and, I believe, the majority of the American people.

President's Support for Al Gore

Ms. Ryan. But many African-Americans I've talked to often wondered, why have you not stood next to him on many occasions prior to the week before, and not only that, why had you not gone to the churches and things like that before this last week? And many are concerned that they don't see you standing by him as much physically to promote him, and they're really wondering if your support is there for Al Gore.

The President. My support is there. I have done over 150 events this year to help him and the Democratic Party and to help our candidates for Senate and the House-- literally over 150 events. I think, frankly, it would have been inappropriate for me to be out there campaigning with him. I think it would have hurt him with some people, because as he said in his convention speech, he has to run for President as his own man. He has to be elected on his own.

And I've done what I could to be supportive. I continue to do a lot of events, and I'm going out to California in a day or so. I'm going to go home the last weekend to Arkansas, which is a small State, but these small States could determine the outcome of the election. I'm going to make another stop in New York trying to help my wife and also help the congressional candidates and help him, and I may do another stop or so. I'm doing everything I can. And as you pointed out, I went out in the churches last weekend.

But when a President campaigns, it's very important not to do it too soon, and it's very important to do it in a way that you're being supportive of the people that are running. So it's kind of a delicate thing.

I remember when President Reagan used to come to Arkansas to campaign against me, and he was wildly popular in Arkansas. It never affected my standing with the people, even though we got some of the same votes. So if I want to have an impact on this election, I have to concentrate on talking to the people who will listen to the reasons I have for voting for the Vice President and our other candidates and also do it in a way that makes it clear to the American people that I am first doing my job here in Washington.

So I've tried to do it as best I could in coordination with the Gore campaign. But the people in this country should have no doubt about my strong support for him and my belief that he will be a very good President.

Veracity/Social Issues

Ms. Ryan. Well, there are several issues that have come into play, too, with Vice President Gore, one, the veracity, embellishment. And some people are even wondering, especially Christians--you know, the pro-choice stance, as well as the issue of--he is saying that gay couples can stay together. And this is something the administration, for 8 years you've dealt with, and no one really jumped up at that before, and now everyone is becoming unglued, particularly Christians.